• Digitalization of the grid facilitates more efficient power consumption
• Progression of power generation from coal to natural gas, nuclear and renewables
• Zenergy’s competitive advantage: energy provision and energy conservation

In just one generation, digitalization has transmogrified the world. With streaming movies, it has brought the cinema into our homes. E-commerce has done the same for main street retailing. Also, social media seems to have made geographical location redundant; it’s as easy to communicate with someone in Timbuktu as it is with a neighbor down the street.

Now, with “virtual utility” companies like Zenergy Brands, Inc. (OTC: ZNGY), digitalization is giving us a way to consume energy more efficiently and responsibly. Zenergy has developed a suite of cost-saving energy solutions utilizing the latest digital technologies. The company also owns a Retail Electric Provider (REP), which gives it an excellent platform to market its “smart energy” services. Zenergy is out to make the virtual utility a reality.

For decades, utilities have been anything but virtual. Typically, with massive public corporations, their facilities dominate the landscape as thoroughly as their monopolistic power controls the market. However, digital technologies have eroded this primacy by enabling virtual utilities, which employ software-based technologies to manage independent energy resources from disparate locations and combine them into a network.

The energy market is not what it used to be. In the past, power plants were mainly fueled by coal, but coal’s share had fallen to about 30 percent by 2017, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) (http://ibn.fm/8eEtx). Now natural gas, which accounts for about 32 percent of electricity generation, has taken top place. Nuclear energy provides about 20 percent, while renewable energy sources – hydropower, wind, biomass, geothermal and solar – generate another 17 percent or so. This diversification of sources has reduced cost and increased reliability.

However, too much of one thing is good for nothing. With myriad sources connected to the grid, the danger of reverse power flows is a constant danger. With traditional grids, power flow is unidirectional: from utility to users. With several sources feeding the network, multi-directional power flows result, creating a variety of technical challenges (http://ibn.fm/UDveq).

A virtual utility like Zenergy can help resolve those difficulties because of its technological solutions, mainly the Zero Cost Program, and its position as an energy provider. The Zero Cost Program allows customers to upgrade their energy gadgets to more efficient, cost-reducing appliances at no additional expense. The program reduces utility consumption by 20-60 percent by furnishing energy conservation, smart controls and efficiency-based products and services to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal end-use customers.

As awareness of environmental issues increases, the program is likely to resonate with both corporate and residential customers, particularly as it is a turnkey solution that requires no upfront expenditure. Under the Zero Cost Program, Zenergy upgrades customers’ older, inefficient energy infrastructure and implements a variety of retrofits, including HVAC and refrigeration motor controllers, load factor technologies, building-envelope-based technologies, weatherization-based technologies, smart controls, LED lighting and other energy-saving solutions.

Moreover, through its Retail Electric Provider (REP) division, Zenergy is well positioned to make the Zero Cost Program available to both residential and commercial customers. Bundling energy provision with energy efficiency services gives Zenergy a competitive advantage in the Texas market, where the company is based. The Texas market has over six million residential meters and nearly two million commercial meters.

Zenergy’s strategy as a retail energy provider is to create a beachhead in Texas and then expand to other deregulated markets across the nation. To date, 16 states – California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia – and Washington DC have deregulated markets for electricity (http://ibn.fm/LgZ7t).

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

• GreenBox is an industry leader in the point of sale (POS) marketplace due to the company’s emphasis on intuitive design, security and ease of use
• The company is already seeing applications for its products exceeding its 2019 annual transactional volume goal of $1 billion
• GreenBox is continually adding to its list of partners in order to expand its bandwidth to meet the needs of a growing customer base

GreenBox POS, LLC (OTC: GRBX), a noteworthy hardware and software technology company, is creating cutting-edge products that are safe, easy to use, intuitive and customized to clients’ needs. Specifically, its point of sale system has garnered much attention, earning loyalty with clients.

Demand for intuitive, customer-friendly POS systems has increased in recent years due to the high number of independent contractors and small business owners joining the job market. According to a Gallup poll (http://ibn.fm/7za4E), 36 percent of U.S. workers cited having some form of “gig” arrangement in 2018, with “gig” defined as a broad category including “contingent workers, independent contractors, online platform workers, contract firm workers, on-call workers and temporary workers.” Today, it is rare to encounter even the smallest business operating on cash alone, and many of these entrepreneurs, whether they be operating a food truck or an Etsy store, are searching for high quality digital ledger systems to keep their finances in order.

