• California’s cannabis-industry designation as essential service leads to sharp increase in industry sales
• SGMD enjoyed strong start to year; delivery business’ volume grows by more than 300%
• Company seeking to leverage growth opportunities in delivery services

As businesses shuttered and residents sheltered in place, confined to their homes as a result of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, the State of California designated the cannabis industry as an “essential” service, allowing those in the cannabis space to continue operating. Sugarmade Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD), an early pioneer within California’s regulated cannabis industry, has been quick to respond to the opportunity.

The designation as an essential business signified a new chapter for the state, which initially legalized the use of recreational cannabis in 2016 but has mired the sector in red tape ever since. In 2019 California saw licensed cannabis sales rise to a record $3.1 billion, with sales rising 24% compared to 2018, the first year of licensed cannabis sales in the state (http://ibn.fm/wlA1y).

However, those figures masked past disappointments. The first year of licensed cannabis sales actually saw spending drop from $3 billion to $2.5 billion, as higher taxes and stringent regulatory requirements led to a gram of product in the legal market costing 77% more than it would have done otherwise. As such, it was unsurprising that the sales figures paled in comparison to those seen in California’s lucrative black market, which witnessed an estimated $8.7 billion spent on illegal cannabis last year – more than doubt the amount of legal sales.

However, licensed cannabis stores have recently seen an uptick in sales after Californian regulators mounted dozens of raids against illegal and unlicensed marijuana retailers in early December (http://ibn.fm/NBuQQ), with BDS Analytics, a Colorado-based sales-tracking firm, projecting that legal cannabis sales in California could grow to $7.2 billion in 2024, with illegal sales declining marginally to $6.4 billion.

“The regulated cannabis market in California is changing quickly with new investment and operational opportunities opening… as the crackdown on black market operators continues,” Sugarmade CEO Jimmy Chan stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/IXIrR). “Several market sectors where prospects looked bleak only a few months ago now hold strong promise. In particular, we are seeing strong opportunities in delivery services, manufacturing via co-branding and selective genetic cultivation.”

Sugarmade recently announced that its BudCars Cannabis Delivery Service has seen a remarkable rise in delivery volumes in February and March, with the company noting that it expected BudCars to reach as much as $20 million in annualized revenues in 2020 (http://ibn.fm/774Xg). If BudCars meets that target, the equity income corresponding to Sugarmade’s 40% stake alone would more than double the company’s FY 2019 revenues (http://ibn.fm/ZjOk5).

A recent report by BDS Analytics projected the U.S. CBD market to hit $20 billion in sales by 2024 (http://ibn.fm/nbuvM), with major retailers such as CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens and Kroger now stocking CBD-infused products. Meanwhile, the explosive growth trend witnessed within the sector has led to a flurry of co-branding partnerships between CBD producers and retail giants, with Urban Outfitters, cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty and Abercrombie & Fitch all signing agreements in recent months to market and launch CBD-infused products.

As one of the few cannabis companies pursuing a vertically integrated business model, SGMD is placing its current focus on the expansion of non-storefront cannabis delivery. Sugarmade has benefitted from a remarkable growth spurt thus far in 2020 and will seek to maintain its recent trajectory going forward.

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

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

• SGLB’s PrintRite3D(R) technology supports, enables wider adoption of 3D printing for scaled manufacturing
• Fourth industrial revolution’s new manufacturing technologies can usher in a cleaner, more sustainable world
• One of simple but substantial solutions that add to sustainability of 3D printing is assembly consolidation, or combining of several parts into fewer, multifunctional assemblies

In an industry that is “forever changing the way products are made” – specifically as it pertains to ushering in a cleaner, more sustainable world – Sigma Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: SGLB) stands out as a leading developer of quality-assurance software in the commercial 3D-metal-printing space. A recent World Economic Forum article, titled ‘These 4 Simple Solutions Can Help Make the Manufacturing Industry More Sustainable’, recognizes 3D printing as one such solution to enhance the industry’s success – and companies like SGLB are well positioned to help (http://ibn.fm/yOKq7).

The fourth industrial revolution involves more than the transformative impact new manufacturing technologies – such as 3D printing – will have on companies and consumers, the article observes. “It’s also about how industry can usher in a cleaner, more sustainable world.”

