• Net Element reports 11 percent increase in revenues for 2017
• Company processed $2.8 billion in global transactions during 2017
• Named one of Deloitte’s fastest-growing companies in North America on ‘2017 Technology Fast 500’ list

Having recently reported full-year financial results for 2017 (http://ibn.fm/EljTn), Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) announced positive progress and achievements for the past year, as well as near future plans as 2018 progresses.

Net Element is a global technology and value-added solutions group engaged in supporting electronic payments acceptance in a multichannel environment, including point-of-sale, e-commerce and mobile devices. Commencing the 2018 year with a healthy balance sheet position, the company announced that it processed more than $2.8 billion in transactions on a global scale during 2017, which represented an increase of 14 percent compared to the previous year. In North America, Net Element processed $2.3 billion in transactions during 2017—an increase of 18 percent over 2016.

The company’s revenues also increased by 11 percent during 2017, reaching $60.1 million. Net Element experienced organic growth across all categories during the year.

Net Element marked significant accomplishments during 2017, including the receipt of a $7.55 million institutional investment to support ongoing organic growth and the company’s blockchain-focused endeavors. Net Element was also listed as one of the fastest-growing companies in North America on Deloitte’s ‘2017 Technology Fast 500’. As part of efforts to offer aid in the wake of Hurricane Irma, the company additionally provided affected Florida small- and medium-sized businesses with free mobile point-of-sale credit card readers.

Net Element also forged various strategic partnerships during 2017, including partnering with Elo to offer a cutting-edge, best-in-class point-of-sale solution and partnering with Payvision in Europe to extend access to global currencies and expand payment acceptance to more than 120 currencies. Net Element additionally joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) during 2017, which is the largest open-source blockchain initiative in the world.

Last year also featured a variety of product launches and updates for Net Element, including:

• Launch of multichannel payments platform Netevia, which, when fully developed, will enable Net Element to perform in blockchain technology solutions;
• Launch of a web-based, integrated, same-day ACH and e-check processing solution the U.S.;
• Launch of Zero-Fee processing program for SMB merchants in the U.S.;
• Launch of loyalty program for international online merchants using a PayOnline platform;
• Launch of PayOnline support for U.S. e-commerce;
• Launch of Apple Pay support in Russia;
• Launch of payment acceptance module for Telegram, Viber, Facebook and VK instant messenger apps;
• Expansion of payments module to include Prominent InSales platform;
• Launch of comprehensive point-of-sale program during the Unified Payments ‘2017 Launch Series’;
• Launch of ISO incubator program to foster growth and success for certified resellers of Unified Payments;
• Launch of fully integrated payment acceptance for V-Tell;
• Launch of fully integrated payment acceptance for Azimuth Airlines; and
• Addition of support for iDEAL payment system in the Netherlands.

Looking forward, Net Element plans to continue its focus on understanding clients and meeting their payment acceptance needs in core market segments. Other goals include continuing company growth in all key segments, driving client retention, expanding the company’s client base in particular markets, delivering value-added products to increase efficiencies and payment acceptance, continuing the development of Netvia and launching new tools to reach clients and deepen partner relations.

As the global payments industry continues its healthy growth, Net Element believes that new and disruptive technologies will further enable the company to differentiate itself and continue its development and delivery of cutting-edge payment solutions.

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

• Global big data revenue forecasts predict $80 billion level within three to five years
• AnalytixInsight delivers insightful analysis amid roiling market trends
• Company to present at annual MicroCap Conference in April

In an increasingly turbid marketplace where a presidential tweet or catchphrase-worthy tech innovation can stir up intense trading activity seemingly at a moment’s notice, investor reliance on the crystal ball-like qualities of artificial intelligence is becoming a necessity for capital survival. Amid the frothiness of shifting currents, AnalytixInsight Inc. (TSX.V: ALY) (OTCQB: ATIXF) has built on its pioneering predictive technology to create algorithms that are able to forecast future corporate events with often remarkable precision, and the company markets this tech under a SaaS model that is both affordable and intuitive for retail and institutional clients.