GreenBox is one such leader in the POS system marketplace. Offering products for a multitude of industries, the company prides itself on providing advantages over competing brands. The company is becoming known as the gold standard for the way all financial ledgers, for any industry, are created and maintained. Consequently, the company registered five provisional patents for its technology products. It is led by an accomplished team of industry experts with a wide array of experience. One such leader, Executive Vice President Ben Errez, has held prestigious positions at IBM, Microsoft Office and Intel, lending his experience with payment systems, security, reliability and privacy of software and hardware development to those companies.

In the next year, GreenBox is preparing for significant growth. Applications for the company’s services have already exceeded the 2019 goal of $1 billion in annual processing volume (http://ibn.fm/tIKDR). In anticipation of this increased demand, the company is adding strategic partners to increase its bandwidth, growing its customer base and boosting employee count.

This growth is due in large part to GreenBox’s exceptional menu of products. In a recent interview, Errez described the benefits of one such product: Quick Card, the brand name for the company’s new payment infrastructure. One main advantage of Quick Card, he explained, is merchants’ ability to receive payment promptly, without waiting several days for funds to go through (http://ibn.fm/VGvY1). The system is fraud-resistant and has significantly improved the ease of both cash and cashless transactions between merchants and customers. Other GreenBox products include LOOPZ, a delivery software solution; and Point-Of-Sale Solutions, GreenBox’s own software, developed in-house and loaded with various desirable features.

The future looks promising for GreenBox. The company reports that over 98 percent of all transactions using Quick Card end with a client downloading and installing the new application on any platform. Additionally, no client has ever withdrawn from the system to date, and transaction volumes are increasing every week (http://ibn.fm/idTXu).

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

• New laws focused on industrial and business waste management provide recycling and sustainability companies in China with an opportunity to grow
• TMSR’s proprietary and patented technologies establish its leadership position in the field of industrial solid waste management
• China’s solid waste recycling industry is growing rapidly, with revenue generated in 2018 expected to reach $16.2 billion

New laws in China are yet another demonstration of the country’s commitment to reducing and eliminating waste. As per the recent government regulations, companies will be required to implement more effective measures for the management of the waste they generate. TMSR Holding Company Limited (NASDAQ: TMSR), which focuses on developing innovative industrial and mining waste management solutions, is gaining wonderful opportunities from the new legislative framework to grow its business and further solidify its leadership position in the recycling industry.

Through its patented technology, TMSR has developed processes for the extraction of useful materials out of industrial waste like aluminum slag, copper and iron mine tailings, as well as red mud manganese tailings.

The process is unique, giving TMSR an industry advantage. Traditional recovery methods are chemical-based, contributing to some waste generation. TMSR’s process is different, because it does not generate any waste during the extraction process.

Through its patented technology, TMSR has managed to turn solid waste residues into valuable, high quality construction materials.

Even after the Chinese government banned two dozen types of recyclable waste from getting imported into the country, the solid waste volume is continuing to grow. At the same time, the need for resources is growing, and concerns about industrial pollution are getting more widespread than ever before. These factors and higher levels of awareness in terms of sustainability have resulted in higher demand for effective waste management service provision.

Between 2014 and 2018, revenue from the recycling of solid waste increased at an annual rate of 13.5 percent. The revenue is estimated to reach $16.2 billion by the end of 2018 (http://ibn.fm/AOuLv). Similar trends are observed on a global scale. The global solid waste recycling market is expected to generate $282.1 billion in 2018 (http://ibn.fm/GTf6i).

TMSR specializes in the creation of personalized, tailored solutions that address the specific needs of different industry representatives. Additionally, the company supports principles of sustainability to modernize the waste recycling market and to also extend the lifecycle of valuable industrial products or resources.

Through its subsidiaries – Shengrong Environmental and Wuhan HOST Coating Materials – TMSR holds two international U.S. patents and six Chinese patents for its proprietary technologies. These include three invention patents and three utility model patents.

Some of the award-winning solutions developed by the company include its proprietary pollution-free method for the processing of recycling tailings and methods for handling manganese slag – a substance that poses both health and environmental hazards and that can be very difficult to dispose of.

