• The FEXD management team has extensive international experience in developing global fintech platforms and services
• The company in September 2022 announced a business combination with Rana Financial, which provides transfer of funds services between the U.S. and Latin America
• At that same time, FEXD announced the acquisition of Afinoz, a digital lending platform used by India’s leading banks
• In January 2023 the company announced an extension to close its announced business combinations with Rana and Afinoz through April 2023

Fintech Ecosystem Development (NASDAQ: FEXD) is a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) formed for the purpose of effecting one or more business combinations with an intent to focus on the financial technology sector.

The company’s mission is to create and grow a global financial services ecosystem to address unmet mobile money needs in developing and industrialized countries and markets. FEXD plans to achieve this by acquiring and merging with financial technology pioneers that have the potential to help establish its global fintech ecosystem, and by continuing the development of proprietary technologies and applications to keep the company at the forefront of the cashless society market.

Digital money is replacing physical cash. Consumers can buy products and services from anywhere in the world and make payments across borders. Parents can send money to students studying in other countries. Migrant workers are sending money to families in developing nations. Rural villagers without banks can send and receive money using their smartphones. FEXD is developing mobile transaction platforms, applications and services that are helping to implement these changes.

The company plans to offer a diverse portfolio of products and services to consumers and businesses in the United States, South Asia, East Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. Its growth strategy includes acquisition, innovation and market development.

FEXD is a Delaware corporation based in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The company was launched in May 2021 by a management team led by Dr. Saiful Khandaker that has extensive experience in developing and managing financial service platforms and applications, primarily in the mobile money sector. FEXD is sponsored by Revofast LLC.

Acquisition Targets

In September 2022, FEXD announced definitive agreements for business combinations with Rana Financial Inc., a Georgia corporation, and Mobitech International LLC (dba Afinoz), a limited liability company organized in the United Arab Emirates. The agreements call for Rana and Afinoz to become wholly owned subsidiaries of FEXD, with the combined company expected to continue trading on the Nasdaq under existing ticker symbol ‘FEXD’. The mergers are expected to close in Q2 2023.

Rana Financial

Rana Financial is a licensed money transfer company founded in 2009. Rana provides fast and affordable online and mobile transfer of funds between the U.S. and Latin America. Rana has been providing money transfer services in the U.S. market for 13 years and has 30,000 active users. Rana’s money transfer business grew to 200,000 transactions in 2021. The merger agreement values Rana at an implied $78 million enterprise value.

Mobitech International LLC

Mobitech International LLC (dba Afinoz) is an artificial intelligence-enabled digital lending platform used by India’s leading banks, non-banking financial companies and fintech loan providers. Afinoz’s fintech platform supports enterprises making loans primarily to middle- and working-class borrowers via its website or through its mobile phone application. Afinoz’s platform makes loans available and affordable to millions of Indian workers and unbanked users by providing access at a low cost. Afinoz’s platform has more than 50 lending partners, and its database of registered users in India includes more than two million individuals. The merger agreement values Afinoz at an implied $120 million enterprise value.

Market Opportunity

According to analysis by global market research firm Mordor Intelligence, the worldwide financial technology market is valued at approximately $194 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to nearly $500 billion by 2028, representing a CAGR of 18.97% for the forecast period. According to the report, various financial crises and the COVID-19 pandemic have fueled consumer adoption of, and investor interest in, fintech over the past several years.

Management Team

Dr. Saiful Khandaker is Founder, CEO and President of FEXD. He is Group CEO and founder of FAMA Holdings Inc., a global developer of fintech platforms, applications and services based in the U.S. with offices in the U.K., India, Bangladesh and Zambia. He is currently leading the development of the FAMACASH(TM) network, a global fintech ecosystem to provide fast, affordable mobile money services in underserved countries such as Bangladesh. Before founding FAMA, Dr. Khandaker spent more than two decades leading the development of software solutions for Fortune 100 companies and startups. He also helped numerous clients modernize their fintech services as Chief Technology Officer at Mi3. He holds a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership, a Master of Science in Technology Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems.