AnalytixInsight’s machine learning platform, CapitalCube (www.CapitalCube.com), turns big data into actionable information, delivering useful insights in a narrative form that allows investors to move decisively as they examine research on some 50,000 global companies and ETFs. CapitalCube algorithmically analyzes market price data and regulatory filings for investors, finance portals and media outlets including Yahoo Finance, The Wall Street Journal and Thomson Reuters.

The machine learning platform capabilities also extend to predictive functions in more traditional targeted solutions for companies examining their workflow schedules, product movements and other infrastructure aspects in search of ways to cull increased efficiency from their operations. AnalytixInsight’s ownership of workflow efficiency-boosting Euclides Technologies Inc. (www.EuclidesTech.com), through which it strives to improve the efficiencies of the clients it serves, gives the company a base of operations to utilize machine learning in workforce management within a wide range of industries, including insurance, manufacturing, telecommunications, home services, utilities, oil and gas.

“There is no safety in momentum anymore,” Alain Bokobza, head of global asset allocation at Société Générale, told the Wall Street Journal in a discussion of the rise in low volatility and credit spreads coinciding with questions about ‘safe’ strategies that bet on FAANG tech stocks, as evidenced in the big selloffs that opened the second quarter in stocks worldwide (http://ibn.fm/TqRVY).

Facebook and Google have become the poster children for the successes and excesses of big data’s potential in the building of a company’s revenue stream model. AnalytixInsight’s operation is a smaller-scale effort to directly serve clients with specific big data analytics needs and benefits from agreements with institutions such as Intesa Sanpaolo, Samsung and Euronext.

On April 9-10, the company will further increase its visibility by presenting at this year’s MicroCap Conference in New York City. The MicroCap Conference is an exclusive opportunity for interested investors to speak with the management of the most attractive small companies, learn from various expert panels and mingle with other microcap investors (http://ibn.fm/bYPtU).

AnalytixInsight saw a record quarter-over-quarter revenue rise of 77 percent last year accompanied by a 600 percent increase in its year-to-year numbers. Analysis portal Statista.com reported that overall revenues in the global big data industries amounted to just under $34 billion by the end of 2017 (http://ibn.fm/o9jvV) and forecast an increase to nearly $80 billion in the next five years. SNS Research estimates a CAGR of about 10 percent during the next three years resulting in a market value of about $76 billion by the end of 2020 (http://ibn.fm/mvu1g).

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

• Company announces its membership in Défi Montréal, Canada’s largest business acceleration program
• Partnership with Laboratories BNK Canada, Inc. allows ETST to commercialize its new testing services more quickly
• Strategic acquisition aimed at improving access to funding for development of treatments for various diseases

Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTC: ETST), a Florida-based biotechnology company that operates in the fields of hemp cannabinoids, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, is taking active measures to accelerate its development and growth. On March 22, 2018, ETST announced its membership in the 16th cohort of Défi Montréal, the largest innovative business acceleration program in Quebec. Martin Duchaîne, founder of Défi Montréal, has advised or assisted over 900 entrepreneurs in his 20-year career. This new membership is expected to accelerate the development and commercialization of new ETST products in Canada and overseas (http://ibn.fm/LJ84M).

Through ETST’s connection with Défi Montréal, key individuals have already been brought on board to advance the acceleration of operations. In January 2018, ETST announced a deal with Laboratories BNK Canada, Inc. for clinical studies related to the MSN-2 medical device. The MSN-2 is a home kit designed for the detection of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) from a self-obtained gynecological specimen. MSN-2 has been confirmed through studies to detect chlamydia. The company is working to validate similar results for gonorrhea. Testing for trichomoniasis, as well as different serotypes of the human papillomavirus (HPV), are expected to be added in the near future. Partnering with Laboratories BNK offers ETST an accelerated plan of development for more products while cutting costs and, ideally, treating more patients. This arrangement gives ETST the means to accelerate the commercialization of its new testing services while it works toward its ultimate goal of halting the spread of STIs.