“It’s foolish to deny the planet is rapidly approaching the day when the consequences of climate change will be unavoidable,” the article continues. “The question now facing many business leaders is whether – and how – we can both continue to build value for our shareholders and mitigate our impact on the natural world.”

One of the simple solutions that add to the sustainability of 3D printing is assembly consolidation, or the combining of several parts into fewer, multifunctional assemblies. “With fewer parts to transport, the process can make shipping networks more efficient, significantly reducing CO2 emissions,” the article states, going on to point out that, though the geometric flexibility of 3D printing makes it possible to create these multifunctional parts, additive manufacturing (AM) is still in its infancy when it comes to manufacturing production parts.

“In part, that’s because the story of the additive industry is really one of three distinct growth curves,” the article continues. “The first, beginning in the early 1990s, largely focused on research and development of the new additive technology. Today, the industry stands at the start of a new S-curve, which will see wider adoption of 3D printing for manufacturing, forever changing the way products are made.”

Sigma Labs has been on the cutting edge of the research and development taking place in the AM space and is already actively involved in supporting and encouraging the wider adoption of 3D metal printing through its PrintRite3D(R) product line. SGLB’s proprietary technology resolves the major roadblocks and costly quality-control challenges that slow down and even prevent the 3D manufacture of precision metal parts. The company’s breakthrough, computer-aided software product revolutionizes commercial additive manufacturing, enabling nondestructive quality assurance during production and allowing errors to be corrected in real-time.

Founded in 2010, Sigma is a software company that specializes in the development and commercialization of real-time, computer-aided-inspection (CAI) solutions known as PrintRite3D for 3D-advanced manufacturing technologies. SGLB’s advanced, computer-aided software product revolutionizes commercial additive manufacturing, enabling nondestructive quality assurance mid-production, uniquely allowing errors to be corrected in real time.

For more information about Sigma Labs, please visit www.SigmaLabsInc.com

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

• SRAX has launched a Stock for Ads Program, allowing clients to pay for media solutions through stock payments
• The company also offering customers subscriptions to its SRAX IR platform, helping publicly listed companies track shareholders’ behavior and manage investor outreach
• In spite of sharp increase in online audiences, major advertisers have been forced to slash marketing budgets, leading to drop in ad prices

As of April 18, nearly six out of every ten people around the world were forced or urged to stay at home, measures which have contributed to a stunning fall in global consumption (http://ibn.fm/xmBTk). In the United States, retail sales plunged by 8.7 percent in March (http://ibn.fm/nCAZD), the biggest decline on record – prompting major corporations to respond by slashing their marketing expenditures. With the ongoing situation in mind, digital marketing pioneer SRAX Inc. (NASDAQ: SRAX) has launched an innovative Stock for Ads Program. The initiative is designed to support their clients through this critical period by helping them procure media solutions in exchange for stock payments as a way to help businesses continue to engage with their customers and conserve cash (http://ibn.fm/plFRd).

Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, yet economists are predicting that consumption could decline by as much as 41 percent in the second quarter, relative to the same period last year (http://ibn.fm/VxURU). However, U.S. ecommerce sales have been a bright spot within the sector, with online spending increasing by over 40 percent year-over-year since the state of national emergency was declared (http://ibn.fm/iXJXU). In fact, February marked the first month in US retail history where online shopping surpassed that carried out within ‘brick and mortar’ stores (http://ibn.fm/IHjWn).

Companies hoping to capture a portion of these sales are handcuffed by budget restraints, however. According to the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), which represents companies such as Unilever, Coca-Cola and Visa, 81 percent of large corporate advertisers are opting to defer ad campaigns, with over 57 percent of members revealing they had been obliged to reduce budgets “greatly or somewhat” due to the virus outbreak (http://ibn.fm/VjBaA). SRAX has stepped in to address this unmet need through its stocks for ads program, being able to assist businesses capitalize on the significant captive audiences currently confined to their homes by helping companies increase their online presence without compromising their fiscal health.

“We understand what it means to be a publicly traded company and we want to help businesses continue, not halt their marketing efforts,” SRAX CEO and founder Christopher Miglino stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/cZTHp). “With our custom media plans, businesses can attract and engage customers with digital ads, covering expenses up to a year in exchange for stock of their company.”