Jenny Junkeer is CFO at FEXD. She is a Chartered Accountant with over 17 years of experience. As CEO of Junkeer New Era Consulting, she leads a team specializing in helping companies launch and optimize business operations in fast-changing industries. She has extensive experience helping organizations scale operations to maximize value. She is an Adjunct Association Professor at Deakin University in Australia, a board member of the Global Health Initiative Foundation, and Director of Implementation at ConnectCV. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Honors) from Monash University.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to FEXD are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/FEXD

• It is estimated that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, cybercrime, including theft, data hacking, and destruction, grew by 600%, forcing nearly every industry to embrace new cybersecurity solutions
• Cybercrime is projected to cost companies worldwide an estimated $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, up from $3 trillion in 2015. However, the hefty upfront cost associated with protecting businesses from these attacks is leaving most SMBs vulnerable
• SideChannel acknowledges this issue, and through its team of vCISOs and vCPOs, it is lowering the barrier of entry to access fundamental cybersecurity services, ultimately providing a robust yet affordable solution
• By doing so, the company is playing a pivotal role in improving cybersecurity attack readiness while making robust cybersecurity solutions more accessible and affordable, particularly to SMBs

SideChannel (OTCQB: SDCH), a company founded on the belief that all enterprises, big or small, can have top-tier security guidance at a manageable cost, recognizes the current cost-prohibitive issue with cybersecurity solutions, and seeks to address it by offering affordable and robust cybersecurity support. In addition, the company acknowledges cybersecurity as a growing concern, and the inability of small and mid-sized businesses (“SMBs”) to access associated services is an issue that needs to be addressed, lest many be put out of business.

It is estimated that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cybercrime, including everything from theft to data hacking and destruction, grew by 600% (https://ibn.fm/CK27W). This has forced nearly every industry to embrace new solutions and adapt quickly to the changing cybersecurity environment. With cybercrime projected to cost companies worldwide an estimated $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, up from $3 trillion in 2015, businesses are being forced to identify new and more effective ways of protecting themselves and their data from attacks. However, this comes at a hefty upfront cost that most SMBs cannot afford, leaving them vulnerable to such attacks.

SideChannel acknowledges this issue, and through its team of expert virtual Chief Information Security Officers (“vCISOs”) and virtual Chief Privacy Officers (“vCPOs”), it is lowering the barrier of entry to access essential cybersecurity services. This approach ultimately provides a robust yet affordable solution targeted explicitly toward SMBs. It also helps elevate cybersecurity readiness among these businesses, thus lowering the likelihood of a successful attack and mitigating the damages should one occur.

A Cybersecurity Readiness Index released by Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) noted that a mere 15% of organizations globally have a “mature” level of readiness needed to be resilient against today’s modern cybersecurity risk. In addition, the report noted that more than half (55%) of companies globally fall under the “beginner” (8%) or “formative” (47%) stages, meaning that they perform grossly below average on cybersecurity readiness (https://ibn.fm/PIlya).

60% of respondents in the Cisco study noted that they had a cybersecurity incident in the last 12 months, with 41% of those affected citing losses of at least $500,000. The double-blind survey, which involved 6,700 private sector cybersecurity leaders across 27 markets, laid bare the prevalence of cybersecurity threats and attacks. In addition, it highlighted the cost implications of these threats while emphasizing the importance of preparedness and the right systems and infrastructure to protect one’s business against such threats.

SideChannel looks to provide access to expertise through experienced vCISOs, a dependable and consistent source of critical information and experience. By doing so, it enables enterprises, specifically SMBs, to understand the cyber environment, develop cybersecurity programs specific to their use cases and track those programs in a way that mitigates cyber risk and guarantees the smooth running of the business. Through these efforts, SideChannel is playing a pivotal role in improving cybersecurity attack readiness while making robust cybersecurity solutions more accessible and affordable, particularly to SMBs.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SDCH are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SDCH

Digital Engagement experts, Public Relations officers, and Social Media & Content Management executives, are all invited to attend the 2023 edition of Social Media Strategies Summit – First Responders. The summit will be held from April 12-13, 2023 as a virtual event.

The Social Media Strategies Summit (“SMSI”) will provide a stage to learn about real-life case studies that offer practical insights into generating fresh, creative ideas for social campaigns. SMSI will feature a mix of industry experts who will share advanced social media strategies to grow online communities for SMEs.