ETST holds three wholly owned subsidiaries, including Earth Science Pharmaceutical Inc., Cannabis Therapeutics Inc. and KannaBidioid Inc. In 2017, ETST acquired Canna Inno Laboratories Inc. as a strategic move that gave ETST access to government grants. The first of these grants was awarded from the Government of Québec for innovation in the pharmaceutical industry and will support the pre-launch process of ETST’s three CBD-based products that aim to prevent common causes of cancer and help reduce occurrence rates.

ETST strives to discover solutions for conditions with no current effective treatment, targeting diseases for which the benefits of CBD have been demonstrated by researchers worldwide. The move to accelerate the development and commercialization of these products is an effort to improve treatments for different diseases on a global scale.

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

• EVIO lab test revenues related to cannabis products grew by 782 percent last year
• Cannabis testing weeds out impurities such as chemicals and fungi while also analyzing potency
• Amid news of acclaimed accreditation in Florida, company plans major nationwide expansion

As the cannabis industry continues to quietly flourish in North America, EVIO, Inc. (OTCQB: EVIO) is providing laboratory testing to help consumers ensure that the plant products they are getting meet stringent standards of healthful quality. The company has gained renown for its services as it provides consulting and high-quality analysis of cannabis plants grown under state-legal programs throughout the United States for food retail, recreational smoking and biomedical purposes.

The company plans to unfold 18 new laboratories around the United States by the end of the year. In the meantime, clients can bring plant samples into the Oregon-based company’s labs in Colorado or four other states along the East and West Coasts or ask a lab representative to make an on-site visit for random sampling. The lab will visually inspect the plants for signs of mold or foreign matter and analyze the water, microbiological and chemical content to detect bacteria, fungi, solvents and other potential contaminants.

The laboratory analysis not only aims to ensure the purity of the grower’s cannabis product, but the potency as well. A Great Britain study that highlighted the dangers of unregulated marijuana commerce in that country found that almost all cannabis seized during the investigation of illegal activity is of a high-strength variety designed to increase its psychoactive qualities. The study found that the amount of high-potency ‘skunk’ in the drug seizures had increased from 51 percent in 2005 to 94 percent in 2016 in five key regions across the country. The researchers claim that an increasing discrepancy between psychoactive THC and non-psychoactive CBD levels in cannabis could increase the number of users at risk of developing psychotic disorders – a view supported by a number of academics not involved in the research, according to The Guardian (http://ibn.fm/xZUM4).

“This is actually worrying because if we do believe that there are types of cannabis that can be used more safely – because of the presence of cannabidiol – well, at least in this country, these are disappearing,” Dr. Marta Di Forti, one of the authors from King’s College London, stated in the research.

A special report published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association in February (http://ibn.fm/WqTcH) echoes the concerns among North American consumers, stating that the higher potency drugs pose mental health risks to some patients, such as schizophrenia and other psychiatric issues, and that health care providers, particularly pediatricians, “should be aware of this, especially for patients who have exhibited symptoms of anxiety and depression, and be willing to have candid discussions about cannabis.”

EVIO’s dedication to ensuring the quality and potency of cannabis products “is a key element of the company’s success and one that should matter most to cannabis consumers, who are often seeking relief from specific ailments. In fact, EVIO Labs Florida recently achieved ISO 17025 accreditation, becoming the first accredited cannabis testing lab in the state,” a recent article about the company states (http://ibn.fm/pcIFB). “This achievement, which marks the highest recognized quality standard in the world for calibration and testing laboratories, means that EVIO Labs Florida consistently produces precise and accurate tests that are implemented under a rigorous quality management system.”

