• Intelagy card processing solution promises to save merchants significant costs
• Business model is subscription-based instead of charging according to credit card processing volume
• Company’s flat fee structure begins at $29 per month

Accelerated Technologies Holding Corp. (OTC: ATHC) has reported an overwhelmingly positive response to its new credit card processing solution. ATHC’s managing director, Alex Lemberg, recently spoke to NetworkNewsAudio’s Stuart Smith about the company’s innovative business model and the goals that it has for the rest of the year (http://ibn.fm/o6iEf).

ATHC, which provides consulting and develops technology products and services, recently launched Intelagy, which provides a range of services, including credit card processing, branding, web development and hosting solutions, to small-to-medium businesses. “Yesterday we did our first fairly decent-sized marketing campaign,” Lemberg said in the interview (http://ibn.fm/XQzgu).

Intelagy is subscription-based, meaning that merchants can choose to pay for the level of service that suits their business needs. Instead of the traditional service model which charges clients according to the volume of their card processing payments, Intelagy charges its clients a flat fee. According to Intelagy’s fee structure, organizations that process $100,000 per year would pay a subscription fee of $29 per month, while those which process over $1 million per year would pay $199 per month.

Lemberg added, “Think about the ridiculous amounts of cost savings and just the logic behind that, right? Today, if your business is doing $500,000 in credit card processing, you’re paying a percentage of that to those independent sales organizations. And when your business goes from $500,000 to $1 million, you’re still paying a percentage. So, really, you’re getting dinged, for lack of a better word, the better your business actually operates. And there’s just no logical reason behind it.”

ATHC’s managing director spoke of the company’s two main goals for 2018: to reach 100,000 merchants and to launch subsidiary FinBridge, which will lend capital to alternative business lenders. Among these lenders would be independent sales organizations offering debit and credit card processing services to merchants. FinBridge is being designed to find inefficiencies in organizations the provide consumer loans and help them improve operations via better controls and lower risk factors.

The company’s portfolio also includes IconXchange, currently being developed to fund personality brands. The platform will use blockchain technology and provide an open, decentralized infrastructure that will allow individuals to obtain and exchange investment in personalities of the world of sports and entertainment.

ATHC also owns XStreamCorp, which is described as a revolutionary “reality gaming social network.” XStreamCorp was designed to compete with Facebook’s social gaming market and will incorporate proprietary technology to provide users with streaming video, audio and messaging capabilities.

Speaking of how ATHC hopes to impact small to mid-sized business, Lemberg voiced hope that his company will assist clients in becoming more cost effective, both in terms of credit card processing and securing sustainable financing for business growth.

“From a credit card processing perspective, we will begin to give them services that they would never be able to afford, or even know existed from a technology perspective. And then, more importantly, when they need money to actually grow or sustain or cover a particular time of the year, like a season where they can use more inventory, we will bridge them to more affordable, less predatory, more sustainable financing products,” he concluded.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ATHCorp.com

• NUGL has hired a renowned attorney to serve as an IP and trademark law consultant
• NUGL has created one of the largest cannabis-related search app platforms and the world’s very first comprehensive cannabis search engine
• Company’s database includes only true, untainted user ratings and feedback, with no fake reviews or purchased top-spot listings

NUGL Inc. (OTC: NUGL), creator of the world’s first comprehensive cannabis software platform and a company setting a new technology standard for the cannabis industry, recently announced that it has hired renowned attorney Scott P. Shaw to serve as an expert industry consultant in IP and trademark law (http://ibn.fm/yNVQd).

Named a “Super Lawyer” in 2017 by Los Angeles magazine – an honor recognizing attorneys who rank in the top five percent for excellence in practicing law – Shaw is a shareholder with Call & Jensen and specializes in litigation and strategic client counseling for that firm. He was honored as a “Rising Star” for eight years and was been distinguished as one of the “2015 Top 25 Orange County Rising Stars” and the “Top 100 Southern California Rising Stars.”

In engaging Shaw’s services, NUGL aims to protect its brand and intellectual property – a necessary measure as the company continues to grow and build a diverse range in its network of profiles. As one of the largest cannabis-related search app platforms, offering unparalleled expertise in forming brands within the cannabis space, NUGL continues progressing toward its goal of becoming a household name in the cannabis industry.