As the leading social media conference for social media service and solution providers, SMSI offers a unique opportunity to engage with a targeted audience of decision-making first responder specialists. This virtual social media summit series will offer marketing inspiration led by senior-level executives from across the world.

Highlights

• Learn the intricacies of a winning social media strategy
• Evaluate social media initiatives through discussions and real-life feedback
• Revive strategy framework
• Nurture a cache of resources, tools, and connections
• Experience an exclusive online assembly of cross-industry, senior-level marketers.

Being Social Media Champion With SMSI

Investing in professional growth is the best way to enhance skills, stay informed, and connect with experienced industry experts. SMSI continues to be the leading social media marketing conference for marketers. This virtual conference summit will help marketers with social media marketing challenges in the current scenario.

SMSI offers a great opportunity to learn the best practices in social media marketing from a mix of experienced award-winning agencies and in-house practitioners. Attendees will get a 360° view of what it takes to implement an effective, revenue-driving social media strategy. This virtual event is a chance to participate in interactive sessions and activity-based workshops to deep dive into explicit social media topics. Each speaker is committed to bringing the latest knowledge to help generate winning ideas for social media campaigns.

The Social Media Strategies Summit will bring together leading experts and scholars from around the world. It will provide the opportunity for both senior and young scholars to present their research and take feedback to excel in their careers.

To learn more, please visit https://ibn.fm/nkVQa.

• Prime Harvest launched Reg A+ offering, Weed 4 The People, which enables public to invest for as little as $4.20 per share
• Company aims to raise $42M to fund expansion of JAXX Cannabis, flagship store and delivery platform
• Company achievements include 976% revenue growth from 2019-2022, 395% unique customer growth, 60+ brand partners
• Company aims to open 20++ locations across California within five years, recently received approval recommendation for conditional use permit to open retail cannabis outlet in the City of San Diego

Prime Harvest, a tech-focused legal cannabis enterprise and parent company to SoCal’s premier dispensary JAXX Cannabis, recently launched Weed-4-The-People – the company’s Reg A+ offering that allows the public to own a piece of the company for as little as $4.20 per share at a minimum of 100 shares.

Prime Harvest aims to raise upwards of $42M to fund the expansion of JAXX Cannabis, the company’s flagship store, and delivery platform. Options for potential investors range from $420 to $50,000+, with rewards that include equity stake in the company, and in store benefits including instant rebates, cashback incentives, Jaxx tasting room access, bonus shares, and more.

“Weed-4-The-People is a  different type of stock offering; an offering where every single dollar you invest goes toward the acquisition of licensed assets, toward the development our direct-to-consumer mobile app, and the expansion of state-wide delivery,” stated Prime Harvest Founder Duane Alexander in a note on the Reg A+ offering website.

Prime Harvest has been active in the San Diego cannabis space since its inception as a local producer in 2017. The company has since grown to include 60+ brand partners, including iconic brands like Jeeters, STIIIZY, Lime Cannabis Co., West Coast Cure, and Grizzly Peak.

The company’s objective is to continue the development of its upcoming first-in-class delivery service mobile app which promises to strengthen the commercial cannabis pipeline while offering consumers a personalized, data-driven experience. According to Reg A+ offering website, company revenue grew by 976% from 2019-2022, while annual customer growth increased by $696 and unique customer growth expanded by 395%.

Prime Harvest aims to open 20+ locations across California within the next five years. The company recently received an approval recommendation from the San Diego Planning Group for a conditional use permit to open a retail cannabis outlet in the City of San Diego (https://ibn.fm/VXkSo). Unlike previous attempts from different business entities, Prime Harvest’s application took a positive turn due to noteworthy support by the local community during the public hearings process.

Prime Harvest continues to grow its footprint in California by investing in the growth and scale of current licensed assets, focusing on acquisition, compliance management, and direct-to-consumer operations. With an experienced leadership team, a solid business foundation, and a winning track record, the company is strongly positioned to lead California’s rapidly growing cannabis sector.