Apart from recycling solid waste, Shengrong Environmental also sells processing equipment that businesses can use for the purpose of achieving greener and more effective solid waste disposal.

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

• Cobalt hydroxide is being assessed as a potential feed for the First Cobalt Refinery, which will potentially be reopened in the future
• Discussions are underway with various metal trading companies for the ethical delivery of the resource
• First Cobalt has partnered with SGS Canada to test processing of cobalt hydroxide and other materials via the existing First Cobalt Refinery flowsheet

North American pure-play cobalt company First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQX: FTSSF) (ASX: FCC) recently announced that it has begun testing cobalt hydroxide material as feedstock for its cobalt refinery (http://ibn.fm/dbtu5).

As part of the process, First Cobalt partnered up with Canadian mineral processing company SGS Canada, which will test cobalt hydroxide and other materials through the existing First Cobalt Refinery flowsheet. The steps are needed to test the production potential of cobalt sulphate or cobalt metal.

Apart from this partnership, First Cobalt is also negotiating with companies that specialize in the ethical sourcing of cobalt concentrate with a view toward ensuring the future feedstock for a potential restart of the refinery.

The aim is to enter a long-term agreement for a reliable source of ethically-mined cobalt, company president and CEO Trent Mell said in a news release. The cash flow potential from restarting the refinery could allow First Cobalt to finance a lot of the work on its flagship Iron Creek Cobalt Project in the state of Idaho. At the same time, the refinery will provide an important North American cobalt source, Mell noted.

The First Cobalt Refinery is located in the Canadian Cobalt Camp, 500 kilometers away from the U.S. border, and it is currently the only permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing battery materials. First Cobalt has already carried out independent studies to determine the capital requirements, permit renewal timelines and operating costs associated with reopening the refinery, as well as the refinery’s potential feedstock options. The results were presented on October 10, 2018 (http://ibn.fm/KTTkM).

At a feed rate of 24 metric tons per day, the capital cost of the restart was estimated at $25.7 million, including a 30 percent contingency. According to the review, a restart of the refinery is possible within 18 months of selecting a feedstock.

First Cobalt Corp. is thus researching various feed sources. These could include cobalt concentrate, recycled battery materials and cobalt hydroxide. Through a bit of flowsheet modification, the First Cobalt Refinery could produce cobalt sulphate for the lithium ion battery industry or cobalt metal for the North American aerospace industry. According to current market indicators, the price of cobalt sulphate is similar to that of cobalt metal.

Before halting operations in 2015, the First Cobalt Refinery produced cobalt carbonate, silver precipitate and nickel carbonate. A modification of the flowsheet will be required to commence the cobalt sulphate production.

A final decision about the reactivation of the refinery is yet expected. The decision is heavily dependent on the studies and the ongoing discussions with potential First Cobalt partners.

First Cobalt is a North American pure-play cobalt company whose flagship asset is the Iron Creek Cobalt Project in Idaho, which has inferred mineral resources of 26.9 million tonnes grading 0.11 percent cobalt equivalent. The company’s other assets include 50 past-producing mines in the Canadian Cobalt Camp and the only permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing battery materials.

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

• Multiple important steps have contributed to the advancement of the BriaCell clinical program in 2018
• The company has gotten excellent results from its Bria-IMT clinical trials and hopes to begin Bria-OTS testing in 2019
• The personalized, off-the-shelf advanced breast cancer treatment will be much more cost-effective to manufacture than alternatives and is expected to produce fewer side effects

Throughout 2018, BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. (OTCQB: BCTXF) (TSX.V: BCT) has been working hard on the advancement of its clinical program. The company attained crucial safety and efficacy data via its clinical trials, and it also achieved proof of concept. The phase I/IIa study of its proof of concept clinical trial in advanced breast cancer achieved sustained tumor shrinkage at various sites in several patients. These results confirm the data collected through two previous trials, demonstrating the promising effect of the company’s Bria-IMT therapy in the treatment of advanced, metastatic breast cancer.