NUGL stands out in the cannabis space by offering the only cannabis search app that provides pure search results that are equal and unbiased; the company does not sell top-spot listings or fake reviews.

NUGL’s app provides topnotch searchability to connect users with customer-rated dispensaries, cannabis strains and brands, but its services go far beyond that, delivering something greatly needed and truly unique in the cannabis space. NUGL’s application provides profiles for every type of cannabis brand, business and service, including listing physicians, lawyers, accountants, real estate agents and other entities that offer cannabis-related services.

Other features that set NUGL’s application apart are its superior networking capabilities and its ability to arm novice startups with the marketing and business tools they need to move forward – tools that are otherwise largely unavailable in the cannabis space.

As the cannabis industry continues to grow and as consumers become more knowledgeable, demand for specific marijuana brands will increase, and brands will emerge with more narrowed focuses. The startups and developers behind these brands will need an improved means of getting their products on the right shelves and in front of consumers, and NUGL provides that. NUGL’s new technology gives cannabis brands and service providers the ability to actively network and make crucial connections. Through NUGL’s technology, a brand holder can reach out to dispensaries, for example, to forge deals to get his or her brand on the necessary shelves. This provides a brand with physical availability addresses, which, in turn, gives the consumer the necessary content to conduct a superior search for products and services.

Notably, NUGL’s comprehensive, flexible technology has been built on a web app, with the user interface and client-side logic running in a web browser. This web application communicates seamlessly with both iOS and Android.

NUGL has launched numerous features, including exclusive profile claiming, features for brands and listings and honest consumer-based reviews. The company is quickly gaining market share and now has directory services that span North America. The company’s B2B and B2P application is one-of-a-kind in the cannabis industry, providing a crucially needed service as the cannabis space continues to evolve at breakneck speed.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://ibn.fm/NUGL

• Easily integrated BLOCKStrain platform tracks cannabis supply chain from genome to sale
• Blockchain-based genetic registration process provides verification security for growers and consumers alike
• Protection of proprietary cannabis strains is critical, as eventual entry of Big Pharma and Big Ag companies into newly legalized cannabis space is certain

As the legal cannabis space expands and major players enter the industry, the need for supply chain verification is growing dramatically, with real-world problems already becoming apparent. These include:

• IP lawsuits that have not stood up in court;
• Known copying of major brands in dispensaries by illegal growers; and
• Gray market products being passed off as legal.

Cannabis industry suppliers and consumers are currently faced with a major gap in supply chain transparency and verification, a gap that’s feeding a growing industry demand for an effective solution.

The team at BLOCKStrain Technology Corp. (TSX.V: DNAX), a full-service software company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, wisely predicted that it would take an immutable, powerful technology to accomplish this critical task. To that end, BLOCKStrain has developed the first integrated blockchain platform that registers and tracks cannabis intellectual property (“IP”) from genome to sale.

“This industry is growing at such an exponential rate,” Robert Galarza, CEO and co-founder of BLOCKStrain, said in an exclusive interview with NetworkNewsAudio (http://ibn.fm/kMNJi).  “You need to be able to create a method, utilizing technology, to verify that product and make sure the product that’s being put on shelves is tested and safe… You want to make sure what you’re putting in your body is healthy.”

Through the use of BLOCKStrain, cannabis growers can defend intellectual property rights with an authentic, verifiable chain of evidence embedded in the blockchain from genome to sale. For companies in the cannabis space, efforts to secure intellectual property protection should start early and remain a top priority. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) routinely grants patents for cannabis and cannabis-related inventions, according to an article in The Legal Intelligencer (http://ibn.fm/hukAC), but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy process. Patent claims cover a wide range of technologies, with all requiring proof of invention or the product of human ingenuity through selective or genetic breeding, the article states.

That’s where BLOCKStrain’s platform comes in by providing a gene-registration defense of intellectual property rights and establishing historical proof of ownership. That’s huge for cannabis growers seeking to develop their own brands for an increasingly astute and knowledgeable base of loyal consumers. The authenticity of a particular cannabis strain is followed from genome to sale, providing reliable, transparent cannabis supply chain tracking via BLOCKStrain’s unique platform.