For more information on Prime Harvest’s Reg A+ offering, visit www.weed4thepeople.com.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Prime Harvest are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/PRIME

• Ucore announced new additions to its executive and management teams in what the Chairman and CEO, Pat Ryan, believes strengthens and advances the company’s fundamental corporate tenet
• Geoff Atkins was appointed as Ucore’s Vice President of Business Development, while Jaan Hurditch was appointed as Engineering Director, leading the company’s engineering activities
• Ucore also bolstered its Advisory Board with the appointment of Dr. Ahmad Hussein, who will also serve as the Government Liaison
• These appointments come just in time following the commissioning of the demonstration plan in Kingston, Ontario

Ucore Rare Metals (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF), a critical metals (“CM”) separation technology company, just announced new additions to its executive and management teams in a move that sees the company transition toward production. As a company committed to executing an environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”)-centered plan toward establishing a comprehensive North American critical metals supply chain, these appointments, according to the company’s Chairman and CEO, Pat Ryan, allow Ucore to strengthen and advance its fundamental corporate tenet (https://ibn.fm/ZRJg1).

“These recent additions to the Ucore team allow the company to strengthen and advance this fundamental corporate tenet as Ucore executes its transition to a technology company entering into a production environment throughout 2023 and 2024,” noted Mr. Ryan.

Geoff Atkins was appointed Ucore’s Vice President of Business Development, lending over 30 years of experience as a mining executive and over 15 years in the critical mineral sector. Mr. Atkins’ focus on developing rare earth projects over his career has earned him the title of one of the few mining executives outside China who has played an integral role in establishing two rare earth operations. At Ucore, he will be responsible for the development of implementation strategies to secure contracts with rare earth feedstock projects worldwide in a bid to support Ucore’s Strategic Metals Complex (“SMC”) Business Model.

Jaan Hurditch was also appointed as Engineering Director, leading the company’s engineering activities. Having previously worked with Ucore’s wholly owned subsidiary, Innovation Metals Corp. (“IMC”), as the RapidSX(TM) Platform Development Manager, Mr. Hurditch will now be responsible for the development of the RapidSX(TM) hardware platform. The platform is undergoing commissioning trials at the Kingston, Ontario, Demonstration Plant, and is projected to be commercially deployed during the construction of the Louisiana SMC in 2024.

Ucore also bolstered its Advisory Board with the appointment of Dr. Ahmad Hussein, who will also serve as the Government Liaison. With a legacy of cultivating strategic relationships with Canadian and US government agencies, Dr. Hussein will bring potential partners across the supply chain and add value to Ucore’s proprietary RapidSX(TM) technology platform opportunities and long-term strategic plans.

“One of the key pillars of our business model includes building the right team to execute a fundamentally sound economic plan underpinned by the best available technology,” noted Pat Ryan.

“We sincerely welcome Geoff, Jaan, and Ahmad to our remarkable Ucore team,” he added (https://ibn.fm/7A1uw).

These appointments come just in time following the commissioning of the demonstration plant in Kingston, Ontario, along with the scheduled processing of 2,000 tons of total rare earth oxides annually, commencing by the end of 2024. The company plans to scale up operations at the plant to 5,000 tons by the end of 2026, and these appointments will play a key role in achieving that goal. The appointments will also be integral to Ucore further expanding its operations, market reach, brand equity, and overall market share of the Rare Earth Elements (“REE”) processing market, which China currently dominates.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to UURAF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/UURAF

• Arizona Metals is focused on its high-grade copper-gold Kay Mine Project in Arizona
• The company has budgeted $32 million for a Phase 3 exploration program at Kay Mine Project and had an aggregate of $58 million in cash at the end of Q3 2022
• The company has recently commenced its latest drill program as it seeks to better understand the mineralization at the 97% of its project that has yet to be drilled

Right now, metals across the periodic table are arguably in their best position of the memorable past for future upside. The energy transition is bullish for base, ferrous, non-ferrous, and metals critical to green technologies and the entire supporting cast, such as infrastructure for electric vehicles and alternative energy systems. Economic upheaval is churning on the sidelines globally, which is positive for gold and other precious metals known historically as stores of value and inflation hedges. Against this backdrop, the timing looks ideal for exploration companies like Arizona Metals (TSX: AMC) (OTCQX: AZMCF) to be positioned for a prosperous 2023 and beyond with its high-grade Kay Mine Project.