In addition to its marketing services, SRAX has offered its publicly traded corporate clients subscriptions to the Company’s investor intelligence and communications platform, SRAX IR. The platform, which enables companies to monitor their shareholders’ buying and selling behavior, carry out virtual investor meetings and develop insights which can be used to engage with current and potential investors, has become increasingly relevant given the heightened volatility in global markets.

Online advertising has been embroiled in an extraordinary paradigm this year. Facebook recently publicized that time spent by users across all of its apps has risen by 70 percent over the last few weeks (http://ibn.fm/IsDm6) while Snapchat reported a 50 percent increase in video calls through its app. However, and in spite of the increase in online audiences, the sheer breadth of companies freezing ad campaigns has led to a steep drop off in revenues for digital media platforms. Expedia and Marriott have been the latest companies to announce that they were slashing their marketing expenses, the former announcing an 80 percent cut in its annual ad spend while Marriott has halted all of its marketing efforts entirely (http://ibn.fm/BQAQr). This has led to digital ads costs declining sharply as Google, Twitter and other online ad companies have found themselves saddled with too much inventory.

In the brief history of digital media, there has never been a situation where a rise in online audiences has been met with a decline in advertisers seeking to attract their attention. Rather, companies have traditionally sought every opportunity to increase their marketing with research firm IHS Markit revealing that each dollar that companies spent on advertising in the United States last year led to $9 in sales (http://ibn.fm/QGoHm). Through its Stock for Ads program, SRAX has provided companies who would otherwise have been forced to reduce their marketing in a bid to conserve cash an invaluable opportunity to bolster their online presence during a tenuous time for the industry.

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

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

• Residential solar product sales have been forced to shift toward digital channels, creating unexpected opportunity for cost savings
• Shift to digital sales will allow the industry to lower customer acquisition costs ahead of federal tax credits being phased out in 2022
• SING subsidiary Direct Solar America is seeing increased virtual sales each week, has expanded its presence to nine more states

Solar power and renewable energy sources have been lauded for being at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, enabling consumers to lower their costs while simultaneously reducing their carbon footprint. However, and despite its high-tech focus, residential solar energy technology has long been sold in a decidedly low-tech manner – through customer referrals and face-to-face sales. Innovative companies like Direct Solar America, through its parent company SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING), are creating ways to capitalize on the market’s largely homebound status. The solar industry has been sharply affected in recent weeks as prospective customers have shied away from purchases due to store closures and shelter-at-home orders. However, the forced transition to online sales may be a boon in disguise for the industry, and solar product brokerages such as Direct Solar America stand to benefit the most.

SinglePoint, a publicly traded company dedicated towards acquiring businesses focused on emerging technologies, purchased solar power broker Direct Solar America in May 2019 as it sought to capitalize on a boom in residential solar installations, which increased by 45 percent in Q3 2019 relative to the same period in 2018 (http://ibn.fm/xdYV7). Direct Solar, which specializes in assisting customers with solar product sales and arranging financing, has enjoyed a remarkable growth spurt since the acquisition with sales and operations now spanning 25 states.

The firm has also rapidly positioned itself as one of the industry’s pioneers through the introduction of its virtual solar sales platform. “The Direct Solar America management team did a great job re-positioning the company quickly in these uncertain times […] ultimately we believe this is an improvement in the process and will continue to drive the company to new levels in the future,” SinglePoint CEO Greg Lambrecht stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/HIVId). In an industry where previously “90 to 95 percent of closed sales had an in-person meeting of some sort,” Direct Solar recently revealed that it is seeing virtual solar customers increase each week through its online channels (http://ibn.fm/WUjTL).

The transition to online sales has been resisted by solar companies based on the industry’s conventional wisdom that customers would hesitate to commit to such costly purchases online. However, in 2016, Tesla shifted the sale of its solar products to its online channels with energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie suggesting that the move may have lowered Tesla’s customer acquisition costs to “close to a quarter” per watt by the end of 2019. That pricing was in sharp contrast to Vivint and Sunrun, the two largest solar firms in the US, which had customer acquisition costs of $0.94 a watt and $0.90 a watt, respectively (http://ibn.fm/ng3CH). With federal subsidies for residential solar purchases set to be phased out by 2022 (a tax credit of 26 percent is available to consumers this year), the solar industry may be obliged to protect its margins by reducing their customer acquisition expenses – estimated by WoodMac to account for 21 percent of total costs (http://ibn.fm/GT839).

