Tingo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: TIO)

Tingo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: TIO) is a digital service agri-fintech technology company focused on foundation-level agriculture and related financial services in Africa. The company aims to be Africa’s leading agri-fintech player, transforming rural farming communities to connect through its proprietary platform to meet their complete needs – from inputs and agronomy to off take and marketplace – and deliver sustainable income in an impactful way. The company’s vision is to build complete digitally inclusive ecosystems that promote financial inclusion and deliver disruptive micro-finance solutions, empower societies, produce social upliftment in rural communities and open international opportunities.

Tingo believes that a truly connected world will help contribute to a better global society. The company’s core focus areas are telecoms, financial services/fintech and agritech. Tingo’s goal is to provide a best-in-class customer experience, support the domestic economies of its host countries and support technological and financial inclusion to end the poverty premium. Through this, Tingo hopes to deliver attractive returns to shareholders while investing in the long-term future of the company and its subsidiaries.

Global climate change is challenging sustainable production and food security. Tingo’s strategy and market execution provide an opportunity for Africa to be a core focal point to solve a number of key areas of concern, including food security, gender equality, financial inclusion and poverty alleviation, to name a few. Disruption of micro finance through the use of DeFi-based stable coins and smart contracts will give agri-communities access to capital markets-driven digital finance solutions that make them more competitive and sustainable economically, striking a good balance of returns between digital asset providers and Tingo as the service partner. This innovation will deliver significant access to much needed finance at ‘Grassroot’ levels, delivering tangible social upliftment and GDP growth in the African markets served by Tingo.

Tingo Mobile, with more than nine million subscribers, is Nigeria’s leading technology and device-as-a-service platform aimed at accelerating digital commerce, especially in the country’s agritech and fintech verticals. The company helps farmers acquire mobile phones through a unique leasing plan, connecting them to mobile and data networks through its own virtual mobile network. Tingo also connects farmers to markets, services and resources via Nwassa, its digital agritech marketplace platform that commenced operations in 2020. The company has also launched a beta version of TingoPay – a B2B and B2C fintech app aimed at providing financial services to users inside and outside of the agriculture value chain. Among the services offered are mobile wallets, payment processing and access to specialist lenders, insurers and pension products.

Tingo will soon announce its innovative blockchain-based solution for use of digital stable coins to empower frictionless trade across borders in Africa. The company’s market-proven model in Nigeria is its core foundation, enabling Tingo to deliver the same service model across Africa to become the continent’s leading agri-fintech business powered through smartphone technology.

The African Continental Free Trade (ACFT) plan will be a key framework to prepare the company to be the leading intra-Africa trading hub for trade flows across Africa in the medium term, when it is likely the agreement will be executed into tangible activity. Tingo is well positioned to easily transform the goals of the ACFT into reality when finally implemented by the African Union and the various African countries that have not signed up.

Businesses

Tingo has four core business lines:

• Mobile Phone Leasing – Tingo has distributed almost 30 million mobile handsets since 2014 and will continue to replace the devices of its installed customer base every three years. Tingo Mobile provides the latest mobile phone handsets at an affordable price point and allows customers to spread payments over 36 months.
• Mobile Voice and Data Service – Through a mobile virtual network, Tingo provides its customers with voice and data services, allowing customers to communicate effectively, both inside and outside the agricultural ecosystem.
• Nwassa Marketplace Platform – Nwassa is Tingo’s proprietary agritech platform which provides Africa’s farmers with access to global markets to secure more competitive pricing for their crops. The platform processes 500,000 daily transactions with a value of over $8 million. A select group of trusted partners can assist smallholder farmers and agricultural cooperatives with packaging, warehousing, and dry and wet cargo logistics, as well as up-to-date information from the global agricultural sector. Tingo provides its customers with digital wallet services, which enable them to send and receive domestic payments, monitor cash flow in real time and securely hold money. The company also provides access to other services, such as utility bill payment, virtual airtime top-up, insurance services and alternative lending solutions.
• TingoPay – Since the launch of the Nwassa platform, Tingo has been a dominant player in the B2B fintech vertical. After many successful months of operating Nwassa, Tingo entered the fintech B2C vertical to extend its B2B offering to a broader market beyond agriculture.

Market Opportunity

Africa is the second-largest continent by population. It is also the youngest by far, with a median age of 18 for its 1.3 billion people. Tingo believes the building blocks for growth in Africa’s agriculture industry are in place and that the company is well positioned to participate in the upside. Sub-Saharan Africa’s population is growing at a rate of 2.7 percent per year. At the current growth rate, the continent’s population will double by 2050. Africa’s youthfulness represents a significant opportunity for material growth in demand for agricultural commodities. This younger generation is also being born into a digital world and is comfortable using technology.

Africa’s governments are improving business conditions for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Sub-Saharan Africa’s World Bank Doing Business rank has improved from 45 in 2004 to 65 in 2020. Tingo believes this trend will continue and encourage establishment of more new ventures across all economic sectors, including agriculture.

Africa attracted $407 billion of Foreign Direct Investments (“FDI”) between 2014 and 2018. Investments are increasingly focused on services and industrial sectors. Only 20 percent of investments are in extractive industries – a clear reversal from 2008, when 55 percent of FDI was aimed at resource extraction. Tingo believes FDI into Africa will help resolve significant infrastructure constraints and create value for agribusiness.

Management Team

Dozy Mmobuosi is the CEO of Tingo. He cofounded Tingo Mobile PLC (Nigeria) in 2001 and led the design and launch of Nigeria’s first SMS banking solution, which is still in use in the country today. He also headed a team of more than 120 Chinese and Nigerian engineers in the construction of two mobile phone assembly plants in Nigeria, which have produced and distributed 20 million phones across the country. He has led Tingo’s growth to more than $600 million in revenue annually. He holds a Ph.D. in Rural Advancement from UPM Malaysia.

Dakshesh Patel is the CFO of Tingo. He was formerly CFO of NatWest’s Global Debt and Investment Banking division. He has served as a Director at Gerken Capital Associates, a San Francisco-based alternative asset fund manager. He also led the restructure of Lloyds Banking Group (last financial crisis); managed integration of two leading shipping groups’ global treasury function to create world-leading shipping group Maersk Shipping; built three fintech companies; and exited one to Worldpay. Mr. Patel has strong banking experience, with a focus on Africa. He is a chartered accountant.

Chris Cleverly is president of Tingo. He has served as CEO of the Made in Africa Foundation, and as CEO of blockchain payments gateway startup Kamari. He has been a board member of several companies, both public and private, in the UK, India, China and Africa. He has advised multiple UK companies on their entrance into African markets, and regularly advises the UK Government on development issues and African governments on investment issues.

Rory Bowen is the Chief of Staff at Tingo. Mr. Bowen started his career in traditional capital and derivatives markets working for Moneycorp and Tradition UK in European and emerging markets across FX, interest rate derivative and government bond markets. He has also spent time with one of Europe’s fastest growing fintech’s banking circles. Before joining Tingo, he was Chief of Staff at FinTech Alliance, an organization established in partnership with the UK Government Department for International Trade to foster innovation, growth and foreign direct investment (FDI) in the financial services sector and facilitate greater public/private cooperation.

Investment Considerations

• Investor appetite in Africa continues to be robust, attracting $407 billion of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) between 2014 and 2018.
• Agriculture makes up 23 percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP and 60 percent of employment.
• Tingo directly benefits the African economy by helping farmers gain better prices for their crops.
• The company enables more efficient markets via greater distribution of agricultural products.
• Tingo directly provides an access point to technology for tens of millions of Africans.
• The company is expanding into fintech banking services for the mass market, providing access to financial services through Tingo Pay, its proprietary mobile wallet application.

QSAM Biosciences Inc. (OTCQB: QSAM)

QSAM Biosciences Inc. (OTCQB: QSAM) is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on bringing to market targeted therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. The company is committed to advancing the fight against cancer through the discovery, development and delivery of effective treatment options for adult and pediatric patients.

QSAM Biosciences was founded in 2020 by Executive Chairman Dr. C. Richard Piazza and CEO Douglas Baum. It is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

CycloSam®

CycloSam®, QSAM Biosciences’ initial technology, is a clinical-stage bone targeting radiopharmaceutical invented by world-renowned scientists at IsoTherapeutics Group LLC. By leveraging a patented, low specific activity form of Samarium-153 (resulting in far less undesirable europium impurity) and what management believes to be a superior chelating agent in DOTMP, CycloSam is designed to selectively target sites of high bone mineral turnover to deliver a prescribed tumor-killing dose of radiation to the bone tumor sites while minimizing radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissue. These parameters are currently being tested in an FDA-cleared clinical trial.

CycloSam® has been shown in laboratory testing to cause significantly less (30x less) buildup of long-lived radionuclidic impurities than prior FDA-approved drugs, which management believes will enable the ability to safely administer therapeutic doses via higher and multiple-dose regimens and effectively expand its potential clinical utility to therapeutic uses in areas of high unmet medical needs.

The indications for CycloSam® currently being evaluated by QSAM Biosciences include:

• Metastatic Bone Cancers – On April 28, 2022, QSAM Biosciences announced that the first patient had commenced treatment in its clinical trial evaluating CycloSam in patients with metastatic bone cancer. As noted in the release, the study is a Phase 1 open-label, dose-escalation trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, dosimetry, and preliminary efficacy of CycloSam®.
• Pediatric Osteosarcoma/Ewing’s Sarcoma – On February 2, 2022, the company announced that the U.S. FDA has granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation to CycloSam for the treatment of osteosarcoma. Combined with a previously granted orphan drug designation for osteosarcoma received in 2021, this milestone “may allow QSAM to potentially bring CycloSam® to market more rapidly through additional incentives and eligibilities,” according to CEO Douglas Baum.
• Bone Marrow Ablation – In a 2020 single patient Investigational New Drug (IND) study, an investigator concluded that high-dose CycloSam® can be administered safely to ablate bone marrow in advance of a stem cell transplant with no apparent renal toxicity and no unexpected adverse events attributable to the drug.