The company’s end of fiscal year statement for 2017’s third quarter reports that testing revenues had grown from $305,679 the previous year to nearly $2.7 million, marking a 782 percent jump, with its consulting services providing a more modest revenue increase to $324,803. Once the expenses of testing and consulting were factored in, EVIO’s gross profit grew from $33,906 in 2016 to $564,507 last year.

The company received a vote of confidence from investors willing to put their money where their heart is when EVIO closed a nearly $6 million private placement that practically doubled the initial $3 million target (http://ibn.fm/eWrp5) earlier this year. EVIO, Inc. has more accredited cannabis testing laboratories in operation than any other company in the industry, and the planned addition of 18 laboratories aims to ensure its foothold.

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

• Filed patents to protect company’s process and products
• Powderized cannabis products deliver precise CBD/THC dosing with superior cannabinoid solubility
• Signed strategic partnership and licensing agreement with Avitas CBD Water

After thousands of years of human use, cannabis is now at the center of a new revolution. The medical efficacy of certain cannabinoids is now settled science, and numerous advanced therapeutic applications are currently in development. Recreational cannabis use has gained broad acceptance in multiple U.S. states and, in a few months, becomes legal across all of Canada. However, whether for medicinal or recreational purposes, there have been long-standing problems with dosing precision and effective bioavailability related to cannabis usage.

Xanthic Biopharma Inc. is changing the landscape and establishing a new paradigm in precise and effective cannabinoid delivery. The company recently filed a patent application to protect its proprietary processes to powderize the active ingredients in cannabis, including both THC and CBD (http://ibn.fm/6iclQ). Since it’s a fat, cannabis doesn’t readily mix with water. Xanthic’s innovative process makes cannabinoids water-soluble, allowing for precise dosing while significantly increasing the bioavailability of active ingredients. The company’s patent application also seeks to protect powdered cannabis products made according to proprietary processes.

In a news release, Tim Moore, CEO of Xanthic, commented, “Xanthic is extremely excited to have developed this industry-leading technology. The company’s technology provides a competitive advantage in the marketplace and we have taken the logical step of seeking patent protection for the company’s proprietary processes and products. Our break through process allows for full spectrum cannabinoid water solubility with maximum bioavailability. This is an industry first and will add a great deal of value for our strategic partners.”

Simple, easy and convenient to use, all it takes is a bottle of water added to any of Xanthic’s powderized products to consume cannabis. This novel technology has applications across a broad range of powdered and infused medical and recreational cannabis products, and Xanthic is wasting no time in establishing it as the industry standard.

Employing a unique business model, Xanthic is licensing with approved cannabis producers, allowing them to sell new precise dosage products at higher price points. With a low capital investment and a small footprint in their facilities, licensed producers can achieve greater revenues by converting their existing products to higher value products that capitalize on the multiple benefits of precise dosing, convenience and increased bioavailability.

Xanthic recently announced that it has entered into a licensing and strategic partnership agreement with Avitas CBD Water, LLC (http://ibn.fm/fJxuS). Based in Portland, Oregon, Avitas will be producing and distributing CBD-infused water, co-branded with ‘Powered by Xanthic Solubles’.

“This strategic partnership is Xanthic’s first step in proving that our proprietary technology is a viable licensing investment for producers and distributors across North America. We’re thrilled to be able to not only license our brand to Avitas, but to also work as a strategic partner to assist Avitas with their penetration of the infused water market. Moving forward, our corporate vision is to continue to provide the Powered by Xanthic technology to producers and distributors across various product categories and in multiple jurisdictions,” noted Moore.

Xanthic Biopharma is changing the cannabis paradigm and enabling its strategic partners to produce high quality, innovative, non-combustible cannabis and cannabis-infused products which deliver consistent THC and/or CBD levels with superior cannabinoid solubility and consistency.