Fully funded for a $32 million Phase 3 exploration program at the Kay Mine Project, Arizona Metals stands out from others at a time when metals are being called “the new oil” in light of surging demand across the board. This is particularly important to U.S. focused explorers as the country is in desperate need to reduce reliance on metal imports and develop new projects as a matter of national security.

The Toronto Stock Exchange is a bellwether for sentiment towards mineral explorers. A look at the chart shows a potential momentum shift with a groundswell of interest in 2023. After finishing 2022 at 108, the index has gained 10 percent so far in 2023 and earlier this month tested its highest point since September.

Threats of rising inflation, an energy crisis, and rising interest rates hearken memories of the early 1980’s when gold soared as recession worries mounted. So far, Wall Street is banking on the Federal Reserve taming inflation with all tools at its disposal, but if there is even a hint of concern that the main bank loses control, gold will almost certainly rally hard. 

Base and metals part-and-parcel to shifting away from fossil fuels are going to experience a large rise in demand. It’s inevitable if governments worldwide are going to meet their aggressive carbon reduction goals in the next decade. Silver is particularly interesting as it is generally identified as a precious metal, while many also recognize it as a base metal for its litany of uses in industry.

Arizona is a hotbed of mining activity and the largest producer of copper in the U.S. Known to be familiar to base metal exploration, the Fraser Institute in 2020 named Arizona the second most attractive jurisdiction for mining investment.

Add it up and Arizona Metals is pushing at the right time to advance the Kay Mine Deposit, its flagship copper-gold-zinc-silver asset located in Yavapai County. The world-class VMS (volcanogenic massive sulfide) high-grade deposit has a history going back over a century in a prolific region that includes 60 past-producing underground Cu Au-Zn VMS mines within a 150-kilometer radius.

An historic resource estimate at Kay shows 5.8Mt at 2.20% copper, 3.03% zinc, 55 grams/tonne (g/t) silver, and 2.81 g/t gold.(1) Exploration by Arizona Metals has continued to prove and expand the resource with repeated intercepts of high-grade metals. Cuts such as 98.3 meters at 8.3g/t AuEq (gold equivalent) in drill hole KM-22-60 and 125 meters grading 3.2% CuEq (copper equivalent) in KM-22-57B distinguish the project for grade and width.

In February 2023, the company completed construction of the road to the first of two drill pads which will be used to test the Western Target at Kay Mine. These new pads will also allow for drilling of additional coincident anomalies located between the Central and Western Targets. The Central and Western Targets were previously defined based on coincident structural, stratigraphic, geochemical, and geophysical anomalies (through extensive geologic mapping, sampling, and electromagnetic and gravity surveys). The Phase 3 drill program to test the Central and Western Targets is currently underway.

With $58 million as of September 30, 2022 (the latest reported quarter), Arizona Metals is flush with cash to meet its $32 million budget for a Phase 3 drill program.

Arizona Metals CEO Marc Pais said, “the first hole to test this large coincident EM-geochemical-gravity anomaly is now underway. While this target is located only 1,200m west of our Kay Mine Deposit, the drilling started in February will be the first to test this area in the history of the property.”

While drilling at the discovery zone is looking like it could produce “company maker”-type metals on its own, the new exploration is reason for investors to be excited for results. To date, only 3 percent of prospectively mineralized horizon has been drill tested at the Kay Mine Project, leaving a lot of headroom for expansion amid an extremely favorable mining environment. On Feb. 28, 2023, the company presented its latest findings at the 32nd Global Metals, Mining & Critical Minerals Conference.

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

Full Disclosure: Arizona Metals Corp. is an InvestorBrandNetwork marketing client.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to AZMCF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/AZMCF

(1) The historic estimate at the Kay Mine Deposit was reported by Exxon Minerals in 1982. The historic estimate has not been verified as a current mineral resource. None of the key assumptions, parameters, and methods used to prepare the historic estimate were reported, and no resource categories were used. Significant data compilation, re-drilling and data verification may be required by a “qualified person” (as defined in National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects) before the historic estimate can be verified and upgraded to be a current mineral resource. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify it as a current mineral resource, and Arizona Metals is not treating the historic estimate as a current mineral resource.