QSAM Biosciences’ preclinical and clinical development pipeline is supported by a strong IP portfolio. The company has secured 14 patents across three distinct patent families spanning the U.S., Japan, Canada and the European Union.

Market Outlook

Through its ongoing development of CycloSam®, QSAM Biosciences is targeting multiple large and underserved market opportunities. According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 400,000 new cases of malignant bone metastasis are diagnosed annually in the U.S. alone. Additionally, QSAM will pursue indications for osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma that are the most common primary malignancies of bone tissues in children.

Despite this pressing need, the current standard of care for bone cancer is aggressive and suboptimal, leading to marginal success with significant side effects and poor long-term survival prognosis. As a result, QSAM Biosciences estimates a sizable market opportunity for its development pipeline.

• Bone Metastasis has an estimated total addressable market of $20 billion in the U.S. based on total new cases and comparable drug pricing.
• Osteosarcoma/Ewing’s Sarcoma have a total addressable market of roughly $125 million in the U.S. based on approximately 1,000 new cases in 2021.
• The total addressable market for Bone Marrow Ablation is projected at $1 billion, with an estimated 32,000 procedures completed annually.

The company anticipates that the ability to administer CycloSam® for higher and multiple-dose regimens may expand its clinical utility for therapeutic uses in additional areas of high unmet medical needs.

Management Team

QSAM Biosciences is led by an experienced management team and board with an extensive record of FDA approvals, big pharma partnerships and M&A transactions.

Dr. C. Richard Piazza is the Executive Chairman of QSAM Biosciences. Since 2017, he has also served as President and CEO of IGL Pharma Inc., the licensor of CycloSam®, and as a consultant to IsoTherapeutics Group LLC, the inventors of the technology. Dr. Piazza also currently serves on the board of directors of NovaScan LLC, a privately held cancer detection and diagnostics company. He has more than 48 years of health care experience in both medical devices and pharmaceutical/biotech and has led several technology companies to market success, including numerous FDA approvals in both sectors. Dr. Piazza obtained a BS in Economics and a BS in Speech Pathology from the State University of New York and an MA & PhD in Economics from the University of Buffalo and Leeds University.

Douglas R. Baum is the company’s CEO and Director. He brings to QSAM Biosciences over 30 years of experience in the bioscience and biotech industries, including development, FDA/EMA approval and commercialization of multiple drugs and medical devices. Mr. Baum has overseen 15 product approvals through the FDA and EMA and raised over $85 million in capital to fund breakthrough technologies. From 2017 to 2020, he consulted with multiple medical schools and biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and, from 2012 to 2017, he served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Xeris Pharmaceuticals Inc. Mr. Baum holds a Master of Science in Technology Commercialization and a BBA in International Business and Marketing from the University of Texas.

Adam King is the CFO of QSAM Biosciences. He is also the Founder and CEO of King Consulting Group, where he provides a range of financial and reporting services for clients. Before founding King Consulting Group in January 2021, Mr. King was the CFO for Netsertive, a venture-backed digital marketing company. From 2016 to 2018, he was the Office Managing Audit Director for BDO’s Greenville, South Carolina, office, in addition to serving as Audit Director in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Boston, Massachusetts. While at BDO, Mr. King worked with various clients, from tech and life science start-ups to billion-dollar publicly traded companies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Elon University and is a CPA in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Investment Considerations

• QSAM Biosciences Inc. is committed to advancing the fight against cancer through the discovery, development and delivery of effective treatment options for adult and pediatric patients.
• CycloSam®, QSAM Biosciences’ initial technology, is a clinical-stage bone targeting radiopharmaceutical being evaluated for multiple indications.
• CycloSam has been shown to cause significantly less buildup of long-lived radionuclidic impurities than prior FDA-approved drugs.
• There is significant precedent that the radioisotope used in CycloSam, Samarium-153, is effective in treating bone cancer, as demonstrated in a published study conducted in over 500 patients using an older formulation of the drug.
• There is also significant preliminary safety precedent for Samarium-153, as shown through the 2020 single patient IND and the super-therapeutic dose administered in that study.
• QSAM Biosciences’ preclinical and clinical development pipeline is supported by a strong IP portfolio.
• The company is led be an experienced management team with an extensive record of FDA approvals, big pharma partnerships and M&A transactions.

Additional Resources

• Company Website
• Corporate Presentation
• NewsRoom

Mullen Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN)

Mullen Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN) is a Southern California-based automotive company that owns and partners with several synergistic businesses working toward the unified goal of creating clean and scalable energy solutions. Mullen has evolved over the past decade in sync with consumers and technology trends. Today, the company is working diligently to provide exciting EV options built entirely in the United States and made to fit perfectly into the American consumer’s life. Mullen strives to make EVs more accessible than ever by building an end-to-end ecosystem that takes care of all aspects of EV ownership.

Commencement of Trading on Nasdaq

On November 5, 2021, Mullen announced its commencement of trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

“Today is a monumental day for Mullen Automotive. I am especially proud of our team, investors and all who have believed in Mullen and taken us to this point as a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq Capital Market,” David Michery, CEO and Chairman of Mullen Automotive, stated in the news release. “Trading on Nasdaq now opens us up to new investors, both institutional and retail shareholders, and broadens our awareness and company profile, while increasing awareness of Mullen and our technology platform and opening new opportunities in EV and beyond. The road ahead has never been brighter for Mullen, and I am proud to lead us into the future.”

The milestone came in the wake of the company’s stock-for-stock merger with Net Element Inc.

The Mullen FIVE

The Mullen FIVE EV Crossover, debuting at the Los Angeles International Auto Show (LAIAS) on November 17, 2021, embodies Mullen’s Southern California roots with an inspired design focused on two complementary Golden State themes – California landscape and California urban.

The FIVE is built on an EV Crossover skateboard platform that offers multiple powertrain configurations and trim levels in a svelte design that is Strikingly Different™and exciting to experience in person. Capable of 0-60 in 3.2 seconds with a max speed of 155 mph, the FIVE comes with an estimated range of 325 miles.

Prior to the start of LAIAS, the Mullen FIVE was selected as a finalist by the LA Auto Show for Top EV SUV in the Zero Emission Vehicle Awards (ZEVAs) “People’s Choice” Awards.

LAIAS provides Mullen an opportunity to display multiple variants of the FIVE model while also showcasing its powertrain, battery and charging technology. Additionally, the FIVE will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January 2022. The company intends to bring the FIVE to market in 2024, and reservations are currently open here.

Mullen’s development portfolio also includes EV Fleet Vans, which it intends to bring to market in Q2 2022, and the pure electric, high-performance Sports Car, the DragonFLY.

Expansion of Manufacturing Capacity

On November 2, 2021, Mullen announced plans to expand its facility in Robinsonville, Mississippi.

Mullen’s Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Facility (AMEC) currently occupies 124,000 square feet of manufacturing space. The total available land on the property is over 100 acres, and Mullen is moving ahead with plans to build out another 1.2 million square feet of manufacturing space to support class 1 and class 2 EV cargo vans and the Mullen FIVE EV Crossover.

On the expanded site, Mullen plans to build a body shop, a fully automated paint shop and a general assembly shop.

EV Market Outlook

The global EV market was reported to consist of 3,269,671 units in 2019, a figure that is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.1% through 2030 to a total of 26,951,318 units worldwide. This market’s monetary value was estimated at $162.34 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.6%, resulting in an approximate value of $802.81 billion by 2027. The primary driver for this exponential growth is a worldwide increase in vehicle emissions regulations.

Management Team

Mullen is led by an executive team with extensive EV, OEM and, high-growth startup experience. David Michery is the CEO and Founder of Mullen and has been leading the company and its divisions since inception in 2014. With over 25 years of executive management, marketing, distressed assets, and business restructuring experience, Mr. Michery brings a wealth of relevant knowledge and expertise to the Mullen brand. He has notably created 12 trademarks so far to develop the company brand and vision.

Mr. Michery is working toward a sustainable future accessible to all by creating a suite of clean-energy electric vehicles at varied price points. With entirely U.S.-based manufacturing and operations, he is also determined to have Mullen Technologies play a role in shaping a self-sustaining local economy by creating more jobs in America.

Mr. Michery manages risks and company expectations as a pathway to success and has personally overseen several businesses that totaled over $1 billion in transactions. His key strength is the ability to be fiscally responsible and lead teams to complete projects on time and within budget. As a seasoned professional in this space, Mr. Michery has demonstrated skill in building businesses from the ground up and into successful entities that subsequently sold for hundreds of millions of dollars.

Investment Considerations

• Mullen Automotive is working diligently to provide exciting EV options built entirely in the United States and made to fit perfectly into the American consumer’s life.
• The company commenced trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on November 5, 2021, following a stock-for-stock merger with Net Element Inc.
• The Mullen FIVE EV Crossover, debuting at the Los Angeles International Auto Show (LAIAS) on November 17, 2021, is currently open for reservations.
• The global EV market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 22.6% through 2027.
• Mullen is led by CEO and Founder David Michery, a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of management, marketing, distressed assets, and business restructuring experience.

McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE: MUX) (TSX: MUX)

McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE: MUX) (TSX: MUX) is an asset rich diversified gold and silver producer in the Americas and has a large exposure to copper through its subsidiary, McEwen Copper, owner of the Los Azules copper deposit in Argentina, believed to be the 9th largest undeveloped copper resource in the world.

is an asset rich diversified gold and silver producer in the Americas and has a large exposure to copper through its subsidiary, McEwen Copper, owner of the Los Azules copper deposit in Argentina, believed to be the 9th largest undeveloped copper resource in the world.

Led by a management team with a track record of success, MUX owns and operates mines in some of the most prolific gold producing regions in the Americas. In recent months, the company has undertaken strong actions to lower production costs and increase production across its portfolio of gold assets, driving some costs below the industry average. Gold and copper prices are forecast to enter a major uptrend over the next couple years. McEwen Mining is laying the groundwork to capitalize on this opportunity now.