Not currently public, Xanthic is taking all of the necessary steps to apply for listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange. Once listed, the stock could be ‘Powered by Xanthic’ and, given the social and economic advantages of Xanthic’s breakthrough technology, it could be quite a ride.

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

• CEO David Sealock to present Petroteq corporate overview at Microcap Conference
• Innovative, patented oil extraction technology maximizes efficiencies, boasting environmentally friendly features with zero greenhouse gas and waste
• Strategic investments in technology include blockchain-based platform targeting supply chain needs of oil and gas industry

Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTCQX: PQEFF), a company focused on the development and implementation of proprietary technologies for the energy industry, is gearing up for an impressive year full of significant milestones. Newly appointed CEO David Sealock plans to share a corporate overview of the company’s patented, environmentally friendly oil extraction technologies and its commitment to blockchain technology during the Microcap Conference on April 9 at the Essex House in New York City.

Sealock is a highly accomplished, results-driven senior executive with over 26 years of strategic management and business/digital transformation experience and a track record of working with and for several oil and gas corporations. In a news release, former CEO Alex Blyumkin, who is now chairman of Petroteq’s board of directors, noted that Sealock’s background as a technical professional (he is a Registered Engineering Technologist with ASET) complements the company’s strategic growth plans.

“We believe David’s aptitude and capabilities will allow us to take Petroteq to the next level as we make significant progress in our Utah facilities and also move forward on building our PetroBloq consortium,” Blyumkin said in making the announcement (http://ibn.fm/hVLdX). “He is a well-rounded leader that has been known for initiating innovative technologies for cost efficiencies and has successfully completed a US$150M equity financing and US$200 million debt financing under his stewardship while he was President and CEO with Sunshine Oilsands.”

One of Sealock’s first public endeavors will be at the Microcap Conference in New York, where he will share details about the company’s proprietary technology for oil extraction and provide a look into the development of PetroBLOQ, a blockchain-based platform designed to address the supply chain needs of the oil and gas sector (http://ibn.fm/e6KlU). As a pioneer in the environmentally safe extraction of heavy oils from oil sands and oil shale deposits, Petroteq is increasingly finding its patented technology generating interest among its peers.

“While investors have historically been skeptical of oil sands mining, Petroteq’s technology evolves oil sands mining to a much cleaner, safer and environmentally friendly extraction method,” Sealock said in an interview. “Petroteq intends to make a positive impact in shaping Utah’s energy future, setting environmental stewardship standards to ensure earth, water, and air are properly managed and sustained for future generations. As Petroteq executes its lean project execution model, leveraging Blockchain, for cost leading and environmentally friendly development of our resources, the Company is committed to safe and reliable performance at all levels of the organization.”

Petroteq’s Asphalt Ridge property in eastern Utah has already produced approximately 10,000 barrels of oil using the company’s unique continuous-flow oil extraction process, which utilizes environmentally friendly, closed-loop technology. Expansion plans to increase the oil plant’s production capacity to 1,000 barrels per day are complete (http://ibn.fm/bdRZ6), and Petroteq managers expect this Utah resource to be highly profitable.

“Petroteq’s culture, the DNA of the Company, has been guided by our Chairman and board members,” Sealock said. “Although times, and markets, change, Petroteq’s focus on integrity, transparency, and open communications that create collaboration and coordination, are our strongest asset. My mandate is to maintain our growth strategy, adapt for the times and new markets, but keep the DNA intact. Petroteq offers an exciting investment opportunity, with the team, resources, and production profiles that have the potential to achieve optimal production for decades to come. Milestones like the completion of our 1,000 barrel per day commercial facility and the progression of EPC to ensure that our 5,000 barrel per day facility is operational in 2019, positions Petroteq to offer shareholders and our partners tremendous growth.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Petroteq.energy

• Product will be focused on the global sport of cricket, and CSRH anticipates that it will be available in 2Q18 for Android and iOS devices
• First release with DevLex Ltd. since joint business agreement was signed this year for exclusive distribution between 359 Mobile and DevLex
• Mobile device combines 359’s Universal Mobile Interface™ with DevLex’s Predictive Analytics Platform