A recent survey published by EnergySage (http://ibn.fm/jDa7T) revealed that 21 percent of prospective solar product buyers in 2019 were willing to purchase their residential power systems online as compared to only 10 percent in 2018. Notably, it was also the only sales channel that saw an increase in preference. Direct Solar America has been able to rapidly scale its operations (the firm has extended sales coverage to nine additional states in recent weeks) following the introduction of its virtual sales platform as its agents are now able to discuss solar options at any time and anywhere with clients – helping the company to accelerate its growth rate. As SinglePoint President Will Ralston summarized (http://ibn.fm/nI9DK), “this whole situation and what it’s forced us to do will only position the company to be more efficient and [have] lower costs.”

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

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

• SHRM to acquire AltMed Capital Corp, a Canadian ketamine clinic operator, psychedelic medicine IP aggregator and novel drug discoverer
• Champignon to roll out five unique ketamine clinics across Florida, California and the U.S. Eastern seaboard
• CRTCE is only center worldwide to demonstrate rapid onset treatments improve health outcomes within weeks

Champignon Brands Inc. (CSE: SHRM) (OTC: SHRMF) (FWB: 496), a Canada-based company dedicated applying novel and natural treatment protocols with an emphasis on psychedelic medicine, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire AltMed Capital Corp, a Canadian ketamine clinic operator, psychedelic medicine IP aggregator and novel drug discoverer (http://ibn.fm/AZedG). The strategic move allows SHRM to continue its focus on advancements within the psychedelic medicine arena, as it also acquires AltMed’s suite of assets, including a portion of the Canadian Rapid Treatment Centre of Excellence (CRTCE).

“Founded and operated by Dr. McIntyre, the CRTCE has the human capital and unmatched R&D capabilities, with respect to rapid onset treatments such as ketamine, to revolutionize the treatment of depression, PTSD and substance-use disorders,” Champignon CEO Gareth Birdsall stated in a news release. “Champignon and AltMed will leverage Dr. McIntyre’s expertise, alongside the CRTCE’s existing SOPs, data-driven research sets and practitioner education modules, to roll out five unique ketamine clinics across Florida, California and the U.S. Eastern seaboard. Our additional ketamine clinics are projected to be fully operational by Q4 2020. Furthermore, having previously completed funding rounds, our acquisition of AltMed will further bolster our corporate treasury.”

A professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Toronto and head of the mood disorders psychopharmacology unit at the University Health Network in Toronto, AltMed CEO Dr. Roger McIntyre has an impressive list of credentials. In addition to being executive director of the Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation in Toronto and director and co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance in Chicago, McIntyre is teaching or has taught at numerous institutions, including Guangzhou Medical University, the College of Medicine at Korea University, the State University of New York Upstate Medical University and the University of California School of Medicine. Clarivate Analytics named McIntyre one of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds each year from 2014-2019, and he is widely regarded as the world’s most recognized psychiatrist in relation to mood disorders.

In addition, McIntyre created CRTCE, Canada’s first-ever treatment center providing rapid onset treatments for persons with mood disorders. In addition to providing treatment (the acquisition announcement noted that the CRTCE is the only center worldwide to demonstrate that rapid onset treatments improve health outcomes in one to two weeks), the CRTCE is involved in what it calls knowledge application and knowledge generation. The application component includes using existing scientific research to improve outcomes in depression, PTSD and substance and alcohol use disorders as well as educating health-care providers throughout North America and the world on new rapid onset treatments for these disorders. The generation component involves research and development.

In addition, the acquisition means that Champignon now has three trials in the Phase I stage and three trials in the preclinical stage during 2020 as well as seven IP patents for its ketamine/psilocybin delivery platforms and formulations. Working closely with AltMed, Champignon plans to advance psychedelic-derived treatments and establish the most compelling IP portfolio, clinical pipeline and drug-development platform in the psychedelic medicine space.

“Together with Champignon’s existing novel ketamine delivery platforms, associated patents/IP and now advanced clinical infrastructure, we will look to deliver approved, point-of-care psychedelic treatments in clinics throughout Canada and the United States,” said AltMed director Pat McCutcheon. “Ketamine, psilocybin and MDMA have all been fast-tracked by the FDA and Health Canada with respect to R&D in DPS, and we will look to monetize our capabilities and human capital within this domain.”