Seldom is management so aligned with investors’ interests with a commitment to the company’s success. CEO Rob McEwen maintains a 17% ownership stake in McEwen Mining and a 13.8% ownership in McEwen Copper with a combined cost base of roughly $220 million. McEwen founded Goldcorp, where he took the company from a market capitalization of $50 million to over $8 billion, and that same vision led MUX to create McEwen Copper.

For McEwen Mining shareholders, the company’s 51.9% stake in McEwen Copper is expected to be a gamechanger, turbocharging MUX by creating the world’s next copper unicorn.

McEwen Copper

Most mined copper is currently used in infrastructure, with new critical demand emerging for use in the electrification of transportation and the global energy transformation. The price of copper rose from a low of about $2 per pound two years ago to over $4 per pound today, and strong demand is expected to continue to soar. A study by S&P Global, titled The Future of Copper: Will the Looming Supply Gap Short-circuit the Energy Transition?, projects global copper demand to nearly double over the next decade, from 25 million metric tons today to about 50 million metric tons by 2035. Based on current trends, S&P Global projects annual supply shortfalls to reach nearly 10 million metric tons in 2035.

McEwen Mining is a 51.9% shareholder in McEwen Copper, holder of a 100% interest in the Los Azules copper project in San Juan, Argentina, which was ranked the 9th largest undeveloped copper deposit in the world by Mining Intelligence (2022). Its current copper resources are estimated at 10.2 billion pounds at a grade of 0.48% Cu (Indicated category) and an additional 19.3 billion pounds at a grade of 0.33% Cu (Inferred category). McEwen Copper also owns a copper exploration project in Nevada, called Elder Creek.

In a 2017 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), Los Azules was estimated to have a 36-year life, but indications are that the project could ultimately become an even larger mine, with a longer life, since in the assessment, only 55% of the known copper resources are to be mined. Numerous drill holes have shown strong copper mineralization extending below the PEA pit bottom. Its average annual production for its first 13 years was pegged at 415 million pounds of copper in the 2017 PEA – enough copper to supply 2.2 million electric vehicles per year.

In August 2022, McEwen Copper closed its non-brokered, private placement offering of $82 million, after securing a $25 million investment from mining giant Rio Tinto’s technology arm, Nuton LLC. In February 2023, Nuton agreed to invest an additional $30 million into McEwen Copper. Its current stake in the copper subsidiary is 14.2%.

“We are extremely pleased to have Nuton’s strong continued participation in McEwen Copper,” Rob McEwen stated in a news release. “Together we are exploring new technologies that save energy, water, time and capital in the pursuit of delivering green copper to Argentina and the world, a product that will contribute to the electrification of transportation and the protection of our atmosphere.”

Also in February 2023, FCA Argentina S.A., a subsidiary of Stellantis N.V., one of the world’s leading automakers, invested ARS $30 billion in McEwen Copper to advance development of the Los Azules copper project and for general corporate purposes. Its current stake in McEwen Copper is 14.2%.

“We are delighted to have Stellantis as a partner in the future development of our Los Azules copper project,” Rob McEwen said of the investment. “Together, we share a vision to build a mine for the future based on regenerative principles that can achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2038.”

Another of Rio Tinto’s subsidiaries, Kennecott Exploration, signed an option to earn a 60% interest in McEwen Copper’s other copper project, Elder Creek, by spending $18 million on exploration. The Elder Creek project is prospective for porphyry copper and gold mineralization and is well situated in a district hosting several large copper and gold mines, including Marigold, Lone Tree and Phoenix. Kennecott Exploration will be the operator of the exploration program. McEwen Mining holds a 1.25% net smelter return (NSR) royalty on the Elder Creek property.

Following the capital raise, McEwen Copper is well-funded to advance its Los Azules Project. Publication of an updated PEA on the Los Azules copper project is planned for Q2 2023. A Feasibility Study and IPO are planned for 2024. MUX is strategically reducing its interest to increase its treasury, in order to reduce debt and fund the further development of its gold and silver mines. In May 2023, the company decreased its senior secured debt by $25 million through the secondary sale of McEwen Copper shares.

When McEwen Copper’s Los Azules copper project is compared with other recent transactions and market valuations of copper projects in the same region, it appears very undervalued.

MUX’s management believes its ownership stake in McEwen Copper is not currently reflected in the share price of the company. In fact, it is management’s belief that the combined value of its 51.9% interest in McEwen Copper, plus its gold mines and portfolio of mineral royalties, represents a share value ranging from a low of $8 to a high of $34 per share, as detailed in the company’s latest corporate presentation.

Gold & Silver Projects

The Fox Complex

McEwen Mining owns a 100% stake in the Fox Complex in the heart of a prolific gold district in Timmins, Canada.

“When MUX bought the Fox Complex, in late 2017, it was a distressed asset with a history of high operating cost/oz. While it has taken longer than I expected, the cost to produce an ounce of gold is significantly lower,” CEO Rob McEwen stated in a news release.

In Q1 2023, McEwen Mining reported cash cost/oz at the Fox Complex of $1,088 on quarterly production of 12,700 GEOs. This was in line with the company’s guidance and marked a significant improvement from Q1 2022, when the mine struggled with effects of the pandemic and equipment failures.

Located in one of the most prolific gold production areas in the world, along the Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, the Fox Complex includes the Black Fox mine and Froome mine which together have, so far, produced in excess of 1,000,000 ounces of gold. Also, it includes the Grey Fox and Stock deposits that have an estimated additional 1,600,000 ounces in reserves and resources. The 2.7-billion-year-old Abitibi Greenstone Belt, formed by ancient volcanic activity, has proved to be one of the world’s richest and most abundant gold regions, boasting total gold content of over 300 million ounces.

Full year 2023 guidance for The Fox Complex puts production estimates at 45,000 GEOs, 28% of MUX’s total production.

The Gold Bar Mine

McEwen Mining owns a 100% stake in the Gold Bar mine located in an area well known for gold production, the southern Roberts Mountains of the Battle Mountain-Eureka-Cortez gold trend in Eureka County, Central Nevada. The Gold Bar mine is on the same geological structure some 25 miles south of Nevada Gold Mines, a joint venture of Barrick and Newmont. This Cortez-Goldrush complex contains estimated reserves and resources of greater than 50 million gold ounces. Its annual gold production is 1,000,000 ounces.

Gold Bar had been previously mined, between 1991 and 1994, producing 134,000 gold ounces. MUX built a new facility in 2019. The open pit mine was expected to be a large contributor to MUX’s revenue and gold production, however operating challenges arose that reduced gold production and drove cost/oz unacceptably high. Mining activities have shifted recently to a nearby, satellite deposit called Gold Bar South (GBS). Going forward the expectations are higher gold production and lower operating cost/oz as a result of mining a higher ore grade (concentration of gold per ton) and having to move half the amount of material to capture an ounce of gold.

Gold Bar continued to ramp-up mining from the Gold Bar South deposit in Q1 2023, and successfully placed 15,000 contained gold ounces on the heap leach pad. Following delays due to extreme snow and rainfall, mining resumed at the site in April, which will continue to add gold inventory to the heap leach pad, contributing to the increase of production in the balance of the year.

The Gold Bar Mine will account for approximately 28% of McEwen Mining’s 2023 total attributable production, with guidance pegged at 45,000 GEOs. Most of Gold Bar production in 2023 will be from GBS.

El Gallo/Fenix

Project Fenix is the proposed redevelopment plan for McEwen Mining’s El Gallo Complex in Mexico. There is a long history of mining in this region. MUX’s involvement began in 2013 operating it as an open pit, heap leach mine which produced 281,000 gold equivalent ounces at average cash cost of $655 per ounce. However, due to the transition to deeper sulfide mineralization that is not amenable to heap leaching, mining activities ceased in the second quarter of 2018. The redevelopment envisions constructing a mill at the existing mine site that will initially reprocess the existing heap leach material then transition to open pit mining and processing the sulphide mineralization. The company recently acquired a complete process plant on very advantageous terms that has considerably reduced the projected capital requirements for the project.

CEO Rob McEwen stated in a news release, “This acquisition has made Fenix more attractive to build and could provide a new long life mine for McEwen Mining.”

The initial development approach is to build a mill to reprocess the material on the heap leach pad and produce approximately 17,000 oz of gold annually for eight years. Construction of the Fenix project is expected to be completed by early 2024.

Mine San José

McEwen Mining is a 49% owner and non-operator of the San José gold and silver mine located in Santa Cruz province, Argentina. This high-grade underground mine has been operating since 2007 and currently has an expected life of six years with a reserve grade of 342 gpt silver and 5.7 gpt gold and a resource grade of 427 gpt silver and 7.0 g/t gold.

Exploration is continuing to extend high-grade veins and discover new veins at the complex. San José’s drilling programs to define additional resources and reserves have a long history of success due to a high vein density, aided by good geophysical response from hidden veins. Drilling at the Telken target in the South of the property, and adjacent to Newmont’s Cerro Negro mine, is planned for Q3.

Production guidance for 2023 for MUX’s 49% is 70,000 GEOs, 44% of MUX’s total production. As a minority shareholder in the mine, MUX equity accounts for its investment in San Jose, and it receives 49% of the dividends from the mine’s free cash flow.

Market Outlook

Mining stocks took a beating in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that could change, as many analysts are now forecasting a gold bull market in 2023.

“The operating challenges we faced in recent years have severely damaged our credibility with our shareholders and the market. As a result, few investors have taken a close look recently at our assets,” Rob McEwen said in a news release. “If they did, I believe some would see the potential value that I see today… I believe there is considerable potential value in MUX, and that is a big reason why I have a personal financial commitment of $220 million in MUX and McEwen Copper.”

Management Team

Robert R. McEwen is Chairman, CEO and Chief Owner of McEwen Mining. He has been associated with the gold industry all his career, with his first 18 years in the investment industry and, since 1990, as CEO of several gold mining companies. He founded Goldcorp and took that company from a $50 million market capitalization to more than $8 billion. He owns 17% of McEwen Mining and is in complete alignment with investors – the cost of his investment in MUX and McEwen Copper is $220 million and he takes an annual salary of only $1. He was awarded the Order of Canada and the Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Award, was inducted into the Mining Hall of Fame, was named an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year and has Honorary Doctor of Law degrees from York University and Western University.