With a solid foundation in place, BLOCKStrain is looking toward the future with a near-term focus on the Canadian cannabis market ahead of the country’s scheduled October 2018 legalization of adult-use recreational cannabis.

“Our goal is to help this industry develop and unfold,” Galarza stated, adding that BLOCKStrain is well positioned to grow its market share by “putting the best solution in front of the industry and all of the participants here.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.BLOCKStrain.io

• DeepMarkit is the only publicly listed company focused completely on gamification
• The company assists businesses in converting players into leads and leads into customers
• Analysts suggest that the global gamification market will be a $22 billion-plus industry by 2022

DeepMarkit Inc. (TSX.V: MKT) (OTCQB: MKTDF), headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, develops and markets gamification technology to assist businesses in engaging consumers and other audiences. The company offers a robust patent-pending, ‘Gamification’ technology platform. Its management team has deep experience in creating and marketing premier gaming products.

DeepMarkit is the only publicly listed company centered on gamification. P&S Market Research estimates that the worldwide gamification market will be worth more than $22 billion by 2022 (http://ibn.fm/2QXsc). Expanding use of smartphones and mobile devices is creating a substantial base for the gamification market.

DeepMarkit is integrated with numerous partner distribution platforms as it pursues this significant market opportunity. The company helps businesses convert players into leads and leads into customers. The DeepMarkit platform integrates an array of gaming elements with interactive advertising and powerful visuals, including 3D images. The platform is suitable for multi-channel and omni-channel approaches, which integrate web, mobile and social media.

DeepMarkit’s conversion tools include social campaigns. The design of its high-end conversion tool aims to provide interactive experiences and reward participants via prizes. With this tool, businesses can convert unknown social media followers into known email subscribers, sending external traffic to a business’s website.

The company’s conversion tools also include its Gamify Slide Out. DeepMarkit offers monthly subscription plans, distributed by way of ecommerce platforms. The Basic Conversion Tool is designed to be functional in less than 10 minutes – fully integrated into a customer’s website. Gamify Slide Out converts website traffic into email subscribers.

Fundamentally, DeepMarkit’s platform enables businesses to create branded games. These games subsequently attract new customers and therefore generate sales, producing leads via data capture. MarTech Advisor (MTA) notes (http://ibn.fm/xgF0H), “Data is widely available across departments today. The key lies in utilizing this data to drive more revenue – starting with high-quality lead generation.”

DeepMarkit’s proprietary promotions platform “Gamify” drew a $1.5 million investment from Allstate International LLC (Hong Kong). This investment gave Allstate a 10 percent stake in DeepMarkit. It also presents an opportunity to bring the Gamify platform into the burgeoning Asian gaming market. P&S Market Research also noted (http://ibn.fm/Ss4HF) that “Geographically, North America has been the largest contributor to the global gamification market revenue. Nevertheless, developing regions, which include Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle-East & Africa, are likely to show faster growth, during 2016 – 2022, compared with developed regions of North America and Europe.”

DeepMarkit’s sales strategy centers on continuing to add integration partners, thus increasing the company’s product visibility. Its sales strategy also includes cross marketing additional products such as social campaigns and surveys. DeepMarkit gains customers via its free product version of Gamify Slide Out. It then works to convert free customers into paying customers with its Enhanced Gamify Slide Out with paid features.

Gamify is available for free download on all major e-commerce platforms – including Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and as a plugin for WordPress – opening the door for easy and broad adoption.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.DeepMarkit.com

• ASCK projects future revenues of $45 million from 300 homes per year at a 20 percent margin from its Goldendale, Washington facility; it will initially produce materials for 100 homes annually
• CEO John Sprovieri said that the firm’s planned facility in Ontario, Canada, could export materials for homes in the Northeastern U.S.; new facility in Cuba is possible
• ASCK manufactures proprietary lightweight and energy efficient hybrid wall and roof panels for on-site construction by contractors/developers

Auscrete Corp. (OTC: ASCK) is planning to begin production by year-end from its flagship facility in Goldendale, Washington. When completed, the site is expected to have capacity for 300 homes that could generate annual revenues of $45 million at a projected margin of 20 percent for the company, as Sprovieri noted in an audio interview with NetworkNewsWire (http://ibn.fm/CpFja).