Champignon seeks opportunities to promote the health and wellness benefits of functional mushrooms, which are used in a wide variety of health-care and pharmaceutical products. The company’s flagship e-commerce store, VitalitySuperTeas.com, takes advantage of the burgeoning craft mushroom industry with a selection of mushroom-infused teas and accessories; SHRM is also expanding its preclinical trial pipeline and branching out into alternative medicine and pharmaceuticals.

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

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

• Indonesian State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir recently stated that the country’s efforts to use its mineral resources competitively in the electric vehicle battery supply chain will continue despite the economic impacts of the worldwide pandemic
• Indonesia is working to be a key player in the Asia-Pacific market for EV batteries, including talks with companies in South Korea and global economic powerhouse China
• Canada-based mineral exploration company noted Thohir’s comments in discussing development of the company’s strategic Cyclops Nickel-Cobalt project
• Bolt is focused on acquiring and developing production-grade EV battery metals projects in the Asia-Pacific region as world leaders work toward solutions for combatting global climate change

Bolt Metals Corp. (CSE: BOLT) (OTCQB: PCRCF) (XFRA: NXFE) continues to see evidence for optimism in the potential of its flagship Cyclops property in Indonesia, where significant nickel and cobalt exploration has taken place. The site may play a key role in the company’s core strategy to acquire and develop production-grade battery metal resources in the Asia-Pacific region.

Nickel and cobalt currently are minerals notable for their vital role in electric vehicle battery cathodes. Indonesia has worked arduously to turn its world-class nickel deposits and its proximity to China into a strong hand bidding for dominance in the EV battery supply chain. A recent Antara News report indicates that Indonesia is proceeding with those efforts despite the economic devastation being wrought by the novel coronavirus pandemic, which rapidly spread from nation to nation during the first quarter of the year, prompting swift restrictions on travel and commerce.

“This project (to construct multiple factories with priority use of in-country nickel resources) to produce batteries is a long-term one. If we were to build it in four years, it would become a reality,” State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir stated in the report (http://ibn.fm/LpSoO), adding, “Will it be postponed? No, this will continue.”

China, which is the world’s second-largest economy on a nominal measurement standard and the first-largest on a Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) standard, has emerged in recent years as a world leader in sustaining electric vehicle (EV) use and production as part of a multi-national effort to combat global climate change. Although Europe is poised to potentially outpace China and the United States as a result of the coronavirus’ impact and Europe’s EV-friendly policies, China is reviving government incentives in an effort to promote EV sales (http://ibn.fm/uVbmz).

Around the world, governments are cautiously beginning to anticipate post-peak recovery from the global pandemic that has led to shuttered businesses and out-of-work employees. China, where the virus was first reported, is now serving as a test case for recovery (http://ibn.fm/uGTbV).

China is expected to recover economically far faster than the United States, the other world market powerhouse, because of China’s swift efforts to contain the pandemic once it recognized its spread, compared with halting efforts in America (http://ibn.fm/YGRl1).

Furthermore, equity analysis firm Wood Mackenzie noted in its recent report on the disruptions to the EV supply chain and stalled EV sales growth that the pandemic should be regarded as an anomalous event whose effect on the market is temporary, while the overarching goal of combatting climate change will continue to drive policies unabated (http://ibn.fm/kLUHL).

Thohir told Antara News that Indonesia’s national strategic projects, including the production of EV battery materials, will continue to move forward. Thohir has been in talks with a number of South Korean companies regarding the nation’s priorities, including LG, a South Korean firm exploring investment opportunities in the information and communications technology sector.

“This is something new, and we do not want to be left behind neighboring countries,” he stated (http://ibn.fm/l2UxX).

Bolt Metals made news last month when it announced a non-binding cooperative agreement with a Chinese tungsten and cobalt producer that opens the way for more definitive pacts on mineral sourcing from the Cyclops property (http://ibn.fm/mYF3K). Bolt cautions investors to recognize that such agreements are a work in progress and that “the Company would not make the decision to proceed to production without first establishing mineral reserves.”