At the beginning of November 2018, BriaCell CEO Dr. William Williams said in an interview with Stock Day’s Everett Jolly that the company is developing the first personalized, off-the-shelf immunotherapy for advanced breast cancer (http://ibn.fm/9SMfU). The key developments are focused in two fields and programs – Bria-IMT and Bria-OTS.

Bria-IMT has undergone extensive clinical testing, demonstrating tumor shrinkage in patients with advanced breast cancer. Currently, Bria-IMT is in Phase IIa clinical testing in combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), manufactured by Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK). Bria-IMT stimulates T-cell activity – one of the body’s natural defense mechanisms. In combination with KEYTRUDA, Bria-IMT is expected to accomplish an amplification effect to strengthen the anti-tumor activity of the treatment.

Bria-OTS is still in the process of development. Work is based on the results obtained in the Bria-IMT clinical trials. BriaCell Therapeutics plans to genetically engineer immunotherapy cell lines that can induce a specific response against cancer. The cell lines are pre-manufactured, but the personalized treatment can be selected and administered to the patient based on his or her specific HLA alleles. In this way, the immune response is tailored to the individual patient, so the treatment should not have a negative impact on the overall functioning of the immune system, Dr. Williams said.

The creation of tailored off-the-shelf immunotherapy solutions will eventually cover 90 percent of the population. Bria-OTS does not necessitate a personalized manufacturing process, which keeps the cost and the production time down, Dr. Williams added. Bria-OTS is anticipated to initiate clinical trials in 2019.

By 2021, immunotherapy solutions that target cancer are expected to turn into a $100 billion industry. Through previous research, clinicians have been capable of delivering personalized treatments for cancer that can address the specific condition of an individual patient. These treatments, however, have been costly to produce (due to individual manufacturing), and they’ve been associated with specific side effects. The BriaCell approach should be less costly and have fewer side effects than currently approved personalized immunotherapies.

Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring form of malignancy in women and the second most common overall cancer. In the U.S. alone, 12.3 percent of women will receive a diagnosis of breast cancer in their lifetime (http://ibn.fm/QaUGj).

The development of innovative therapies has increased the survival rate of breast cancer patients. The five-year survival rate has gone up from 74.8 percent in 1975 to 90.7 percent in 2011 for patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite this, over 40,000 women will die of breast cancer in the United States in 2018, indicating a very large unmet need.

BriaCell Therapeutics is based in Berkeley, and its headquarters are located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company specializes in clinical-stage biotechnology and targeted immunotherapy for advanced breast cancer.

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

• Global legal marijuana market set for CAGR of 34.6 percent over next seven years
• Redfund plans internationally diversified portfolio
• Focused on revenue-producing MMJ, hemp and CBD companies

Since a rising tide lifts all boats, the surge in the legal cannabis industry is set to boost the prospects of many an enterprise in the cannabidiol (CBD) space. The global legal marijuana market is projected to enjoy a healthy CAGR of 34.6 percent over the next seven years, reaching $146.4 billion by 2025, according to Grand View Research (http://ibn.fm/AjZh8). However, just as a boat must do more than simply stay afloat, CBD businesses must be set on a profitable course, and a lack of capital can make that impossible. Nevertheless, revenue-producing CBD operators that can scale successfully could turn to Redfund Capital Corp. (CSE: LOAN) (OTC: PNNRF) (Frankfurt: O3X4) for counsel and capital. Redfund is a merchant bank that provides debt and equity solutions to companies in the mid to late stages of development. Currently, Redfund is focused on medical marijuana (MMJ), hemp and CBD and health care-related companies.

The tide is indeed rising. After the recent midterm elections, two more U.S. states – Missouri and Utah – are on their way to legalizing medical marijuana, bringing the number of U.S. states to have done so to 33. Other U.S. jurisdictions – Washington DC, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands – have done so, as well. Moreover, now that voters in Michigan have approved recreational use of marijuana, adult use marijuana is now legal in 10 states, as well as the District of Columbia (http://ibn.fm/uy9GY). Internationally, the picture is no different. From November 1, 2018, doctors in England, Wales and Scotland have been able to not just recommend but also prescribe cannabis. To date, 31 countries have legalized marijuana for medicinal use. This progressive wave will, undoubtedly, buoy Redfund’s clients operating in the North American and European CBD sectors.