William Shaver is interim COO and a Director of McEwen Mining. He has decades of management and executive experience in mine design, construction and operations. He was a founder of Dynatec Corporation, which became one of the leading contracting and mine operating groups in North America. In 2013, he was recognized as Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Most recently, he served as COO of INV Metals. He is a Professional Engineer with a B.Sc. in Mining Engineering from Queens University.

Perry Ing is interim CFO at McEwen Mining. He has 25 years of experience in the Canadian mining industry. Over the past 15 years, he has held positions as CFO of Mountain Province Diamonds, Kirkland Lake Gold and McEwen Mining. Prior to that, he worked at Barrick Gold and Goldcorp and started his career in the mining practice at PwC. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and is a Chartered Professional Accountant in Canada and Certified Professional Accountant in the U.S.

Adrian Blanco S. is the company’s Director – America and Mexico Operations. He has extensive international experience in several industrial sectors and has held executive positions in Mexico, the United States, Peru and Argentina. He joined the McEwen Mining team in 2015 and has led a successful business transformation toward operational discipline, best business practices and financial profitability at subsidiaries Compañia Minera Pangea and McEwen Mining Nevada. He graduated from an Executive Management Program at IPADE and Harvard Business School.

Michael Meding is Vice President and General Manager of McEwen Copper. He has over 20 years of international experience, primarily with major mining companies such as Barrick Gold and Trafigura, including extensive experience with project development and operations in Argentina. While at Barrick Gold’s Veladero mine in Argentina, Mr. Meding played a key role in the turnaround, extension of the mine life and subsequent strategic partnering with Shandong Gold. He holds an MBA from Indiana University in Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Leipzig Graduate School of Management in Germany.

Investment Considerations

• McEwen Mining is an asset rich gold and silver producer with large exposure to copper.
• McEwen Mining CEO Rob McEwen maintains a 17.3% ownership stake in McEwen Mining with a cost base of roughly $220 million.
• McEwen Copper’s Los Azules project is one of the world’s largest and most economically robust underdeveloped copper projects.

Additional Resources

• Company Website
• Corporate Presentation
• Investor Presentation
• MUX NewsRoom

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Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX)

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX) is a global innovator in drug delivery platforms. The company’s patented technology, DehydraTECH™, improves the way active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) enter the bloodstream by promoting healthier oral ingestion methods and increasing the effectiveness of fat-soluble active molecules.  DehydraTECH promotes fast-acting, less expensive and more effective oral drug delivery and has been thoroughly evaluated through in vivo, in vitro and human clinical testing.

DehydraTECH is covered by 19 issued and more than 50 pending patents in over 40 countries around the world. Lexaria’s first patent was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in October 2016 (US 9,474,725 B1), providing 20 years of patent protection expiring June 2034. Multiple patents have been awarded since then and are expected in the future.

Lexaria has a collaborative research agreement with the National Research Council (NRC), the Canadian government’s premier research and technology organization. The company has filed for patent protection for specific delivery of nicotine, vitamins, NSAIDs, testosterone, estrogen, cannabinoids, terpenes, PDE5 inhibitors (with brand names like Viagra), tobacco and more.

Lexaria began developing DehydraTECH in 2014 and has since continued to strengthen and broaden the technology. The company has no plans to create or sell Lexaria-branded products containing controlled substances. Instead, Lexaria licenses its technology to other companies around the world to offer consumers the best possible performance across an array of ingestible product formats.

The company’s technology is best thought of as an additional layer that providers of consumer supplements, prescription and non-prescription drugs, nicotine and CBD products can utilize to improve the effectiveness of their own existing or planned new offerings. Lexaria has licensed DehydraTECH to multiple companies, including a world-leading tobacco producer for the research and development of smokeless, oral-based nicotine products, and for use in industries that produce cannabinoid beverages, edibles and oral products.

DehydraTECH is suitable for use with a wide range of product formats including pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, consumer packaged goods and over-the-counter capsules, pills, tablets and oral suspensions.

DehydraTECH Technology

Lexaria’s DehydraTECH is designed specifically for formulating and delivering lipophilic (fat-soluble) drugs and active ingredients. DehydraTECH increases their effectiveness and improves the way active pharmaceutical ingredients enter the bloodstream. The major benefits to a subject ingesting a DehydraTECH-enabled drug or consumer product can be summarized by the following:

• Speeds up delivery – the effects of the product are felt by the subject in just minutes.
• Increases bioavailability – the technology is much more effective at delivering a drug or product into the bloodstream.
• Increases brain absorption – animal testing suggests significant improvement in the quantity of drug delivered across the blood-brain barrier.
• Improves drug potency – more of the ingested product is made available to the body, so lower doses are required to achieve the desired effect.
• Reduces drug administration cost – lower doses mean lower overall drug costs.
• Masks unwanted taste – the technology eliminates or reduces the need for sweeteners.

Lexaria has demonstrated in animal studies a propensity for DehydraTECH technology to elevate the quantity of drug delivered across the blood-brain barrier by as much as 1,900 percent, initiating additional new patent applications and opening possibilities for improved drug delivery.

Since 2016, DehydraTECH has repeatedly demonstrated, with cannabinoids and nicotine, the ability to increase bio-absorption by up to five to 10 times, reduce time of onset from one to two hours to just minutes, and mask unwanted tastes. The technology is to be further evaluated for additional orally administered bioactive molecules, including antivirals, cannabinoids, vitamins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and nicotine.

Market Outlook

Lexaria’s ongoing research and development efforts are mainly focused on development of product candidates across several key segments:

• Oral Cannabinoids – a market estimated to be worth $18.4 billion in 2021 and expected to reach $46.2 billion by 2025.
• Antivirals – an estimated $52.1 billion market in 2021 that’s expected to grow to $66.7 billion by 2025.
• Oral Mucosal Nicotine – smokeless tobacco products, a $13.6 billion market in 2018, is forecast to grow at 7.2 percent annually through 2025.
• Human Hormones – estrogen and testosterone replacement therapies represented a $21.9 billion market in 2019, with a forecast CAGR of 7.7 percent through 2027.
• Ibuprofen and Naproxen – NSAID sales totaled $15.6 billion globally in 2019 and are projected to reach $24.4 billion by 2027.
• Vitamin D3 – the global market size was $1.1 billion in 2021, growing at 7 percent per year and expected to reach $1.7 billion in 2026.

Management Team

Chris Bunka is Chairman and CEO of Lexaria Bioscience Corp. He is a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in several private and public companies since the late 1980s. He has extensive experience in the capital markets, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, as well as corporate finance. He is named as an inventor on multiple patent innovations.

John Docherty, M.Sc., is the President of Lexaria. He is a pharmacologist and toxicologist, and a specialist in the development of drug delivery technologies. He is the former president and COO of Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX: HBP). He is named as an inventor on multiple issued and pending patents.

Greg Downey is Lexaria’s CFO. He has more than 35 years of diverse financial experience in the mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, and construction industries, and in the public sector. He served for eight years as CFO for several public companies and has provided business advisory and financial accounting services to many large organizations.

Gregg Smith is a strategic advisor to Lexaria. He is a founder and private investor with Evolution VC Partners. He is a member of the Sand Hill Angels and held previous investment banking roles with Cowen and Company and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Dr. Philip Ainslie serves as a scientific and medical advisor to Lexaria. He is co-director for the Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health, Canada. He is also Research Chair in Cerebrovascular Physiology and Professor at the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Development at the University of British Columbia.

Investment Considerations

• Lexaria Bioscience Corp. has disruptive proprietary technology protected by a broad international patent portfolio.
• The company has been issued 19 patents in the U.S., European Union and other countries, with more than 50 patents pending around the world.
• Lexaria’s DehydraTECH technology has a vast worldwide, multi-billion-dollar total addressable market, including multiple rapid-growth segments like cannabinoid and noncombustible nicotine delivery.
• The company has licensed its fat-soluble active molecule delivery technology to multiple established companies for use in their products.v
• Lexaria completed an uplisting to Nasdaq Capital Markets and an $11 million financing in January 2021.

Knightscope, Inc. (NASDAQ: KSCP)

Knightscope, Inc. (NASDAQ: KSCP), founded in 2013 and based in Mountain View, California, is a leader in the development of autonomous security capabilities targeting to disrupt the $500 billion security industry. Knightscope’s technology uniquely combines self-driving technology, robotics, artificial intelligence and electric vehicles.

Knightscope designs and builds Autonomous Security Robots (ASRs) that provide 24/7/365 security to the places you live, work, visit and study. The company’s client list covers public institutions and commercial business operations, including multiple Fortune 1000 companies to date. These ASRs have been proven to enhance safety at hospitals, logistics facilities, manufacturing plants, schools and corporations. ASRs act as highly cost-effective complementary systems to traditional security and law enforcement officials, providing an additional advantage by continuing to offer uninterrupted patrolling capabilities across the country.

The company’s ASRs have assisted in the arrest of suspects involved in crimes ranging from armed robbery to hit-and-runs. Their machine-embedded thermal scanning capability even aided in preventing the breakout of a major fire. You can learn more about the crime fighting wins at www.knightscope.com/crime

The company has achieved several milestones since its creation in 2013, including:

• Establishing itself in a 15,000-square-foot facility located in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley, where Knightscope designs, engineers and builds its technology (Made in the USA)
• Operating for more than 1 million hours in the field and securing contracts across five time zones, from Hawaii to Rhode Island
• Raising over $100 million since inception to build its technology from scratch and generating over $13 million in lifetime revenue, validating both the market opportunity and the technology

Growth Capital & Proposed Nasdaq Listing

With backing from more than 28,000 investors and four major corporations and over $100 million raised since inception, Knightscope is poised to be an industry leader in the future of public safety and security.

On December 1, 2021, Knightscope announced the commencement of an offering of up to $40 million of its Class A common stock, with shares to be listed immediately following closing on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol ‘KSCP’. The offering is for up to 4 million shares priced at $10 per share. Learn more at www.knightscope.com/investors

Company Mission – Reimagining Public Safety

Knightscope’s long-term vision has an eye on the greater good. The company’s mission is to make the United States of America the safest nation in the world while supporting the 2+ million law enforcement and security professionals across the country.