Sprovieri said that he expects ASCK to be in production at its Goldendale facility by the end of this calendar year, with the plant boasting initial annual capacity of about 100 homes. Later, the company plans to add two more buildings at the location and expand its production capacity.

“Initially, our first production building will enable us to build up to 100 homes,” he said in the interview. “With two more buildings, typically, we could build more than 300 homes per year. Three hundred homes per year is about $45 million revenue. Our bottom line can usually get to 20%. As you can imagine, the company should be quite profitable.”

ASCK is a building manufacturing company focused on ‘green’, energy efficient structures made from lightweight hybrid concrete/insulation wall and roof panels. The company, which is positioning itself as a major supplier in the affordable housing market, has stated that these units have very low maintenance costs. They are resistant to insects and mold, as well as natural events such as hurricanes and earth tremors. The houses, to be sold to contractors/developers, would be constructed onsite. The materials are also suitable for commercial and industrial structures, ASCK said.

Sprovieri added that the government of Canada has expressed interest to ASCK’s Canadian partners about establishing a housing materials plant in Cuba. Additionally, upon completion, ASCK’s Ontario facility could, in the future, export homes to the Northeastern U.S. Sprovieri noted that because homes constructed of the company’s materials will not burn, there is also a future opportunity for the company to provide houses in California. That state has already had more than 1,000 houses destroyed by wildfires this year, according to USA Today (http://ibn.fm/ez3op).

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.AuscreteHomes.com

• Safety improvements in lithium battery technology on the horizon
• Lithium demand driven by electric vehicle and energy storage system uses
• Quantum Minerals adds nine new claims at lithium-rich Irgon Mine Property

Not all news about lithium is good. Who wants to hear about another fire started by an exploding lithium battery? Such reports raise justified concern, particularly as lithium batteries are becoming almost as ubiquitous as outlets connected to the electrical power grid. But such ill tidings may soon be a thing of the past, for a new electrolyte may stop lithium batteries from catching fire. This welcome development removes one more hurdle to the widespread adoption of lithium-ion batteries and boosts the fortunes of lithium producers like QMC Quantum Minerals Corp. (OTC: QMCQF) (TSX.V: QMC) (FSE: 3LQ). As global demand for the metal continues to rise, the mineral resource company has increased its claims at its Irgon Mine Property. The company’s 100-percent-owned Irgon Lithium Mine Project lies within the prolific Cat Lake-Winnipeg River rare-element pegmatite field of southeastern Manitoba, which also hosts Cabot Corporation’s rare-element TANCO pegmatite deposit.

Demand for lithium is expected to continue to increase, as lithium-ion battery applications and systems multiply. The main driver, at present, appears to be power systems for electric vehicles. However, lithium batteries are also finding increasing deployment as part of energy storage systems (“ESS”). For example, by June 2018, Tesla had already deployed “over 1 GWh of energy storage,” including a single installation of 129 MWh in South Australia (http://ibn.fm/Ojgl6). In addition, French utility EDF plans to invest $10 billion in 10 GW of energy storage systems by 2035, and, here at home, New York State wants to have 1,500 MW of ESS installed by 2025. The city had its first behind-the-meter installation last May – a 300 kW, 1.2 MWh lithium-ion battery project in Brooklyn (http://ibn.fm/5HXTH). These are just a sample of the many ESS projects underway or planned in the U.S. and around the world. It would be a decidedly unhappy state of affairs if one or more of those batteries were to explode or burst into flames, considering that a Tesla Powerpack weighs 2,650 lbs. (1,200 kg) (http://ibn.fm/wlGiZ).

If the scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) get their way, that aforementioned explosion is unlikely to happen. At the 256th national meeting and exposition of the American Chemical Society, Gabriel Veith, who headed the project, announced an inexpensive method to prevent battery fires from occurring (http://ibn.fm/FRwio). Named after an imaginary green substance from the world of Dr. Seuss, ‘oobleck’ is a suspension of cornstarch in water that demonstrates the properties of a non-Newtonian fluid, i.e., one that behaves like a solid when subjected to stress. As Wikipedia explains: “A person may walk on a large tub of oobleck without sinking due to its shear thickening properties, as long as the individual moves quickly enough to provide enough force with each step to cause the thickening. Also, if oobleck is placed on a large subwoofer driven at a sufficiently high volume, it will thicken and form standing waves in response to low frequency sound waves from the speaker. If a person were to punch or hit oobleck, it would thicken and act like a solid. After the blow, the oobleck will go back to its thin liquid like state.” Magical stuff indeed!