• Chris Bunka, Lexaria’s CEO, remains confident that 2023 will be Lexaria’s best year ever and has expressed his optimism that the company will continue to build its client base and increase its cash flows as the year progresses
• In his 2023 letter to stakeholders, the CEO expressed his satisfaction given that the company had delivered on a statement that he made the previous year, lauding his team for meeting objectives that Lexaria had set out to achieve in the 2022 calendar year
• Through the help of his team, Bunka is committed to making Lexaria one of the top drug delivery performers in the biotech/pharmaceutical world, starting with the launch of its FDA-registered IND program to investigate its patented DehydraTECH(TM)-processed CBD for the potential treatment of hypertension

Back at the start of the 2022 calendar year, Chris Bunka, the CEO of Lexaria Bioscience (NASDAQ: LEXX), a global innovator in drug delivery platforms, released his annual letter to all stakeholders. Of note was his emphasis on the company’s initiatives to have multiple choices in how it was funded, specifically trying to position Lexaria for non-dilutive injections of capital through strategic partners and other commercial relationships (https://ibn.fm/FBOAY).

In his 2023 letter, Bunka expressed his satisfaction and pleasure, given that the company delivered on the statement he made the previous year, pointing to his team for delivering objectives that Lexaria had set out to achieve in the 2022 calendar year.

Under the able leadership of John Docherty, Lexaria’s President and Director, as well as Gregory Downey, the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), the company has built on the progress made in 2022 to begin the transition toward a more commercial focus.

Lexaria was granted new patents in 2022, bringing its total to 28 granted patents worldwide across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, India, and the European Union. The management expects to be awarded additional patents in the 2023 calendar year, even though it has already achieved considerable intellectual property protection through its existing patent portfolio.

Importantly, with its current positioning, Lexaria is seen as being able to fully operate through nearly all of 2023 without raising additional capital:

“In fact, we’ve done such a great job of preserving capital that we could survive through nearly all of 2023 without needing to raise additional capital, if we cut back a little on our R&D spending,” noted Bunka. “However, as we prefer to keep advancing our applied R&D at a rapid pace as we can, we are also continuing to pursue capital-strengthening possibilities that do not involve the issuance of any equity,” he added.

Going forward in 2023, Lexaria looks to launch its FDA-registered Investigational New Drug (“IND”) program to formally investigate its patented DehydraTECH(TM)-processed CBD for hypertension. The company also seeks commercial relationships this year, even as its R&D progresses. Bunka has also shared the possibility of additional investigations in 2023 related to DehydraTECH-CBD or other pharmaceutical areas of interest.

With the learnings from the previous year, Bunka is confident that 2023 will be Lexaria’s best year ever. With the company enjoying more successes than failures, its management hopes it will continue to build its client base and increase its cash flows as the year progresses.

“It is my goal for 2023 to make Lexaria Bioscience one of the top drug delivery performers in the biotech/pharmaceutical world as we continue to prove the validity of our technology, and really begin our efforts to deliver financial rewards to you, our owners,” noted Bunka.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to LEXX are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/LEXX

DGE invites Clinical Innovation and Development experts, Patient Recruitment specialists, and Clinical Safety/Regulatory Affairs officers, to attend the 7th Decentralized & Hybrid Clinical Trials Summit, to be held in Philadelphia, PA, May 10-11, 2023.

Decentralized and hybrid clinical trials remove geographic hurdles and increase patient participation rates and diversity – as long as the teams are aptly trained and have the right technology and partners.

The 7th Decentralized & Hybrid Clinical Trials Summit is the industry’s most reliable conference for providing key strategies on a subject that, in the post-COVID era, became essential. Attendees will gain new approaches for improving patient-centricity and study enrollment, irrespective of therapeutic area or population size.