Crime has an estimated negative economic impact in excess of $2 trillion annually. As crime is reduced, positive impacts will likely be realized across several aspects of society, including housing, financial markets, insurance, municipal budgets, local business and safety in general.

Knightscope CEO William Santana Li was interviewed by Kevin O’Leary, more commonly known as Shark Tank’s Mr. Wonderful. When asked to explain how the benefits provided by the ASRs outrank a human doing the same job, Li said, “First, just the simple presence of a physical deterrent causes criminal behavior to change. Second, the machines are self-driving cars that patrol all around and recharge themselves. They also generate 90 terabytes of data per year. No human would ever be able to process that. The robots are intended to be eyes and ears for the humans, not a one-to-one replacement.”

The Knightscope solution to reduce crime combines the physical presence of ASRs, sometimes referred to as proprietary Autonomous Data Machines, with real-time onsite data collection and analysis. The ASRs are fitted with eye-level 360° cameras, thermal scanning, public address announcements and various other features that work in tandem with humans to provide law enforcement officers and security guards unprecedented situational awareness.

Those 90 terabytes of data are then formatted in a useable way, so law enforcement can leverage that information and execute their responsibilities more effectively.

Public Safety Innovation

The company’s recurring revenue business model is set up to mimic the recurring societal problem of crime, and it takes into consideration the fact that innovation in the security and public safety industry has been stagnant for decades. Because the traditional practices of the sector have remained unchanged for years, automation has potential to drive substantial cost savings – and significant improvement in capabilities.

Human security guards are one of both the largest expenses and the largest liabilities for companies. Knightscope’s robots are offered at an effective price of $3 to $9 per hour, compared with approximately $85 for an armed off-duty law enforcement officer and $15 to $35 for an unarmed security guard.

This innovation has the potential to drive considerable cost savings. Based on these estimates, manufacturing costs can be recovered as soon as the first year of operation.

Product Offerings

The company has nine patents and a framework of unique intellectual property. Knightscope currently offers a K1 stationary machine, a K3 indoor machine and a K5 outdoor machine. A K7 multi-terrain four-wheel version is in development.

The ASRs autonomously patrol client sites without the need for remote control, providing a visible, force multiplying, physical security presence to help protect assets, monitor changes in the area and deter crime. The data is accessible through the Knightscope Security Operations Center (KSOC), an intuitive, browser-based interface that enables security professionals to review events generated by the ASRs providing effectively ‘mobile smart eyes and ears’.  Learn more at www.knightscope.com/ksoc

The ASRs and the related technologies were developed ground up by the company and are Made in the USA.

The Robot Roadshow

Knightscope has created the ultimate hybrid physical and virtual event, bringing its Autonomous Security Robot technologies to cities across the country for interactive and in-person demonstrations.

Each roadshow landing is hosted virtually by a Knightscope expert, and visitors can interact directly with each of the company’s ASRs and see the Knightscope Security Operations Center (KSOC) user interface in action. Learn more at www.knightscope.com/roadshow

Management Team

Chief Executive Officer William Santana Li is a veteran entrepreneur, a former executive at Ford Motor Company and the founder of GreenLeaf, a company that grew to be the world’s second-largest automotive recycler and is now part of LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ: LKQ).

Chief Client Officer Stacy Dean Stephens brings his experience as a former Dallas law enforcement officer, as well as his skills as a seasoned entrepreneur, to assist on the client acquisition side.

Chief Intelligence Officer Mercedes Soria is an award-winning technologist and former Deloitte software engineer.

Chief Design Officer Aaron Lehnhardt brings over two decades of two- and three-dimensional product and industrial design in modeling and VR to the table, on top of his experience as a senior designer at Ford Motor Company.

Chief Financial Officer Mallorie Burke is a seasoned financial executive and strategic advisor for both private and publicly traded technology companies with a successful track record of mergers & acquisitions, corporate growth and exit strategies, including public listings.

General Counsel Peter Weinberg leverages 30 years of diverse corporate counsel experience, spanning from startups to well-established companies, private and public. He has significant experience training personnel at all levels in critical areas to improve corporate compliance and productivity.

Investment Considerations

• Knightscope is a leader in the development of autonomous security capabilities and is on target to disrupt the $500 billion security industry.
• With more than 28,000 investors, over $100 million raised since inception and several Fortune 1000 clients with prepaid contracts, Knightscope is poised to be an industry leader in the future of public safety and security.
• The company’s ASRs have assisted in the arrest of suspects involved in crimes ranging from armed robbery to hit-and-runs; the machines’ embedded thermal scanning capabilities also aided in preventing the breakout of a major fire.
• An offering of up to $40 million of Knightscope’s Class A common stock is currently underway, with shares to be listed immediately following closing on the Nasdaq Global Market.

InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: INM)

InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: INM) is a global leader in the manufacturing and clinical development of rare cannabinoids. InMed is a clinical stage company developing cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical drug candidates, as well as manufacturing technologies for pharmaceutical-grade rare cannabinoids.

The company is dedicated to delivering new therapeutic alternatives to treat conditions with high unmet medical needs. The company is also developing a proprietary manufacturing technology to produce pharmaceutical-grade rare cannabinoids in the lab and has recently announced an LOI to acquire a leading rare cannabinoid manufacturer

Research and Technology

There are more than 100 rare cannabinoids found in only trace amounts in the cannabis plant, together making up less than 1% of the plant’s biomass. InMed is initially focused on the therapeutic benefits of cannabinol (CBN) in diseases with high unmet medical need. Preclinical studies of CBN demonstrated an excellent safety profile and showed CBN has potential for therapeutic benefit over other cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

Evidence suggests there may be great therapeutic potential in rare cannabinoids. Each has a specific chemical structure, and different cannabinoids have been observed to have distinct physiological properties in humans, including therapeutic potential for specific diseases as well as unique safety profiles. CBN is the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in InMed’s two lead programs for dermatological and ocular diseases.

InMed’s most advanced compound, INM-755, is a CBN topical cream under clinical development for the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa, a severe genetic skin disorder. To date, INM-755 has been evaluated in two Phase 1 clinical trials in healthy volunteers. InMed has filed Clinical Trial Applications in several countries as part of a global Phase 2 clinical trial of INM-755 (cannabinol) cream in epidermolysis bullosa. Responses from the National Competent Authorities and Ethics Committees are expected throughout the summer of 2021.

InMed is also involved in developing INM-088, an ocular CBN formulation being researched for the treatment of glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the developed world. InMed is currently evaluating several formulations to deliver CBN into the eye to address issues of dosing frequency, side effects and treatment penetration. INM-088 is being designed for topical delivery to the eye. This localized delivery results in very little drug being absorbed or migrating into the bloodstream, thus minimizing potential adverse side effects. INM-088 shows promise to reduce intraocular pressure and provide neuroprotection of the eye.

Manufacturing

The limited availability of rare cannabinoids like CBN makes them economically impractical to extract directly from the plant for pharmaceutical use. InMed is developing IntegraSyn, a cannabinoid synthesis manufacturing system to create rare cannabinoids in the lab that are bioidentical to the compounds derived from the cannabis plant. IntegraSyn uses multiple standard pharmaceutical processes and has achieved a cannabinoid yield of 5 grams per liter, surpassing commercial viability and significantly exceeding currently reported industry yields. InMed is now focusing on manufacturing scale-up to larger batch sizes while continuing process optimization, targeting increased cannabinoid yield and further reducing overall cost of goods.

BayMedica Inc. Acquisition

On June 29, 2021, InMed announced it had entered into a non-binding letter of intent to acquire BayMedica Inc., a private company based in Nevada and California that specializes in the manufacture and commercialization of rare cannabinoids.

As noted in the news release, BayMedica is a revenue-stage biotechnology company leveraging its significant expertise in synthetic biology and pharmaceutical chemistry to develop efficient, scalable and proprietary manufacturing approaches to produce high quality, regulatory-compliant rare cannabinoids for consumer applications. BayMedica is currently commercializing the rare cannabinoid CBC (cannabichromene) as a B2B supplier to distributors and manufacturers marketing products in the health and wellness sector. BayMedica is planning additional rare cannabinoid launches for the coming year.

Pursuant to the indicative terms of the LOI, InMed and BayMedica intend to negotiate and enter into a definitive agreement under which InMed would acquire 100% of BayMedica in exchange for 1.6 million InMed common shares to be issued to BayMedica’s equity and convertible debt holders, with any such issued InMed common shares being subject to a six-month contractual hold period.

Market Outlook

There is a rapidly growing demand for rare cannabinoids. However, their low natural concentration makes traditional harvesting of these compounds cost prohibitive. Biosynthesis allows production of rare cannabinoids in the lab that are bioidentical to compounds found in nature, with significantly higher yields which reduce costs. Biosynthesis can produce pharmaceutical-grade, bioidentical, THC-free compounds at a cost that’s 70 to 90 percent less than wholesale prices of naturally harvested rare cannabinoids.

Cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals are expected to overtake the market as rare cannabinoids become less expensive and more available. According to Statista, the value of the consumer market for cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals in the United States is forecast to grow to $25 billion by 2025 and to $50 billion by 2029, with cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals used to treat health conditions including pain, respiratory conditions, autoimmune conditions and more.

Management Team

Eric A. Adams has been CEO and president of InMed since June 2016. He has more than 25 years of experience in establishing corporate entities, capital formation, global market development, mergers and acquisitions, licensing and corporate governance. He previously served as CEO at enGene Inc. Prior to enGene, he held senior positions in global market development with QLT Inc. (Vancouver), Advanced Tissue Sciences Inc. (La Jolla, CA), Abbott Laboratories (Chicago, IL) and Fresenius AG (Germany).

Bruce S. Colwill is InMed’s CFO. He has more than 25 years of financial leadership experience in public and private companies. Prior to InMed, he served as CFO of General Fusion Inc., a private clean energy company. He was also CFO at Entrée Resources Inc., a mineral exploration company, from 2011 to 2016. He has held CFO roles at Neuromed Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Response Biomedical Corp, Forbes Medi-Tech Inc. and Euronet Worldwide Inc.