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

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

• SGMD acquires significant stake in Sacramento-based Budcars Cannabis Delivery Service
• Sugarmade sees dramatic expansion in overall delivery volume; March deliveries top Februray volume by more than 300%
• Company’s strategy to capture healthy margins, nail down competitive advantage in market share looks to be right move

A “new and bold shift in its business strategy” made earlier this year by Sugarmade Inc. (OTCQB: SGMD) appears to have paid off big time for the company. Committed to play in the Hemp and Cannabis space, SGMD announced (http://ibn.fm/LAMBY) that it was moving “toward the virtualization of the cannabis sector as part of the major shift in the U.S. business model toward an on-demand economy.”

In the weeks following the announcement, Sugarmade made several strategic moves to launch on-demand and related business operations through internally developed initiatives and new relationships with proven sector business operators. Among the most immediately successful of those moves was the company’s acquisition (http://ibn.fm/ttrAi) of a significant stake in Sacramento-based Budcars Cannabis Delivery Service, owned by Indigo Dye Group Corp.

An agreement announced in February 2020 stipulated that Sugarmade would acquire 40% of Budcars and would be granted an option to purchase an additional 30% stake, ultimately providing SGMD with a controlling interest in the growing delivery service, which serves the greater Sacramento metropolitan area. Budcars delivers a wide range of cannabis products to the metropolitan area, where the population is showing growing acceptance of cannabis usage and delivery and scores above the 50% percentile in terms of cannabis usage per capita.

Less than a month after making that initial announcement, Sugarmade followed with a second, even more impressive, statement. Since becoming heavily involved in the day-to-day operational and strategic foundation of Budcars following its initial investment and investor agreement, SGMD had seen a dramatic expansion in overall delivery volume with March deliveries topping Februaryvolume by more than 300%.

“The company believes this jump has been driven by an improving overall cannabis market in California, an infusion of operational talent and resources, and an expanded geographic service area,” the statement detailed (http://ibn.fm/701ih). “In order to meet demand, Budcars is increasing its road fleet, inventory, staffing, and will be positioning strategic billboard campaigns along major freeways in the service region… Management now projects a Budcars top-line run-rate capable of surpassing $15 million in annualized sales before end of 2020, provided recent data on growth in daily orders is reliable and indicative of the impact of the Company’s recent measures over coming months.”

Sugarmade CEO Jimmy Chan observed that “our move to take a controlling interest in Budcars is about capturing the healthy margins set to define the California legal cannabis market in 2020 and beyond, and about nailing down a competitive advantage in market share afforded by a well-organized delivery service, which is an enormous customer hot-button in the legal cannabis marketplace. So far, we are seeing powerful performance-based feedback from the marketplace that we’re on the right track.”

Based in Monrovia, California (a suburb of Los Angeles), Sugarmade is a product and brand marketing company with numerous operations, such as packaging, sanitary supply and paper goods for diverse industries. Dedicated to getting the highest caliber of THC and CBD to its customers’ door, the company’s priority is to ensure that its customers receive the highest-quality cannabis product free from logistical hassles. SGMD specializes in growing and acquiring innovative brands to maximize value for company employees, shareholders and other stakeholders. Sugarmade believes the future is extremely promising as the company expands operations within the cultivation sector and rapidly increases its revenue base.

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

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

• SING files full year and Q4 2019 financial report, showing 189% year-over-year sales spike, gross profit increase of 269%
• SING responds to crisis by utilizing digital platforms to efficiently market Direct Solar – eliminating training, canvassing costs
• SING markets its own Klēn brand of high-demand hand sanitizer

In a recent MoneyTV interview, SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) CEO Greg Lambrecht reported promising figures from the company’s full year and Q4 2019 financial results. A strong performance by subsidiary Direct Solar helped drive the company’s 189% sales increase to $3,343,833 for the year ended December 31, 2019, as compared to $1,154,671 in 2018 (http://ibn.fm/xMCFp). While reporting a decreased year-over-year net loss, SING also showed a 269% jump in gross profit to $990,777 for 2019 as compared to $267,799 in 2018. Additionally, in the current economically challenging environment, Direct Solar has been closing sales on a ‘virtual’ basis to stay-at-home customers – saving the cost of paying and training canvassers, Lambrecht noted (http://ibn.fm/tAzBs).

The report detailed that $2,189,162 of Singlepoint’s revenues last year were generated by its powerhouse subsidiary Direct Solar. This figure accounts for only the six months of the subsidiary’s revenues to SING since it was acquired in March 2019. Speculating on a full year unaudited pro forma basis, Direct Solar would have surpassed $4 million in sales.