Quantum Minerals has now staked nine additional claims at its lithium-rich Irgon Mine Property, covering an area of 1,936 hectares (4,784 acres), which raises its contiguous footprint from 2,647 hectares (6,541 acres) to 4,583 hectares (11,325 acres) (http://ibn.fm/gLFJ1). The project, located at Cat Lake, Manitoba, is home to several pegmatite dikes rich in lithium (Li), plus accessory cesium (Cs) and tantalum (Ta) mineralization.

The former developer of the property, the Lithium Corporation of Canada Limited, carried out substantial drilling and underground developmental work from which it estimated the deposit to contain more than 1.2 million tons of spodumene-bearing pegmatite, graded at 1.51 percent lithium oxide.

Quantum Minerals’ portfolio also includes two volcanic massive sulphide (VMS) properties – the Rocky Lake and Rocky-Namew, known collectively as the Namew Lake District Project – which potentially contain base metal-rich mineral deposits. These claims extend over approximately 23,000 hectares (~57,000 acres) in one of Canada’s most productive mining regions, the Flin Flon/Snow Lake VMS mining district of western Manitoba, Canada.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.QMCMinerals.com

• Second quarter results show number of subscribers up 57 percent and subscriber revenue up 108 percent
• National governments of U.S., UK see potential applications of GTX Corp products in health services
• U.S. military using GTX wearable GPS technology to track assets and personnel

GTX Corp (OTC: GTXO), a company that develops and produces wearable GPS technology for tracking individuals and assets, has announced a 108 percent increase in subscriber revenue. Releasing its second quarter results, the company said that revenue was up seven percent and subscriber numbers increased by 57 percent, as compared to the same period of the previous year, according to a news release (http://ibn.fm/2MS8m).

“As highlighted above, we had an overall good quarter, with single- or double-digit increases or decreases in all the major metrics – revenues were up, subscribers were up, margins and profits were up, while our cost of operations, professional services, G&A and net losses decreased,” GTX Corp CEO Patrick Bertagna said in a news release. “Overall product revenues were slightly impacted due to the launch of new products and not having enough inventory on hand before the end of the quarter. However a key metric worth noting is number of subscribers and subscriber revenue, both of which are fundamental to our overall success and have been increasing steadily over the past year.”

The CEO added that the company’s subscriber base grew by 52 percent and subscriber revenue grew by 108 percent during Q2, which is a very good indicator that GTX Corp is adding higher-paying subscribers, leading to “higher margins, higher profits and getting closer to cash flow positive.”

The company recorded an eventful second quarter that included the launch of two new child-focused products: SmartSole for kids and the Invisabelt for toddlers.

GTX Corp technology has a number of applications, including tracking the whereabouts of vulnerable loved ones, such as adults with dementia, children and pets. SmartSole, its leading product, is a hidden tracking insole, while the Invisabelt is worn inside a waistband. The company has also developed a mobile app that allows for the tracking of individuals, including family members and employees.

A number of national governments have expressed interest in using GTX Corp’s tracking solutions in their health services. The National Health Service in Britain’s Dorset County is running a pilot program using SmartSole to track people with dementia (http://ibn.fm/Hmltf). In the U.S., health authorities are considering the use of the technology for the benefit of veterans. Having already established a solid distribution network across the UK and the European Union, the company is considering seeking government funding as part of the national health programs of other nations for its GTX tracking systems.

In addition, the U.S. military has contracted to use the company’s P.E.T.S. Asset Tracker to track and locate personnel and equipment. GTX Corp reported that the entire initial military contract was completed and delivered with 100 percent satisfaction in April (http://ibn.fm/uP799).

George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services is using GTX Corp’s SmartSole technology in research to predict human wandering. The Alzheimer’s & Related Diseases Research Award Fund is financing the research program, which is using data from the wandering behaviors of individuals with Alzheimer’s to develop a system that can quickly detect and prevent episodes of wandering, a major concern due to health and safety risks.