Alexandra D.J. Mancini is Senior Vice President, Clinical and Regulatory Affairs at InMed. She has more than 30 years of global biopharmaceutical research and development experience. She has been an executive with numerous biotech companies, including senior vice president of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs at Sirius Genomics; senior vice president of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs at INEX Pharmaceuticals; and vice president of Regulatory Affairs at QLT Inc.

Eric C. Hsu is Senior Vice President, Pre-Clinical Research and Development at InMed. He joined InMed with more than 18 years of scientific leadership experience in the field of gene therapy. He has held various positions within enGene Inc., including vice president of Research and vice president of Scientific Affairs and Operations. He received his Doctorate from the Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto.

Michael Woudenberg is Vice President, Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls at InMed. He has more than 20 years of successful drug development, process engineering, GMP manufacturing and leadership experience. He has held positions with 3M, Cardiome Pharma, Arbutus Biopharma and, most recently, was Managing Director of Phyton Biotech LLC.

Investment Considerations

• InMed has a world class leadership team with a successful track record of drug development and commercialization.
• The company recently announced closing of a $12 million private placement.
• InMed has a solid and expanding intellectual property portfolio with multiple patents filed.
• The company recently signed an LOI to acquire rare cannabinoids manufacturer BayMedica.
• InMed retains all commercial rights to its IntegraSyn manufacturing system.
• InMed has filed clinical trial applications in several countries as part of a Phase 2 clinical trial of INM-755 (cannabinol) cream in epidermolysis bullosa.
• The consumer market for cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals in the United States is forecast to grow to $25 billion by 2025 and to $50 billion by 2029.

Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI)

Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI), based in Las Vegas, Nevada, is an established gaming technology company that develops and owns online gaming IP and builds turnkey online casino solutions for gaming operators as well as configurable and scalable white-label gaming platforms for international customers, located primarily in the Asia-Pacific region. GMGI’s gaming IP includes tools for marketing, acquisition, retention and monetization of users. The company’s platform can be accessed through both desktop and mobile applications.

GMGI’s sophisticated software automatically declines any gaming or redemption requests from within the United States, in strict compliance with U.S. law.

Golden Matrix, through a subsidiary, also runs a pay-to-enter prize competition in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The company’s shares began trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol ‘GMGI’ on March 17, 2022. Golden Matrix shares were previously traded on the OTCQX Best Market.

For the quarter ended January 31, 2022, the company reported revenue of $8.88 million, an increase of 355% over the same quarter one year earlier. Net income for the three-month period was $349,379, up from $52,158 a year earlier. It was the company’s 14th consecutive profitable quarter.

In December 2021, Golden Matrix announced it had entered into a purchase agreement to acquire a controlling ownership interest in UK-based RKingsCompetitions Ltd., one of Ireland’s and the United Kingdom’s leading independent online competition companies. RKings presents customers with paid and free entry routes to competitions that offer a range of prizes, including residential properties, luxury and exotic motor vehicles, holiday packages, technology packages and cash. The competitions are currently open only to residents of Ireland and the United Kingdom. Golden Matrix acquired an 80% ownership interest in RKings for cash and stock. The company also secured an option to purchase the remaining 20 percent interest of RKings, subject to certain requirements.

In March 2022, Golden Matrix announced it had applied for a Mexican gaming permit and, once approved, expects to offer online gaming in Mexico as well as roll out the RKings tournament business globally.

Technology

Golden Matrix Group develops fully operational online casino turnkey solutions as well as highly modular, configurable and scalable gaming platforms for its international customers in an effort to promote user acquisition, engagement, retention and monetization. The provided white label gaming platform is unparalleled in both mobile and desktop website deployment, proving compatible throughout all major operating systems and web browsers. In addition, the platform enhances the client’s ability to cater to various gaming scenarios including but not limited to transaction management and a range of loyalty and reward programs. Moreover, user engagement is optimized through the ability to accommodate both free and paid games.

The company’s GM-X System (and recently its next generation GM-Ag System) is considered the industry standard, granting access to over 10,000 games from more than 25 game providers. Through the GM-X System, Golden Matrix offers the industry’s most extensive game portfolio. The company’s gaming partners dominate the global online gaming market to deliver innovative games and premium brand titles. The GM-X System offers payment gateways that integrate with third party platforms or digital wallets. It supports all major currencies and offers multiple language options. The system’s data analytics provide the operator with a 360-degree view of the gaming platform’s performance.

GMGI currently supports over 500 unique casino brands and over 6 million players.

Market Outlook

Online gaming and sports betting sites and apps are increasingly taking market share from traditional location-based casinos. Widespread internet service availability and increasing use of mobile phones for playing online games from homes and public places is driving the market, according to a report from Grand View Research. In addition, factors such as easy access to online gambling, legalization and cultural approval, corporate sponsorships, and celebrity endorsements are also contributing to market growth. The growing availability of cost-effective mobile applications across the globe is further expected to fuel market growth.

This trend is only expected to accelerate as millennials reach their peak earning years and Gen Z youth begin to complete their education and move into careers. These generations are completely comfortable with online recreation, and with using technology like digital wallets and digital gameplay that underpins online gaming.

The global online gambling market was valued at $53.7 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.5% from 2020 to 2027 to reach a value of $127.3 billion, according to Grand View Research, with much of the growth expected from the U.S. and Asia. Even Europe, the most mature gaming market, is expected to grow at a rate of 20-25% year-over-year.

Management Team

Brian Goodman is CEO of Golden Matrix Group. He has more than 20 years of diverse senior management experience and business development roles within the technology and internet gaming industries. He has a tertiary science qualification as well as a marketing and sales background. His previous roles have been entrepreneurial and include CEO and senior management positions in smaller organizations, which he founded or in which he held equity, as well as multinational organizations.

Cathy Feng is COO at Golden Matrix. She is a co-founder of GMGI and holds a Master of Commerce degree. She has 10 years of experience as a financial officer in the technology and internet gaming industries. In past management positions, she interpreted, analyzed and presented financial and operation information to facilitate business decisions, grow companies and resolve complex problems. In addition, she has skills in marketing, business development, leadership and strategic planning.

Omar Jimenez is CFO and Chief Compliance Officer at GMGI. Prior to joining the company, he was CFO and COO of Alfadan Inc., a supplier of marine outboard engines. He has held senior financial management and operational positions at public and private companies including NextPlay Technologies, American Leisure Holdings, US Installation Group and Onyx Group. He holds various accounting professional certifications, including CPA and CPCU, and degrees in finance, accounting and business.

Henry Zhang is Chief Technology Officer at Golden Matrix. He oversees all aspects of development, integration and deployment of GMGI’s technology systems. He plays a key role in evolving GMGI’s technology business to lead and shape the industry. He is responsible for developing and scaling new businesses, including online gaming, eSport and P2P Systems. He was instrumental in launching the GM-X system and has been with the company for more than six years.

Investment Considerations

• Golden Matrix’s common stock began trading on the Nasdaq on March 17, 2022.
• The company achieved record revenues of $8.88 million in the quarter ended January 31, 2022, marking a year-over-year increase of 355%.
• Golden Matrix reported net income for the quarter ended January 31, 2022, of $349,379, versus $52,158 one year earlier.
• Golden Matrix has delivered exceptional growth over the years, with 14 consecutive profitable and cash flow positive quarters.
• Golden Matrix has a solid balance sheet and intends to make accretive and synergistic acquisitions in the coming months, with all targeted acquisitions to be profitable and cash positive.
• Golden Matrix in March 2022 announced it has applied for a gaming permit in Mexico and expects to offer iGaming and launch the RKings tournament platform there.
• GMGI currently supports over 500 unique casino brands and over 6 million players.

HeartBeam Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAT)

HeartBeam Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAT) is a cardiac technology company that has developed the first and only 3D-vector 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) platform for heart attack detection anytime, anywhere. The company’s proprietary ECG telehealth technology aims to redefine the way high risk cardiovascular patients are diagnosed in ambulatory and acute care settings. HeartBeam’s initial focus is on providing diagnostic data to help physicians with care management of patients with cardiovascular disease.

In August 2022, HeartBeam announced that it submitted its HeartBeam AIMI™ software for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). HeartBeam AIMI is a platform technology to improve the speed and accuracy of heart attack detection in acute care settings. The company expects FDA approval by the end of 2022, and a full commercial roll-out of HeartBeam AIMI is targeted for Q1 2023.

HeartBeam sees submission of its first product based on its platform technology as an important milestone toward commercialization, which underscores the company’s continued progress toward making the HeartBeam AIMI platform widely available to help emergency department physicians quickly and accurately identify a heart attack.

While the FDA conducts its regulatory review, HeartBeam will focus on executing key components of its commercialization plan and subscription revenue model. It will also continue to engage in discussions with strategic institutions, including academic centers, regional healthcare systems and regional community hospital systems that can utilize HeartBeam products.

The company is based in Santa Clara, California.

Products

HeartBeam’s development portfolio includes two products:

• HeartBeam AIMI is software that provides a 3D comparison of baseline and symptomatic 12-lead ECG to more accurately identify a heart attack in acute care settings and, as noted above, has been submitted for FDA approval; and
• HeartBeam AIMIGo™, the first and only credit card-sized 12-lead output ECG device coupled with a smartphone app and cloud-based diagnostic software system for remote heart attack detection.

HeartBeam is developing AIMIGo, a medical-grade detection and monitoring technology for use in remote heart attack detection, thereby allowing physicians to diagnose a patient’s heart attack as it occurs, even if the patient is not at a medical facility. The company’s system, once approved by the FDA, can be used by patients at home or almost anywhere and anytime to help their physicians assess whether chest pain is the result of a heart attack or another cause. While approximately 82% of chest pain ED visits are unnecessary, patients delay approximately 3 to 4 hours after symptoms begin, increasing mortality rates by 40%. The company’s goal is to shorten the time to treatment outside of the medical facility to improve patients’ well-being.