Recently, Redfund published details of its involvement with one such client, Mary’s Wellness Ltd., a marketer and distributor of cannabis-infused teas (http://ibn.fm/UPeS0). The merchant bank is in active discussions with partners in the UK, Switzerland, Colombia and Portugal to help launch Mary’s products. Redfund aspirations for the beverage manufacturer are ambitious. It is hoping to make the brand as widely recognized as Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX). A first step to that is an IPO for Mary’s Wellness early in 2019.

Redfund is also funding Winterlife Inc. as the latter launches a new product line (http://ibn.fm/TWSOx). The Winterlife CBD product line is 100 percent organic, vegan and gluten free. The SKUs will include Winterlife’s famous gourmet cookies, tinctures and capsules, which are now manufactured in Washington State. Winterlife products are currently available in over 600 dispensaries throughout the state. The company also has processing agreements in several other U.S. states. Its revenues are close to C$3 million per annum.

In October 2018, Redfund announced the opening of a subsidiary, First Euro Cannabis, which became the first incubator and accelerator in Europe that finances medical cannabis, CBD and hemp companies (http://ibn.fm/OVLtM). The subsidiary will play an important part in the distribution of Winterlife CBD products across Europe.

Put together by bankers and entrepreneurs with years of experience in business, consulting, capital markets, corporate finance and health care services, Redfund Capital provides a debt financing facility to help companies build their valuations and get to the next level in their financing cycles without prematurely giving away equity. Diversification is an essential portfolio strategy. The company has interests in Canada, Europe and the U.S. As acceptance of marijuana’s therapeutic value grows, there’s no doubt that Redfund is taking this cannabis tide in the affairs of men, at the flood. That approach just may lead on to fortune.

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

• Canaccord Genuity initiates coverage of TGOD with C$7.00 price target
• TGOD expands international footprint to 17 countries with joint venture In Mexico
• Appoints new CFO, strengthens marketing and compliance with senior appointments

Canaccord Genuity has turned bullish on The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX: TGOD) (OTCQX: TGODF), and its reasons are set out in an initiation report. The Canadian producer of organic cannabis is set for international expansion, say analysts from the investment bank’s research division. They have initiated coverage with a “Speculative Buy” rating and a price target of C$7.00 ($5.40), which is almost double the present value of the company’s shares (http://ibn.fm/WeK3D). TGOD, they say, has enough cash “to achieve annual capacity of approximately 195,000 kg (excluding hemp production).” Some of that production may make its way to Mexico under a joint venture agreement, as the company continues to expand its international footprint. To run the show, TGOD is bringing in new talent. It now has a new CFO and has made appointments, at a senior level, in compliance and marketing.

The Canaccord Genuity analysts believe that a major differentiating factor for TGOD is its focus on organic cannabis, which is preferred, according to a recent survey, by “43 percent of Canadian recreational cannabis consumers.” They “expect the negative impact of consuming cannabis containing pesticides will continue to generate strong demand for organic product.” As a result, they “estimate that Green Organic Dutchman’s fully funded production capacity translates to approximately $1.1-1.4 billion in annual revenue. While TGOD’s current focus is on increasing production capacity in Ontario and Quebec, (they) expect the company to be free cash flow positive in 2020 as it plans to build a portfolio of organic cannabis brands that will serve legal recreational and medical markets around the world.” TGOD now has operations in 17 countries spanning two continents and revolving around CBD oil, which, unlike THC, is generally legal in those countries. In Mexico, for instance, pharmacological derivatives of cannabis have been legal since June 19, 2017.

In October 2018, TGOD announced that it had entered into a strategic joint venture with LLACA Grupo Empresarial to create a 50/50-owned company to enter the medicinal cannabis market in Mexico (http://ibn.fm/kF7nC). LLACA will facilitate the importation, registration and distribution of TGOD-branded organic cannabis and hemp-derived medical products into the Mexican market. LLACA brings formidable capability to the partnership. Through its distribution network, TGOD will have access to 4,500 pharmacies and 3,100 supermarkets throughout Mexico.