The company is also engaged with lawmakers to discuss legislation that would open the way for the federal government to fund programs to keep vulnerable individuals safe. Initial talks have focused on a law that would authorize the appropriation of $2 million annually over the 2018-2022 period. “This will enable the Department of Justice to make grants to state and local governments and nonprofit organizations to fund programs to locate missing persons with dementia or developmental disabilities. This speaks to the core of what GTX Corp does and falls in line with the Company’s recent entrées into the children’s autistic market,” Bertagna explained.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.GTXCorp.com

• Blockchain technology creates open, distributed, indisputable record
• BLOCKStrain creates first blockchain platform for cannabis industry
• Cannabis industry forecast to quadruple in size over next decade

Clearly, blockchain isn’t just about bitcoin anymore. Originally created as the foundational platform for the cryptocurrency world, blockchain technology is an open, distributed ledger that keeps an ongoing, ordered record of transactions and movements between two parties. The data within the network is shared with full transparency between everyone in the community, and, because that information is replicated across thousands —even millions — of computers, it is fraud and mistake proof, creating an unprecedented level of trust.

Those words — open, transparent, trustworthy, fraud proof — are ones that any company would like to claim, and BLOCKStrain Technology Corp. (TSX.V: DNAX) does just that. BLOCKStrain provides the first integrated blockchain platform that registers and tracks intellectual property for the cannabis industry.

This pioneering effort has not gone unnoticed in an industry that’s expected to explode in the next decade. One report indicates that by 2027, the legal cannabis industry in North America will grow from $9.2 billion last year to approximately $47.3 billion, with $57 billion being spent worldwide (http://ibn.fm/SPw3Q).

The chance to be part of this lucrative market presents an irresistible opportunity, and BLOCKStrain offers the ability to register and track cannabis intellectual property (IP) from “genome to sale,” providing unprecedented benefits to everyone involved, from the cultivation and processing to the sale and use of the plant.

Using BLOCKStrain, growers can identify and protect the different strains of cannabis they develop, establishing irrevocable rights to their valuable IP. The BLOCKStrain platform then simplifies genetic and quality-control testing for legal cannabis, cutting the administrative time and expense in half while accurately tracking all aspects of quality control.

It’s not all about tracking, though. Currently, growing and manufacturing facilities are not inspected, making it difficult —even impossible — to ensure high quality and regulatory compliance. BLOCKStrain is committed to solving that problem, as well. Cannabis producers can test product samples and submit the lab results to BLOCKStrain. Each submission is recorded on the BLOCKStrain platform, allowing everyone along the cannabis supply chain, from producers to consumers, to verify the results.

The platform also records reviews, opinions, sales, transactions and other movement along the way, and no transaction can be tampered with, allowing for complete trust in an industry that’s not traditionally recognized in that way.

BLOCKStrain’s proprietary, immutable, secure blockchain technology establishes a single source of trust for cannabis strains’ ownership, potency and chemical makeup. In a billion-dollar industry slated for stunning growth in the coming years, those could be the words that make a business stand out from the competition.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.BLOCKStrain.io

• Global demand rising for electric vehicles fueled by lithium-ion batteries, with sales reaching 1.24 million vehicles in 2017
• Marifil Mines uniquely positioned in Argentina’s famed ‘Lithium Triangle’
• Lithium-ion battery market expected to reach a value of $67.7 billion by 2022
• Assay work continues on 600 core samples taken from company’s flagship property in gold-producing region

The world’s appetite for battery-powered vehicles shows no sign of abating as major automakers announce plans to launch more than 400 models of electric vehicles (“EV”) by 2025, a report by Frost & Sullivan states (http://ibn.fm/6MPCh). Global EV sales are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11 percent between 2017 and 2022, when the industry could be worth almost $128 billion, according to BCC Research (http://ibn.fm/4617N). Fueling these electric vehicles, and many of the mobile devices enjoyed by consumers, are lithium-ion batteries.

Junior exploration company Marifil Mines Ltd. (TSX.V: MFM) (OTCQB: MFMLF) and its sizable portfolio of lithium and cobalt claims (another element used in key battery technologies) is positioned to benefit as the EV market surges ahead. Marifil Mines holds mining claims on over 15,250 hectares (37,700 acres) in Argentina’s mineral-rich land within South America’s famed ‘Lithium Triangle’.