HeartBeam’s AIMIGo is a powerful, portable and easy-to-use prescription-based product. It comprises a smartphone app, a credit card-sized ECG device placed on a patient’s chest, the HeartBeam cloud platform, and a digital portal for the physician to view ECG results and direct patient action. For the first time outside of a medical setting, HeartBeam AIMIGo enables patients and their clinicians to determine if symptoms are due to a heart attack, quickly and easily, so care can be expedited, if needed.

Pending FDA clearance, AIMIGo is initially intended to be available by prescription, and is reimbursable under existing remote patient monitoring codes (RPM codes). This provides a new revenue stream to physicians who before did not have a way to monitor these high-risk patients. The RPM codes provide a monthly reoccurring revenue stream to the company, as well. On average, at current reimbursement rates, the practice will receive $1,300+ per year per patient they monitor, and the company will receive $600 per year per patient from this RPM reimbursement.

Market Overview

Adoption rates of telehealth services increased dramatically in recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic serving as a major driver of growth. Among the areas seeing the greatest expansion are cardiology, radiology, behavioral health and online consultation.

Encouraging this growth, governments are actively developing new policies and reimbursement guidelines to promote the use of digital health platforms. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), for example, has recently expanded reimbursement for telehealth services. U.S. market growth is also being driven by the rising prevalence of chronic conditions and the growing geriatric population.

Remote heart attack detection is a previously unsolved problem with a massive and underserved market that is several times larger than the $2 billion total addressable market (TAM) in the U.S. for ECG cardiac arrhythmia monitoring.

Approximately 8 million Americans have suffered at least one heart attack, and a total of 18 million have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD). Based on these figures, HeartBeam projects a total addressable U.S. market TAM valued at $10 billion annually for its AIMIGo solution for remote heart attack monitoring of CAD.

Management Team

Branislav Vajdic, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Founder of HeartBeam, Inc, combines over 30 years of experience in technology development and senior management positions. Dr. Vajdic has been deeply involved with the development of HeartBeam’s technology to fit his vision for the company. Prior to HeartBeam, from 2007 to 2010, Dr. Vajdic was CEO and Founder of NewCardio, a publicly traded company in the cardiovascular devices space. From 1984 to 2007, Dr. Vajdic was at Intel, where he held various senior management position. At Intel, Dr. Vajdic was the designer of first Flash memory and two key inventions that enabled Flash as a product and led engineering groups responsible for Pentium 1 through Pentium 4 designs. Dr. Vajdic was awarded two Intel Achievement Awards, the highest level of award for outstanding contributions to Intel. Dr. Vajdic is author of numerous patents and publications in the fields of cardiovascular devices, as well as chip design. Dr. Vajdic holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.

Jon Hunt, Ph.D., has over 35 years’ experience in the medical/medical device industry with extensive domestic and international experience in general management, clinical/regulatory, sales and marketing. He also has diverse experience in Fortune 500 companies, as well as start-up environments. Dr. Hunt was the Vice President of Clinical Science and Technology, Medical Device Innovation Consortium, from July 2019 to July 2021, and Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs, Cryterion Medical from January 2018 to June 2019 (acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation in July 2018 for $202M). Dr. Hunt was the Founding President and CEO of Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. from October 2013 to November 2017 (acquired by Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.). Prior to joining Bardy Diagnostics, Dr. Hunt spent the previous 11 years as the Vice President of Clinical & Regulatory Affairs with Cameron Health, Inc. (acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation). Dr. Hunt spent the previous 10 years with Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc., St. Jude Medical and Cardiac Pathways Corporation. Dr. Hunt began his career with Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc. (now Boston Scientific Corporation) as the Director of Clinical Programs. He subsequently held positions at St. Jude Medical in Clinical Affairs and as the Business Unit Director for the Cardiac Rhythm Management division for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. At Cardiac Pathways Corporation, Dr. Hunt held various executive positions as Vice President of International Sales and Marketing and Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing (acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation). Dr. Hunt received his Ph.D. in Motor Control from The Pennsylvania State University, his Master’s from California State University, Long Beach and his undergraduate degree from Keele University in the United Kingdom.

Rick Brounstein, HeartBeam’s Chief Financial Officer, combines over 30 years of experience in health technology senior management. Since 2017, Mr. Brounstein has been and is currently a partner of Hardesty, LLC, a financial services firm, and Mr. Brounstein is currently a managing director of CTRLCFO, LLC, a firm Mr. Brounstein founded in 2016 to support funded start-ups in life science and technology. From 2008 to 2011, Mr. Brounstein was Chief Financial Officer of NewCardio, Inc., a microcap public company in the cardiology space, and, over his career, he has been with nine other companies in life science or technology, holding positions including Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Treasurer and Accounting Manager. From June 2001 through November 2007, Mr. Brounstein held several positions at Calypte Biomedical Corporation, a publicly traded medical device company, including Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President. In January 2007, Mr. Brounstein was appointed as the National Member Representative for the 2007 COSO Monitoring Project, which published new guidelines for monitoring internal financial controls in February 2009; Mr. Brounstein subsequently was a member of the FEI task force that issued the updated COSO Internal Control Framework in 2013. In March 2005, Mr. Brounstein was appointed to the SEC Advisory Committee on Smaller Public Companies. Mr. Brounstein earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification while working at Arthur Andersen LLP, formerly a public accounting firm. Mr. Brounstein holds a B.A. in accounting and an M.B.A. in finance, both from Michigan State University.

Ken Persen, HeartBeam’s Chief Technology Officer, combines over 28 years of experience in the medical device and digital health industries in engineering and senior management positions. Mr. Persen has been involved in several companies in Cardiac Rhythm Management, holding positions including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Executive Vice President and Director of Engineering. Since 2016 and prior to joining HeartBeam, Mr. Persen was the Chief Technology Officer at LIVMOR, Inc., a digital health company. In addition, from 2016 through November 2021, he was also Chief Executive Officer of LIVMOR. Prior roles included Director of Engineering at Cameron Health (acquired by Boston Scientific), a late-stage medical device start up, and engineering and management positions at Guidant Corp. (acquired by Boston Scientific), a large medical device manufacturer. He has an undergraduate degree from University of Minnesota, Duluth, with a BA in Computer Science.

Freight Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: FRGT)

Freight Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: FRGT) (“Fr8Tech”) is a technology company developing solutions to optimize and automate the supply chain process, providing a platform for B2B cross-border shipping in the NAFTA region. The company’s mission is to revolutionize cross-border shipping by providing carriers with increased growth opportunities and shippers with flexibility, visibility and simplicity for the once-complex process of international over-the-road shipping.

Freight Technologies, formerly known as Hudson Capital Inc., assumed its current name and ticker symbol on May 27, 2022. Its primary operating subsidiary and its marketplace are known as Fr8App, and it conducts operations throughout North America under the names of Fr8App and/or Freight App. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas, with multiple locations across the U.S. and Mexico.

The Fr8Tech Solutions Suite

Fr8Tech leverages artificial intelligence to provide cloud-based platforms aimed at automating the over-the-road transportation process, effectively reducing human touch points and expediting load booking times. The company’s suite of solutions includes:

• Fr8app – A B2B marketplace powered by AI and Machine Learning offering a real-time broker portal to connect shippers with qualified carriers
• Fr8Radar – A tracking solution providing shippers and carriers real-time locational data via Fr8app’s mobile solution or through integration with third-party GPS alternatives
• Fr8TMS – A transportation management system designed to help shippers manage their freight and all of the documents involved in shipping transactions, including invoices, customs documents, confirmation rates and proof of deliveries
• Fr8FMS – A fleet management system allowing transportation companies to better manage their fleets, reduce operational costs and provide better service to their customers
• Fr8Data – A data solution offering real-time dashboards and reports to shippers and carriers in an effort to increase visibility and control while supporting better business decisions
• Fr8Fleet – A platform that provides private fleet management, enabling large corporate shippers to purchase dedicated capacity secured by Fr8app in exchange for a fixed fee

Commitment to the Environment

Through its core focus on technology, Fr8Tech seeks to reduce the carbon footprint of the logistics industry. Its solutions aim to minimize empty miles for transportation firms and reduce overall paper consumption.

Fr8University

Fr8University is an educational program offering classroom and on-the-job training for Fr8Tech team members. Through the program, employees learn in-depth business fundamentals and applications along the truckload freight industry value chain.

Led by corporate educator Mario Mena, Fr8University is designed as an investment in the company’s human capital, providing an opportunity to communicate Fr8Tech’s corporate culture while accelerating operational growth.

Market Outlook

Fr8Tech’s established foothold in Mexico is key to its current efforts to promote sustainable growth in the cross-border shipping industry. Ongoing disruption in U.S.-Chinese trade relations have strengthened Mexico’s status as the largest trading partner of the U.S., with cross-border annual freight spending estimated at $385 billion according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Annual domestic shipping in Mexico is estimated at $34 billion, while annual domestic shipping in the U.S. is estimated to total $732 billion.

Despite the size of this industry, fragmentation and inefficiencies prevail in the space. Thousands of legacy brokers, tens of thousands of shippers and hundreds of thousands of carriers still rely on outdated systems to arrange transport, spending hours on the phone negotiating pricing, waiting days to find trucks and drivers, preparing and printing forms, and operating without tracking or visibility. Add in cross-border complexity relating to customs and additional paperwork, and you have an industry ripe for technological disruption.

Fr8Tech’s recent revenue growth trends have highlighted the company’s efforts to capitalize on this opportunity. In 2021, Fr8Tech achieved revenues of $21.5 million, marking a year-over-year increase of 134%. The company issued revenue guidance for fiscal 2022 of $40 million in a February 9, 2022, press release, which would account for a further 86% year-over-year increase.

Management Team

Javier Selgas is CEO and a Director of Freight Technologies Inc. and Freight App Inc. He brings to the company over 15 years of experience developing technology and digital marketing strategies, including serving as Country Manager for Osigu, Spain, and as head of AJEgroup’s IT division for the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to joining Fr8Tech, Mr. Selgas founded digital marketing agency Lanzadera Online. He has also served as an IT consultant to major corporations, including Endesa and Ibermatica.