To tackle the challenges from international expansion, TGOD is boosting its organizational capabilities. In October 2018, the company announced the appointment of Sean Bovingdon as its new chief financial officer (http://ibn.fm/BTczl). Bovingdon is an accomplished executive with almost 30 years’ experience in a variety of private and public companies. Most recently, he served as CFO of Toronto Hydro Corporation, a utility company with $3.5 billion in annual revenue. Before that, he served as president and CFO of a number of public and private oil and gas companies; as CFO and VP, finance for TSX-listed technology and manufacturing companies; and as controller for a major TSX-listed oil sands company. Bovingdon has been involved in $1.1 billion of public equity and debt financings and $2 billion of syndicated credit facilities, including three IPOs.

TGOD further strengthened its senior management team with two new appointments: Emily Demeo as its marketing brand director and Terry Reid as its director, legal and compliance. Demeo has joined from Molson Coors Canada (MCC), where she led MCC’s foray into non-alcoholic beverages, gaining valuable marketing experience in a regulated industry. Before her stint at MCC, Demeo worked at L’Oreal as senior product manager for Garnier Fructis.

Reid joins TGOD following a successful career at Teva Pharmaceuticals, where he was a key member of both the legal and compliance teams, most recently as head of compliance for Canada. Prior to his role at Teva, Reid had a successful commercial litigation practice at a reputable Toronto law firm.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.TGOD.ca

• Zenergy Brands, Inc.’s Zero Cost Program aims to help clients reduce utility consumption without incurring upfront out-of-pocket expenses
• The residential suite package offers customers cost-effective energy savings through connected smart device controls
• The acquisition of Enertrade Electric LLC heralds a new era for Zenergy Brands as it launches into the REP space

Zenergy Brands, Inc. (OTC: ZNGY) is an energy and technology company operating in the emerging, next-generation, smart energy utility and conservation industries. Headquartered in Texas, Zenergy Brands is focused on providing a wide range of cost-saving energy solutions to both residential and enterprise customers. The products and services enable clients to not only achieve sustainability goals but also reduce their carbon footprints and, ultimately, add value to their bottom lines.

On June 29, 2017, through subsidiary Zen Technologies, Zenergy Brands officially started customer installations as part of its first Zero Cost Program (http://ibn.fm/rsxTZ). This project involves the installation of smart controls, retrofits, energy conservation technologies and efficiency upgrades at business premises.

The main feature of the Zero Cost Program is that it gives clients a platform to take advantage of Zenergy Brands’ commercial offerings without incurring new out-of-pocket expenses. It is a service contract under a performance-basis regime that guarantees customers energy savings.

The Zero Cost Program contracts are financed by Coit Capital Securities, an investment bank based in San Francisco. The expected reduction in energy consumption under this program is between 20 and 60 percent.

Monitoring reports of the Zero Cost installations have shown better performance in terms of energy conservation compared to the forecast. This is true even where weather conditions are more severe than those recorded in the baseline data.

The other solution Zenergy offers its customers is the Residential Suite. This is a collection of Smart Home products targeted at residential customers to help them with energy savings. The products in this package include home automation systems, security monitoring and energy conservation services. These can be controlled through smartphone technology 24/7. While the Zero Cost Program targets corporate clients and incentivizes them to upgrade their legacy energy systems and devices, the residential suite is aimed at homeowners.

As an additional component, the residential suite program gives an opportunity for homebuilders and multi-family real estate residential developers to provide high-end customers with Smart Home technologies.

On October 17, 2016, Zenergy Brands expressed interest through a letter of intent to acquire Enertrade Electric LLC (http://ibn.fm/XxOUN). This is a Retail Electric Provider (REP) based in Texas. On April 9, 2018, the acquisition of the company was finalized, and it became part of Zenergy Brands, Inc.

The acquisition of the company ushered in a new platform that bolsters the existing smart control and energy conservation solutions offered by Zenergy Brands. On October 1, 2018, Zenergy Brands announced that it had finalized the name change of Enertrade Electric LLC to Zenergy Power & Gas, Inc.

Zenergy Power & Gas, Inc., being a licensed REP, fits perfectly into Zenergy Brands’ strategic plan to become a leading provider of premier smart control solutions serving both residential and commercial customers.

The global revenue for energy efficient solutions is expected to grow tremendously heading to 2025. This will serve to firmly anchor Zenergy Brands on a stable growth path as it enriches businesses through responsible use and management of energy.