Consorteum Holdings, Inc. (OTC: CSRH), through wholly owned subsidiary 359 Mobile, Inc., has announced plans to release its first sports-oriented global predictive analytics mobile product for all Android and iOS devices (http://ibn.fm/KbIs1). Focused on the sport of cricket, the app is being developed with DevLex Ltd., making it the first product to be released since the joint business agreement between the two firms was signed earlier this year. The company anticipates availability of the Cricket DV-PA (DevLex Predictive Analytics Platform) in the second quarter of 2018.

The product will combine the technologies of the two companies, incorporating both 359’s Universal Mobile Interface™ (UMI) and advanced analytics, as well as DevLex’s Predictive Analysis Platform (DV-PA), which uses proprietary algorithms in real time. It will offer massive historical data, as well as continuous updates on cricket teams and players. Cricket has some 2.5 billion fans worldwide, making it the second most popular sport behind soccer. Cricket is often associated with the UK, but it is also very popular in Asia, Australia and various other countries, according to Topend Sports (http://ibn.fm/2HAi4).

Consorteum Holdings, Inc. is a mobile platform company focused on delivering compliant complex mobile-based transactions through a mix of partnerships, license agreements and joint venture revenue share arrangements. The company is focused on fintech, otherwise known as next-generation financial technology. Consorteum aims to capitalize on the broad variety of technological interventions into personal and commercial transactions by focusing its efforts and resources where it can leverage its expertise in direct and vertical-based solutions. A primary target of its UMI platform is the mobile gaming sector.

In a news release, Craig Fielding, CEO of CSRH, said, “Our ability to launch this first mobile predictive analytics offering for Cricket fans globally is an important milestone for the company. An extraordinary amount of work by a dedicated team has gone into not only the technological building of the DV-PA, but also into the creation and continual update of the massive statistical database required to support this innovative tool.”

Ian Copeman, founder of DevLex, added, “The DevLex team is thrilled to announce the joint release of our first DV-PA for the sport of Cricket in conjunction with the 359 Mobile team. Our collaboration to bring this first product to market has gone extremely well and we are looking forward to completion and distribution of other sports related DV-PA offerings in the very near future.”

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

• Reinforcing its focus on cryptocurrency and TV broadcasts, CIIX recently unveiled plans to broadcast a daily commentary titled ‘Bitcoin Big Winner’ on the Phoenix North America Chinese Channel
• CIIX broadcasts a live daily video show titled ’Bitcoin MultiMillionaire’ from the floor of the NYSE; company plans to explore cryptocurrency mining at datacenter near Seattle
• CIIX sponsored 2018 National Investment Bankers Association (“NIBA”) meeting in New York to meet with micro-cap and small-cap investors

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) is reaching the global Chinese-speaking community with regard to bitcoin — with TV broadcasts, an online site, an ATM in the lobby of its San Gabriel, California, headquarters and plans to mine cryptocurrency from a datacenter near Seattle. The company is exploring cryptocurrency mining following its recent purchase of mining machines (http://ibn.fm/2mx7Z).

CIIX recently sponsored the 2018 NIBA meeting in New York, a conference for small-cap and micro-cap investors, providing an opportunity to present its recent developments. A video interview with CEO Warren Wang is currently available on NIBA’s website, during which Wang highlights CIIX’s future plans.  According to company data, NIBA’s members have cumulatively raised $15 billion in new capital for emerging growth companies, and the organization is responsible for 90 percent of all IPOs under $20 million.

Aiming to capitalize on rising interest in cryptocurrencies and their underlying blockchain technology, CIIX recently revealed that it plans to debut a new daily commentary show titled ‘Bitcoin Big Winner’ on the Phoenix North America Chinese Channel. The channel currently features 24/7 news, in-depth financial reports and live interviews highlighting the Chinese community throughout North America. It is available on major satellite, cable and IP television platforms (http://ibn.fm/lPTI0).