To continue Direct Solar’s performance in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, SING leadership had to create innovative solutions. Lambrecht said the company faced the challenge of its canvassers not being able to close sales inside private homes. As a solution, Lambrecht said, “We’ve been setting up all of our meetings on Zoom and Skype and that’s eliminated the canvassers. It takes a lot of money to train them, send them to a city and pay their hotel and food. Now, we’re just doing our meetings on Skype and it has made us become more digital and has really worked out quite well.”

“As a standalone entity, the Direct Solar America Residential Business Unit ultimately ended the year profitably, which is an incredible achievement for a start up in its first few months of operation,” Lambrecht said. He added that the performance of Direct Solar’s residential unit in 2019 empowered SING with the confidence and cash flow to create a commercial business as well as a capital arm to offer support financing. Direct Solar has grown to cover 25 states.

SING has also grown sales during the coronavirus pandemic by marketing its own brand of CBD-infused hand sanitizer, Klēn. The CBD-infused product contains 70% ethyl alcohol with aloe and hemp seed oil. “The response we’ve gotten has been amazing,” Lambrecht reported on MoneyTV. “Some of the largest convenience store chains in the country are calling us for our hand sanitizer, Klēn. We’re really going to be showing some incredible deals and huge numbers from our hand sanitizer. Our product, we like to think of as the ‘Cadillac’ of hand sanitizer. We’re making every bottle ourselves, putting the hemp oil in there; it’s just a really quality product.”

Due to its connections with retailers nationwide, SING leadership anticipates the demand for its hand sanitizer offering to continue to grow. Helping SING market the Klēn hand sanitizer brand is the list of 12,000 retailers who attended the National Association of Convenience Stores (NAC) convention last fall. By participating in NAC, SING was able to obtain the list of attendees and market Klēn to them, Lambrecht said. NAC reports some 340,000 convenience stores nationally.

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

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

• Exro has achieved what many have been working to develop – technology bringing more than 25% increase in both torque, acceleration
• Company gains exceptional visibility as it brings measurable benefits to manufacturers, investors
• XRO enters commercialize stage, set to reap benefits of groundbreaking technology in 2020

Exro Technologies Inc. (CSE: XRO) (OTCQB: EXROF) is a Vancouver, British-Columbia-based technology pioneer developing an intelligent energy-management system to dramatically improve the performance of electric motors and power trains. An Exro profile recently drew the spotlight on BTV-Business Television, attracting impressive numbers – 884,150 views or impressions, with 72,830 investors watching the video online.

In the video, Exro CEO Sue Ozdemir, previously head of General Electric Industrial Motors Division, presented XRO’s major milestones in the development and commercialization of its novel technology, which promises to be a must-have in the lucrative electric-vehicle market, estimated to grow to more than half a trillion dollars by 2025. The five-minute video includes additional insight provided by Brent Todd, senior investment advisor at Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management, who highlighted how the relevant investment community looks at XRO’s exceptional technology (http://ibn.fm/vK9LP).

That technology improves the performance of electric motors by separating individual coils, enabling them to switch according to power needs. This remarkable novel technology can also be applied to generators, allowing for a greater range of energy creation. Exro has already made inroads into the automotive, agricultural, recreational and last-mile transportation sectors, where the company is on track to commercialization.

Although electric motors have been around for a long time, Exro is making electric motors smarter as they all suffer from the same problem – optimization of the system. The trend in the industry to overcome this problem is to install an additional gearbox or motors, thereby creating a heavier, more expensive systems. “It’s a principle of electric motors called ‘coil switching’ that’s the basis of our technology,” said Ozdemir. “It’s very widely known in the industry. And we’ve just done what everybody else has been trying to do. We’ve accomplished it.”

It’s not only investors that are being increasingly attracted by Exro’s technology but manufacturers, too. The reason why the new technology appeals to them is its amazing scalability. “It is totally scalable, up in size, down in size. So we can go down to a skateboard, or we can go up to a bus,” said Ozdemir.

Perhaps even more appealing is the ability of Exro to integrate with existing motors. “That’s huge because some of those manufacturers have hundreds of millions, even billions invested in plants and equipment. They can still get increased performance out of the motor but without having to change their equipment,” added Todd, confirming the significance of this feature.