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

• Concerns over a potential supply deficit as China attempts to control the world supply
• QMC Quantum Minerals doubles Irgon Dike strike length
• QMC at advanced stage of developing hard rock source’s potential

QMC Quantum Minerals Corp.’s (OTC: QMCQF) (TSX.V: QMC) (FSE: 3LQ) efforts to “reawaken the promise” of Canada’s historically rich lithium fields in Manitoba are part of a broader strategy to build supplies of an in-demand metal from a close-to-home, North American source, and recent discoveries at the property are energizing the company’s prospects.

Forecasts for a potential supply deficit of the elements critical to the lithium-ion batteries that power a vast majority of the world’s computer technology needs have touched off a number of strategic responses by explorers and researchers.

Lithium-ion batteries have been manufactured and improved on as the go-to rechargeable source for power to computerized electronics, from wearable smart watches to military technologies, with cell phones being perhaps the most ubiquitous product of them all. In addition to this, the anticipated enormous increasing demand by rising production of electric vehicles worldwide is only lighting up the industry.

News that China had exhibited tremendous foresight by aggressively working to secure primacy in the global supply chain for the batteries’ two key raw components, lithium and cobalt, fueled a nationalistic trend following the 2008 worldwide financial crisis. China’s economic strategy regards electric vehicles as a key industry, and the country’s state-controlled companies have labored to dominate the supply chain — from politically troubled Congo-sourced cobalt mining through to Chinese plant refining of the metal — all while exploring potential alternative battery technologies. As a result, the country effectively owns approximately 85 percent of global cobalt supply, according to research by cobalt distributor Darton Commodities (http://ibn.fm/wSa32).

China has also actively worked to secure agreements with leading lithium miners in Chile and Australia, despite holding the world’s second-largest reserves of the metal, which it regards as being too expensive to extract at this point, according to CKGSB Knowledge (http://ibn.fm/0gYyb).

“It’s clearly the case that China will lead the world in E.V. development,” Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman William C. Ford Jr. stated during an event in Shanghai last year (http://ibn.fm/wwNnZ).

QMC’s efforts to derive lithium from Canadian sources gained a stronger toehold when the company announced that it had found additional “significant spodumene mineralization” in pegmatite dike outcroppings on the Irgon Mine Property in Manitoba, where it was already exploring the spodumene-bearing Irgon Dike. These recent discoveries have led the junior explorer to slate drilling these additional targets on the Irgon Mine Property located within the prolific Cat Lake-Winnipeg River rare-element pegmatite field.

Exploration at the Irgon Dike more than half a century ago established a resource estimate (which the company considers to be historic and not up to current NI 43-101 standards) of more than 1.2 million tons of lithium grading 1.51 percent over a strike length of 365 meters (1,197.5 feet) and to a depth of 213 meters (698.8 feet). The latest finds indicate the possibility of extending the strike length as far as 400 meters (1,312.3 feet) to the west, effectively doubling the length of the strike and the potential for the original resource estimate “to be rapidly increased through ongoing exploration” the company stated in an October 30 news release (http://ibn.fm/ptsn2).

QMC Quantum Minerals is bullish on the potential of hard rock mining of spodumene as a source for lithium verses Chile’s famed dried lake bed salt fields.

“When lithium prices headed upward, investors learned that Chile was pouring out tons of the metal at low costs. The Atacama salt flats became famous, and people assumed that reaping lithium from brines was easier than pulling it out of rock. But it turns out that the Atacama desert is a rare situation,” the company stated (http://ibn.fm/cpGw6). “The truth is that, although lithium brines occur in many places around the world, only highly concentrated brines actually produce lithium economically. In contrast, hard rock lithium mines have numerous advantages. They do require more exploratory work; however, once the surveys and sampling are completed, hard rock pegmatite deposits are faster to mine and production is more reliable.”

QMC has been working on the Irgon Mine Property for two years and states that a typical hard rock project takes three to five years for such work. Channel sampling on the dike has returned excellent results, and prior development of the site, including a road, an established mineshaft and underground development, have bestowed the advantage of existing infrastructure. The company is nearing readiness to file the updated NI 43-101 report and to begin to mine.

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

• Supreme Cannabis Company announces record revenues of $5.14 million for Q1 2019
• Company boosts product offerings with coast-to-coast High-End Cannabis line of recreational cannabis
• Supreme Cannabis continues to build on supply agreements, including first international entry for medical cannabis oil distribution
• Company boosts profile with acquisition of strategic communications firm Bayfield Strategy, Inc.