CIIX is employing all forms of media to reach its audience about cryptocurrency news. It broadcasts ‘Bitcoin MultiMillionaire’, a daily video emanating from the New York Stock Exchange. The company also maintains a website, NewCoins168.com. Additionally, it hosts a bitcoin ATM in the lobby of its San Gabriel, California, headquarters, and it recently purchased equipment to mine for cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin and Litecoin, at a databank located near Seattle.

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

• Colored gemstones increasing in popularity
• Blue sapphires likely to benefit as market looks beyond white diamonds
• A source-to-sale model ensures ethical processing and quality

Diamonds may be forever, but there’s something eternal about sapphires as well. Their shades of blue evoke the ethereal expanse of the sky, bringing to mind endless possibilities. Recognized as a symbol of truth, power and royalty, the sapphire has lent its enchantment and esteem to the celebration of what are called sapphire anniversaries for marriages that have endured for 45 years. However, millennial gallants don’t need to wait almost half a century to show their affection. At Reign Sapphire Corp. (OTCQB: RGNP), they will find bangles and bracelets, bars and bands, earrings and finger rings, cuffs, studs, lockets and necklaces, all fashioned from this magnificent blue gemstone. With stones sourced in Australia, Reign Sapphire is offering the world collections of the finest jewelry. Given as gifts to demonstrate affection or to mark life’s defining milestones, each Beverley Hills-designed item seems destined to adorn the arms, hands and ears of Hollywood fashion icons and women of style.

The recent rise in popularity of colored gemstones is nothing new, as the engagement of Prince Charles, the United Kingdom’s Crown Prince, to Lady Diana, daughter of the Earl of Spencer, demonstrated in 1981. On that auspicious occasion, diamonds had to take second place. The prince presented his betrothed with a ring whose center stone was a 12-carat blue sapphire, complemented by 14 white diamonds. Since that happy day, the gemstone has been gaining in popularity, its future as bright as its vivid color. A survey by the Jewelers of America reveals that colored stone jewelry sales had an average gross margin of 51 percent and great potential for growth, comprising an average of just about 10 percent of total retail sales. As enduring as a diamond and almost as hard, a sapphire will last for eternity. Diana’s blue sapphire now graces the hand of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge and wife of Diana’s firstborn, Prince William.

Cognizant of its history, Reign Sapphire Corp. is betting its future on the blue gemstone. The company is the first global brand to exclusively market fine jewelry products featuring a specifically colored gemstone, the Australian sapphire. The company’s mission is to disrupt the market offering of traditional fine jewelry with design innovation, use of social and digital media networks and, most importantly, a distinctive attitude. As a result, Reign Sapphire has fashioned itself into a vertically integrated ‘source to retail’ custom jeweler offering ornaments of ethically processed, conflict-free sapphire and gold.

Reign Sapphire’s premier division is Reign Brands, which includes four niche brands. Targeted at millennials, pieces in the Coordinates Collection are inscribed with location coordinates that commemorate important events. Le Bloc is another line of classic customized pieces, and so is the athleisure brand, ION Collection. All stones in these collections are sourced in Australia, conflict-free and ethically produced.

As befits their wide appeal, the Coordinates Collection, Ion Collection and Le Bloc lines are marketed through a variety of channels, including social media, independent affiliates, internet advertising, wholesale relationships, and ‘word of mouth’ advertising. Moreover, the company has an exclusive international distribution agreement with third-party marketing companies to distribute these collections in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Dubai and Qatar at discounted prices. The agreement is for a term of five years and terminates in July 2021.