Exro is a company at the forefront of technology, which enables the transition to clean energy, creating measurable performance gains at the same time. As a company with exclusive technology that brings lucrative benefits in multiple industries – automotive, public transportation, agriculture, wind energy, recreational and last-mile vehicles – Exro is an attractive opportunity for investors seeking to leverage groundbreaking technology applied in a high growth market.

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

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

• SGLB executive chairman updates shareholders on how company is adjusting to COVID-19 pandemic
• Ruport reports on increased innovation, efficiency in its team dynamics
• Sigma Labs “adapt[s] seamlessly” to new conditions, sees future opportunity “bigger than… imagined”

In a recent letter to shareholders, Sigma Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: SGLB) Executive Chairman Mark K. Ruport discussed the expected impact of COVID-19 on the company, outlined recent company accomplishments and talked about upcoming milestones. Ruport stated that what SGLB is doing for the 3D-metal-printing industry is “more important and relevant than ever before” and that the current situation will have minimal long-term implications to the company’s business plan (http://ibn.fm/syDOQ). Sigma Labs is a leading developer of quality-assurance software for the commercial 3D-metal-printing industry that uniquely allows manufacturing anomalies to be corrected in real time.

“One of the things that has amazed me over the past few months is the level of interaction between our Sigma team and our customers,” he observed. “We seem to be carrying out evaluations and installations as if there wasn’t a crisis. In many ways, we are becoming more efficient and more innovative in responding to customer issues.

“For example, in the past, we were likely to just react and put an engineer on a plane and spend a few days at a customer’s site to get an hour or two on the printer to address an issue,” Ruport continued. “Today, we are experimenting with users wearing cameras, supplemented with augmented reality, to be our engineer’s eyes and instructing our customer on how to be our hands as we address a critical situation together. The result is a more educated and competent user, and a much more efficient Sigma team.”

Ruport noted that Sigma Labs is doing everything possible to ensure the safety of each of the people who work for the company and that SGLB’s work and culture before the pandemic “has allowed us to adapt seamlessly to work remotely.” One important change, he noted, was the prioritization of weekly company-wide conference calls to ensure that company officials maintain regular, frequent contact with its employees.

In the letter, Ruport talked about significant SGLB achievements over the past year, which include the following:

• Successful completion of several financings in order to continue to fund company development efforts and market initiatives.
• Launch and successful execution of Sigma Lab’s Rapid Test and Evaluation (RTE) program with five different companies.
• Granting of several patents to protect the company’s IP; this brings the total of SGLB patent portfolio to 11 issued and 24 pending patents.
• Continued sales of SGLB’s PrintRite3D(TM) to universities and R&D organizations around the world
• Announcement of PrintRite3D Production Series, which features a real-time production dashboard and several significant add-on features.
• Third-party validation of SGLB technology from influential organizations.

Looking forward, Ruport also reported on upcoming milestones the company is expecting, including the following:

• Continued acquisition of PrintRite3D by influential universities and R&D organizations worldwide.
• Implementation of OEM contracts with 3D metal-printing hardware manufacturers to integrate SGLB technology.
• Evolving relationships with additive manufacturing (AM) software companies to integrate SGLB products to streamline and optimize the AM digital thread from simulation through closed-loop control.
• Multi-unit sales of PrintRite3D Production Series by end users.
• Increasing quarter-over-quarter revenue driven by multiple, independent streams, primarily from OEMS, end users, resellers and others.

“On one hand, the world is deep in crisis, and we as a company need to take measures to ensure we are prepared to operate through this global shutdown,” Ruport told shareholders. “On the other hand, I had to balance these COVID-19 issues with my belief that when we get through this, our opportunity will be bigger than I had ever imagined… We are seeing the convergence of the next generation of manufacturing, the need for manufacturers to rethink their supply chain strategies, and the commercialization of our technology coming together and creating the perfect opportunity for Sigma.”

Sigma is a software company that specializes in the development and commercialization of real-time, computer-aided-inspection (CAI) solutions known as PrintRite3D for 3D-advanced manufacturing technologies. SGLB’s advanced, computer-aided software product revolutionizes commercial additive manufacturing, enabling nondestructive quality assurance mid-production, uniquely allowing errors to be corrected in real time.

For more information about Sigma Labs, please visit www.SigmaLabsInc.com

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