The benefits of electric vehicles are widely known, with passenger EVs making up the bulk of the market’s value and growth, according to a report issued by BCC Research (http://ibn.fm/lxPIl). However, there are also scooters, low velocity vehicles, buses, niche vehicles, commercial and industrial vehicles, and even battery-powered military vehicles. Each of these modes of battery-powered transportation offer immediate reduction of air pollution through elimination of vehicle exhaust, in addition to producing less overall noise. The need for lithium to fuel EVs is constantly rising, with market analysts expecting the global lithium-ion battery market to reach $68 billion in value by 2022, Statista reports (http://ibn.fm/HmaM3).

Marifil’s lithium exploration efforts include an agreement signed earlier this year with Argentine company Minera Esperanza S.A. The agreement relates to a five-year exploration plan at two lithium-bearing properties in Argentina’s Catamarca province. Marifil has an option to purchase the lithium properties, which would expand its lithium portfolio to 15,267 hectares within the Puna scrublands of the prolific ‘Lithium Triangle’.

Marifil president and CEO Robert Abenante noted in a news release (http://ibn.fm/5vXtl) that the agreement displays the company’s “continued aggressive growth within the lithium space in Argentina.”

Marifil also owns 360 hectares (890 acres) of patented mineral rights for cobalt exploration and 42,322 hectares (104,578 acres) of gold exploration and mining rights in an advanced exploration stage in San Roque that company engineers indicate have high gold discovery potential with “excellent infrastructure and mining friendly politics.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.MarifilMines.com

• Auscrete’s lightweight hybrid concrete/insulation wall and roof panels, offer unmatched building options that are both economical and environmentally friendly
• The company is progressing with its new production facilities
• Auscrete building materials offer a unique hedge against the destructive forces of fires

Auscrete Corp. (OTC: ASCK), operating out of Washington State, focuses on making affordable, technology driven and eco-friendly housing. The company constructs energy efficient housing and commercial structures built from Auscrete-developed lightweight hybrid concrete/insulation wall and roof panels.

In a recent interview, Auscrete Chief Executive Officer John Sprovieri and former Auscrete team member Jacki Wentz discussed company initiatives, as well as the fires raging in the State of California. Sprovieri discussed the company’s head office facility in Goldendale, Washington (http://ibn.fm/Cfjze). The expectation is that the company’s new facility will be in full production by the end of 2018 and will enable Auscrete to construct up to 100 homes annually. Furthermore, two additional production centers are planned, giving Auscrete the potential to build 300 homes per year out of the Goldendale, Washington, site.

The construction of 300 homes annually would bring in approximately $45 million in revenue to the company. Sprovieri noted that this would produce a profit margin of roughly 20 percent. In addition, he noted that Auscrete has its Canadian initiative, with plans to set up a 75 percent company-owned production plant with a Canadian investment group. He mentioned the enormous need for affordable housing in Canada. The company’s southern Ontario facility would be similar to its facility in Goldendale, Washington. Auscrete’s Canadian initiative would also help the company tap into the northeast U.S. market from southern Ontario. Auscrete doesn’t have a plant in the northeastern U.S.

Regarding the California wildfires, they’re wreaking havoc on housing in different areas of the state (http://ibn.fm/X37lf). Wentz lives in Redding, California, and she noted that, as of August 8, more than 1,000 homes have been lost in her region. Upon witnessing this destruction, she believes that the idea of a concrete home, allowing one to build a home out of something that sturdy and strong, is a “wonderful idea.” Structures constructed from the Auscrete building materials are low maintenance and will not catch fire and burn. Moreover, they’re highly resistant to hurricane forces and earth tremors, as well as insects and mold.

Wentz is considering returning to Auscrete and being on the ground floor of the company’s entry into California. There’s a great need for Auscrete homes, as evidenced by the destruction in her region. She’s excited about possibly heading up an additional office in California once Auscrete commences production in a few months.

What does she see as a primary advantage of the company’s technology? Safer homes. Auscrete is taking the initiative to provide affordable, energy efficient housing and commercial structures that are safe and capable of withstanding the destructive forces of wildfires.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.AuscreteHomes.com