Launched in January 2018, the company’s new athleisure jewelry brand, ION Collection by Jen Selter, took off with a tailwind of over 1,000 pre-sale registrants and 36,800 Instagram followers (http://ibn.fm/obgsE). Those numbers are likely to increase. Jen Selter, the creative director of the ION Collection, is one of Instagram’s most followed social media mega influencers, with a combined following of over 33 million across all of her social media accounts. She has also been named one of Forbes’ ‘Top Ten Fitness Influencers’. Reign Sapphire has engaged StarShop to promote the Jen Selter ION Collection. StarShop is a pioneering celebrity-driven mobile commerce application launched through a collaboration between Sprint and its Pinsight Media+ subsidiary (http://ibn.fm/g0ioj).

marketing is paying off. In its first full year of operation, Reign Sapphire approached $1.3 million in revenues and achieved a gross profit of 60 percent. A key factor in this sales success is the growth of its social media following, which now includes over 200,000 Facebook and Instagram followers across all of its brands (http://ibn.fm/Z6vmh).

Reign Sapphire is following a ‘source to retail’ model for fine Australian sapphires, establishing itself at points along the value chain from mine-gate to retail display. The company’s approach reflects a trinity of deeply rooted ethical values – strength, power and honor – attributes that its designers aim to capture in every piece. The contract design team shapes, cuts and processes the rough sapphire material into gemstones. Manufacture by a top-of-the-line U.S. establishment takes place in Beverley Hills, while each jeweled adornment is packaged in a high quality, durable jewelry box or gift bag, together with a certificate of authenticity and warranty. Rough gemstones are procured directly from commercial miners in New South Wales, Australia, on an informal basis, as needed. The company believes that, since there is an extensive availability of supply, business can continue without disruption or adverse change in terms of pricing and availability.

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

• Company is largest landowner in historic Cobalt Camp, with more than 50 past-producing mines and a mill
• Worldwide demand for cobalt, an essential component in renewable batteries, expected to become critical
• Assay results indicate potential zone of cobalt mineralization tracked across more than 100 meters

Positive assay results from exploratory drill holes taken from a prospective zone of cobalt mineralization near a mine owned by First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQB: FTSSF) are seen as ‘significantly promising’. First Cobalt president and CEO Trent Mell announced the assay results, retrieved from samples taken near the Kerr Mine in the Cobalt North area of the Cobalt Camp in Ontario, Canada, in a news release (http://ibn.fm/pFqa2). The region is laden with more than nine past-producing underground mines that once offered up to 37 million ounces of silver and more than 900,000 pounds of cobalt.

“Cobalt North showed significant promise during the 2017 surface sampling and mapping work,” Mell stated in the news release. “These initial results confirm some of the early ideas we have for the structural setting for this area that make it highly prospective.”

The assay samples were retrieved from two drill hole locations that were selected based on core mineralization measurements. First Cobalt geologists believe that the assay results, which show both cobalt and silver, indicate a potential network of mineralization across more than 100 meters, which can be visualized as roughly the length of an American football field.

Three additional holes have been drilled and logged, with assays now pending. Preliminary results have so far shown significant copper, lead and zinc intersecting the mineralized zone, indicating a more easily targeted follow-up drilling area than individual veins would offer.

“Indications of both disseminated and vein styles of mineralization across a network for more than 100 metres make this an attractive target for a future bulk tonnage operation,” Mell continued. “With zones of mineralization now identified in Cobalt South and Cobalt North, we are seeing multiple opportunities in the Cobalt Camp for future primary cobalt sources to supply the North American battery market.”

Demand for cobalt is expected to increase considerably over the next few decades as countries around the world begin to incentivize a shift to electric vehicles, according to an article in Chemistry World (http://ibn.fm/ylflX). As an essential element of the renewable batteries that power mobile devices, laptops and electric vehicles, cobalt will likely continue to be in huge demand. First Cobalt is focused on creating the largest pure-play cobalt exploration and development company in the world. The company’s First Cobalt Refinery is the only permitted facility in North America capable of producing battery materials.

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