A decentralized clinical trial DCT is about more than just presenting new digital tools and technologies. Transformation requires the serious reconsidering of old ways of working, and the willingness to implement new behaviors. The Philadelphia summit offers the following to directly address these issues:

• Refining patient recruitment strategy
• Quickly upscaling digital technologies
• Prioritizing patient diversity
• Adapting biospecimen collection and management methods
• Benefiting from retail pharmacy partners

Prioritizing Patient Centricity in Remote Clinical Development

With the global virtual clinical trial market value projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”) of 5.1% from 2020 to 2027 from a baseline of $7.0 billion in 2019, the era of DCT is here to stay.

The clinical trial landscape is dynamic. New innovations and technology have changed clinical trial design. COVID placed greater industry emphasis on remote and decentralized clinical trials, which can be specifically valuable for late-stage studies. DCTs represent an exemplary shift that can deliver a greater level of diversity in trials than previously seen.

The acceptance rate of decentralized trials is likely to rise to more than 50% by 2024. As this innovative method of steering studies continue to decrease the patient burden and eliminate barriers to access, the drive to adopt DCT at a full enterprise scale is increasing.

The most complicated and time-consuming phase of the clinical trial process is patient recruitment and retention. Customary recruitment approaches have significantly failed to garner a wider and more diverse group of study participants to represent real-world patients. With DCTs holding the potential for more study enrollment, businesses need to reconsider their recruitment strategies. This approach leverages mobile or community-based providers (imaging facilities, ambulatory clinics, and laboratory centers), digital tools, and a supply chain to exclude the need for routine in-person interactions.

To learn more, please visit https://ibn.fm/IBbV1

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in connecting investors, mining companies, tech providers, government officials, policymakers, innovators and consultants, this year’s Mines and Money Connect convention will bring a world of mining interests together for two days of activities in London, the heart of economic capital.

The metals and minerals mining marketplace is weathering pressures that reach beyond the geologic forces shaping the vital energy-related commodities. Amid concerns about climate change and the impact of humanity’s quest for an ever more nimble global transportation infrastructure, supply-side producers and shippers as well as support-side investment and capitalization interests are rapidly forming strategies that will position them for future developments.

Mines and Money’s London convention, following on a pivotal launch last year, will unite hundreds of international investors with companies looking to drive the world’s next big discovery in energy supply markets. More than 700 attendees are expected at the April 25-26 event at the County Hall Venues, a 68,000 square-foot building located in the Thames River’s South Bank district, linked by Westminster’s and Waterloo’s metro stations and famed for the giant London Eye Ferris wheel tourist attraction.

Educational opportunities will center on topics covering the impact of events such as the war in Ukraine, the recent global pandemic, ongoing efforts to achieve United Nations-sponsored goals for reducing climate-altering pollutants while ensuring productivity in the world’s trade frameworks, and China’s pivotal plays in key commodity supply chains.

Speakers include individuals with a wealth of experience, ranging from decades of diplomatic Senior Foreign Service throughout Latin America by Albemarle’s global vice president for government and community affairs, to the extensive background of Zacapa Resources’ CEO in natural resources, cleantech, investment banking and consulting.

Active buy-side investors directly involved in the natural resources, energy and technology sectors can qualify for free pass access to the keynote presentations, fireside chats, and panel discussions, with the requirement that they attend a minimum of five scheduled meetings with mining and energy companies.

Key Takeaways: 

• Mines and Money Connect will follow on last year’s wildly popular debut in London with corporate presentations, networking opportunities and scheduled meetings between investors and the executive teams of junior mining corporates
• Mines and Money anticipates more than 400 investors and more than 70 mining companies in a convention space seated within a 68,000 square-foot venue with easy access to the London Eye and other central London tourist attractions
• Educational topics at the two-day event will key on supply chain and climate issues, including Financing the Energy Transition, Industry Preparation for Critical Mineral Demand, Supply Chain Risks & Opportunities, Expectation of Gold for 2023, Natural Resources ‘ESG’ Investor Meaning, Uranium Green Metal Investment Opportunities
• More than 1,200 meetings are expected to be scheduled between executive teams and active, qualified investors
• The agenda is specifically tailored to promote networking between mining corporates, investors, financiers and industry professionals

Behind The Scenes:

Mines and Money’s is produced by first-class international events organizer Beacon Events, which is focused on the strategic needs and outlook of major business sectors such as the mining industry. Beacon is based in Hong Kong, serving Asia’s increasingly important emerging markets while building must-attend events in Europe and Australia, as well as an online-facing platform.