As the market for cannabis products and recreational marijuana begins to catch fire following Canada’s nationwide full-use legalization of the plant, Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. (TSX.V: FIRE) (OTC: SPRWF) (FRA: 53S1), operating through wholly owned subsidiary 7ACRES, has positioned itself to provide premium High-End Cannabis coast-to-coast while beginning to access international markets as well.

Seen as validation of its successful execution of 7ACRES’ business strategy is the announcement of a record $5.14 million in revenue for Q1 2019, marking a 45 percent increase from the previous quarter and a 229 percent increase from Q1 2018 (http://ibn.fm/5wEoc). Commenting on the dramatic increase, CEO Navdeep Dhaliwal said in a news release, “We’ve established valuable intellectual property and laid a strong foundation for 2019 by amassing coast-to-coast distribution for what we believe is the only premium High-End Cannabis grown at scale in the country. Moving forward, our branding and distribution for 7ACRES will accelerate, as we’re confident that consumers will further fuel our growth as they recognize the standard 7ACRES has set in the market for premium dried flower.”

Ontario-based Supreme Cannabis built on its B2B medicinal cannabis production model when it entered recreational use supply agreements with Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in June for 7ACRES’ LP products. The company began moving into the adult use market with the launch of its Jean Guy strain in British Columbia following the federal government’s October 17 deadline to open markets to cannabis’ full-use potential.

Online distribution under the agreements with the other provinces was set to follow in early November through provincially regulated adult-use channels, and the remainder of 7ACRES’ product lineup was expected to be available within a short time after through online and brick-and-mortar outlets.

“We’re now excited to make 7ACRES available to adult cannabis enthusiasts and consumers looking for a superior sensory experience when consuming cannabis. Our mantra at 7ACRES is ‘RESPECT THE PLANT,’” Supreme Cannabis President John Fowler stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/oXV4z).

“We believe that by respecting the plant, the people who care for it and the people who ultimately consume it, we have built a culture of continual improvement where consumers can expect that each flower experience is better than the last,” he added. “7ACRES flower is focused on pleasing three primary senses: aroma, visual appeal and flavour. Through an intensive phenotype selection-process, we selected our four core strains to maximize the objective and subjective quality across these three categories.”

7ACRES operates inside a 342,000-square-foot facility. The company has been gradually building its production capacity since obtaining the necessary Health Canada approvals to begin cultivation in the first 30,000 square feet of state-of-the-art flowering rooms a year ago, and it expects to have all of its flowering rooms operational and the facility complete by early next year (http://ibn.fm/YhFHY).

Supreme Cannabis has been bolstering its management team with experienced professionals throughout the course of the year, and it began trading on the OTCQX Best Market operated by OTC Market Group in August. Additional supply agreements are also boosting the company’s reach to consumers around the world. Between January and March, Supreme Cannabis entered multiple supply agreements, including a long-term global distribution strategic alliance with Medigrow Lesotho (PTY) Limited for medical cannabis oil to be produced in Lesotho and exported to international markets. In September, 7ACRES entered into multiple agreements with Tilray Canada Ltd. to supply cannabis to the company’s medical cannabis patient population in Canada. Tilray Canada is a subsidiary of Tilray Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY), a global leader in cannabis research, cultivation, processing and distribution that is currently serving tens of thousands of patients in 11 countries spanning 5 continents.

In addition, on November 13, the company announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire communications firm Bayfield Strategy, Inc., which offers specialized advice and expertise in the area of strategic communications, investor relations, public affairs and shareholder activism (http://ibn.fm/SCCA3). The Bayfield Team will assume a variety of roles at Supreme and help the company accelerate strategic priorities, bolster communications efforts and drive global growth.

“I am excited to welcome the Bayfield team to Supreme Cannabis,” Supreme Cannabis CEO Navdeep Dhaliwal stated in a news release. “We have worked closely with Bayfield and have come to trust their advice, work ethic, and values. As we enter an exciting growth stage for the Company and the global cannabis industry, we will benefit from the infusion of skills and experience brought by the Bayfield team.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Supreme.ca