For more information about this event, please visit https://ibn.fm/puXsn

• Renewables, such as wind and solar, are on the rise as the need for a secure and independent energy system gains urgency amid the ongoing energy and climate crisis. Recently, another sustainable green energy source has started to gain traction – geothermal
• With the core as hot as the surface of the sun, experts say that this natural heat of the Earth is a powerhouse to be tapped into as it can serve as a triple resource – for power, as a long-duration storage, and as a mineral
• With its SmartGreen(TM) Home system, GeoSolar seeks to combine solar and geothermal to lead Americans toward a greener and more energy-secure future

Nations around the world are facing the hard reality that relying on another country for energy supply and centralized power generation mean being vulnerable to energy insecurity. The good news is that technology already exists to make everyone more energy-secure (https://ibn.fm/hNMMS) and companies like GeoSolar Technologies (“GST”), a Colorado-based climate technology company, work to make this goal a reality by utilizing the power of renewables. With inflation at record-high levels in decades and the risk of energy dependence and climate crisis becoming ever more threatening, GeoSolar seeks to combine the power of solar and geothermal to offer American homeowners solutions that can help them achieve energy security as well as save money and the planet at the same time.

Technologies like wind, solar, and battery storage are growing rapidly each year – in 2023, they accounted for 82% of the new, utility-scale generating capacity the U.S. developers plan to bring online (https://ibn.fm/jOVYQ). Although, another renewable appears to be bursting onto the green energy scene, attracting a growing public interest. It is geothermal energy, a potent clean power source that is still often called the lesser-known renewable cousin of wind and solar.

Although “heat from the Earth” has been used as a source of renewable power for more than a century, recent scientific and technological advancements have provided convincing evidence that the benefits of geothermal can go far beyond delivering a 24/7 clean power source (https://ibn.fm/Lcwx3). The Earth can potentially help tackle multiple barriers the world faces on a wholesale transition toward a cleaner energy future, serving as a triple resource – it can be used for heating, cooling, and power, but it can also be used as a storage and a mineral resource. As a result of this multifaceted role, it comes as no surprise that geothermal sparked interest both from investors and public and private sector leaders. For example, Colorado recently launched “The Heat Beneath Our Feet” initiative to promote geothermal energy generation in this and other western states. “Earth’s heat is always available; it doesn’t go away when the sun goes down. It can play a big role in the energy transition by providing reliable, 24/7 clean energy, and it can do so much more than people think,” said Colorado Gov. Jared Polis as he showcased the laboratory’s geothermal research portfolio to more than 50 leaders. In contrast, wind and solar are intermittent sources of generation as they don’t produce energy around the clock, so battery storage systems are needed to store electricity from these generators for later use. Here lies another benefit of geothermal – instead of using these costly battery systems, the Earth could store energy – and do it at scale to provide ample power to buildings, whole neighborhoods, and even entire cities.

With the core as hot as the surface of the sun, the Earth provides abundant resources that could be utilized using conventional techniques closer to the surface. The United States is currently the world’s leading producer of geothermal electricity due to the western states’ natural, ideal geothermal conditions. As Amanda Kolker, geothermal laboratory program manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently said, “At just 10 feet below the surface, the temperature remains the same year-round — around 55°F. This means in the summer geothermal technology can provide cooling, and in the winter, it can provide heat,” Kolker explained.

That is exactly the power that GeoSolar aims to tap into. Seeking to lead Americans toward a greener future, GeoSolar developed the SmartGreen(TM) Home system that helps them achieve energy stability and save money while also helping the planet. In a home equipped with the SmartGreen(TM) system, the sun’s energy is utilized to generate electricity through solar panels. Then, the stable temperature of the earth is used to maintain the home at an optimal temperature throughout the seasons, while the company’s proprietary air purifying technology aims to ensure safe and healthy air in the home.

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

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to GeoSolar Technologies are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/GST