Mike Flinker is President of Fr8Tech. He has over four decades of experience in the transportation industry, with 30+ years focused on cross-border logistics. Prior to joining Fr8Tech, Mr. Flinker founded FLS Transportation, the largest cross-border logistics company in Canada. He also previously held positions with Clarke Transport Inc., Canadian Pacific and Reimer Express Inc. (a division of Roadway Express).

Paul Freudenthaler is the company’s CFO and Secretary to the company Board. He has over 30 years of financial expertise, having previously served as CFO for several leading companies across multiple countries, including Macquarie in Mexico, Old Mutual in Latin America and Ascentium Capital in the U.S. Mr. Freudenthaler’s experience include leadership roles from which he guided IPOs and M&A transactions.

Luisa Lopez is COO of Fr8Tech. She brings to the company 25+ years of management experience in logistics, supply chain, operations and customer service. Ms. Lopez previously served as a Director of Landstar, where she was responsible for commercial and client development strategies in the Mexican market. Additionally, she managed more than 2,000 transport units specialized in staff and school mobility while with Traxion in Mexico.

Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR)

Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR), based in Lakewood, Colorado, is the country’s largest producer of uranium and the leading conventional producer of vanadium, both designated by the U.S. government as critical minerals. Energy Fuels is also making progress entering the rare earth element production business.

As the leading U.S. diversified uranium miner, Energy Fuels’ uranium production portfolio stands apart in the world. Energy Fuels has more uranium production facilities, more production capacity, and more in-ground resources than any other company in the United States. In fact, the company’s assets have produced over one-third of all U.S. uranium over the past 15 years and is uniquely positioned to increase production to meet new demand.

Energy Fuels utilizes both conventional and in-situ recovery (“ISR”) technology to produce uranium from three strategic facilities:

• White Mesa Mill in Utah (conventional) has a licensed capacity of over 8 million pounds of U3O8 per year. The highly strategic White Mesa Mill is the only conventional uranium mill in the country and is proximate to some of the largest and highest-grade uranium mines and projects in the U.S., including the Company’s Canyon mine, La Sal Complex, Henry Mountains Complex and Roca Honda Project. White Mesa Mill provides Energy Fuels with significant production scalability as uranium demand increases. The White Mesa Mill also has other diverse businesses, including vanadium, rare earth elements (REE’s), alternate feed materials recycling and land cleanup, all described below.
• Nichols Ranch Plant (ISR) is located in the productive Powder River Basin district of Wyoming and has a total licensed capacity of 2 million pounds of U3O8 per year. Nichols Ranch has produced 1.2 million pounds of U3O8 since commissioning in 2014, and it has significant future expansion potential from 34 fully licensed wellfields containing significant in-ground uranium resources.
• Alta Mesa Plant (ISR) is located on over 200,000 acres of private land in Texas. The fully licensed and constructed ISR project has a total operating capacity of 1.5 million pounds of uranium per year and produced nearly 5 million pounds of U3O8 between 2005 and 2013. This low-cost production facility is currently on standby, maintained in a state of readiness to respond to expected increases in demand.

In addition to being the largest uranium miner in the U.S., Energy Fuels’ overall portfolio also includes a pipeline of high-quality, large-scale exploration and development projects that are permitted or are in advanced stages of permitting, as well as an industry-leading U.S. NI 43-101 Mineral Resource portfolio.

FACTOID: Energy Fuels has led industry efforts over the past two-plus years to get the U.S. government to recognize the importance of domestically produced uranium, including the 2018 – 2019 Uranium Section 232, the ongoing Nuclear Fuel Working Group and the recently announced creation of the U.S. strategic uranium reserve. The U.S. is by far the largest consumer of uranium in the world, yet we import almost all of our requirements; Energy Fuels aims to change that.

Nuclear Market Potential

Multiple studies in top scientific journals have shown that nuclear power is cleanest and most economical way to produce reliable electricity as worldwide demand continues to soar. Nuclear power is presently the only available and affordable low-carbon power source that can meet both current and future baseload electricity demands while simultaneously reducing air pollution and mitigating climate change. U.S. nuclear power plants currently generate nearly 20% of the nation’s electricity overall and 55% of its carbon‐free electricity and even a modest increase in electricity demand would require significant new nuclear capacity by 2025. According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), there are currently 441 operable reactors, with another 54 units under construction and 439 in various stages of planning; in addition, the WNA has identified a potentially massive supply/demand gap through 2040 of 1 billion pounds. These factors among others are expected to significantly drive increased demand for uranium.

Reasons Nuclear is Gaining Traction

• Nuclear reactors emit no greenhouse gases during operation. Over their full lifetimes, they result in comparable emissions to renewable forms of energy such as wind and solar.
• Unlike any other form of energy, the waste from nuclear energy is contained and managed securely. Used fuel is currently being safely stored for ultimate disposal or future reprocessing, and 96% of this waste can potentially be recycled.
• Greater demand for clean electricity to power everything from homes to automobiles, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

No. 1 U.S. Producer of Vanadium in 2019

Energy Fuels also produces vanadium as a byproduct of uranium production. Vanadium is designated a critical mineral, essential to the economic and national security of the United States. Energy Fuels was the largest producer of vanadium in the U.S. in 2019, and has significant high-grade, in-ground vanadium resources, as well as a separate high-purity vanadium production circuit at their White Mesa Mill, which is also the only conventional vanadium mill in the country. Crucial for use in the steel, aerospace, and chemical industries, vanadium plays a critical role in the production of high-strength and light-weight metallic alloys and demand is expected to increase across the globe.

Energy Fuels has several fully permitted and developed standby mines containing large quantities of high-grade vanadium, along with uranium, including:

• La Sal Complex (Utah)
• Whirlwind Mine (Colorado/Utah)
• Rim Mine (Colorado)

Vanadium has also gained increased attention as a catalyst in next-generation high-capacity, “community-scale” batteries used for energy storage generated from renewable sources. Demand is only expected to grow as this market expands. With recent upgrades in its vanadium production operations, in 2019 Energy Fuels produced commercial levels of the highest purity (99.7%) vanadium in the mill’s history and can rapidly adjust production to meet volatile market conditions. Energy Fuels is one of the very few known avenues that provides investors access the vanadium market.

Rare Earth Element (REE) Production, Alternate Feed Material Recycling, and Land Cleanup

The White Mesa Mill also provides the company with diverse cashflow generating opportunities. Security of supply for Rare Earth Elements (REEs) supporting U.S. military and defense requirements is a major issue today. Energy Fuels has been approached by a number of entities, including the U.S. government, inquiring about the potential to process certain REEs at the mill. The White Mesa Mill is currently licensed to process certain REEs, including tantalum and niobium. And, early indications are that the mill can be utilized to produce several other REEs. The White Mesa Mill is also the only facility in North America licensed and capable of recycling alternate feed materials (AFMs). AFMs are essentially low-level waste materials that contain recoverable quantities of natural (or unenriched) uranium. The Company typically generates between $5 and $15 million per year from AFM recycling. Finally, Energy Fuels is seeking to become involved in the cleanup of legacy Cold War era uranium mines in the Four Corners region of the U.S., including on the Navajo Nation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has access to over $1.5 billion for the cleanup of just a fraction of the sites on the Navajo Nation. The White Mesa Mill is fully licensed to receive much of this material, we are one of the government’s lowest cost options, and we have the ability to recycle the material and produce usable uranium from it.

Management Team

Mark S. Chalmers, President and CEO
Mark S. Chalmers is the president and chief executive officer of Energy Fuels, a position he has held since Feb. 1, 2018, following his role as chief operating officer of Energy Fuels from July 1, 2016 – Jan. 31, 2018. From 2011 to 2015, Chalmers served as executive general manager of Production for Paladin Energy Ltd., a uranium producer with assets in Australia and Africa, including the Langer Heinrich and Kayelekera mines where, as head of operations, he oversaw sustained, significant increases in production while reducing operating costs. He also possesses extensive experience in in situ recovery (“ISR”) uranium production, including management of the Beverley Uranium Mine owned by General Atomics (Australia), and the Highland mine owned by Cameco Corporation (USA). Chalmers has also consulted to several of the largest players in the uranium supply sector, including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, and Marubeni, and until recently served as the chair of the Australian Uranium Council, a position he held for 10 years. Chalmers is a registered professional engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering from the University of Arizona.

W. Paul Goranson, COO
W. Paul Goranson is the chief operating officer for Energy Fuels. Goranson has 30 years of mining, processing and regulatory experience in the uranium extraction industry that includes both conventional and in-situ recovery (“ISR”) mining, and he is a registered professional engineer. Prior to the acquisition by Energy Fuels of Uranerz Energy Corporation, Goranson served as president, chief operating officer and director for Uranerz, where he was responsible for operations of the Nichols Ranch ISR Uranium Project. In addition to those duties, he also managed uranium marketing, regulatory and government affairs, exploration and land. Prior to joining Uranerz, Goranson served as president of Cameco Resources, where he led the operations at the Smith Ranch-Highland, Crow Butte and North Butte ISR uranium recovery facilities. Goranson also served as vice president of Mesteña Uranium LLC, and he has served in senior positions with Rio Algom Mining, (a subsidiary of BHP Billiton), and Uranium Resource Inc. Goranson has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Gas Engineering from Texas A&I University, and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

David C. Frydenlund, CFO, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary
David C. Frydenlund is chief financial officer, general counsel, and corporate secretary of Energy Fuels. His responsibilities include oversight of all legal matters relating to the company’s activities. His expertise extends to NRC, EPA, state and federal regulatory and environmental laws and regulations. From 1997 to 2012, Frydenlund was vice president of regulatory affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary of Denison Mines Corp., and its predecessor International Uranium Corporation (“IUC”). He also served as a director of IUC from 1997 to 2006 and CFO of IUC from 2000 to 2005. From 1996 to 1997, Frydenlund was vice president of the Lundin Group of international public mining and oil and gas companies, and prior thereto was a partner with the Vancouver law firm of Ladner Downs (now Borden Ladner Gervais) where his practice focused on corporate, securities and international mining transactions law. Frydenlund holds a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Simon Fraser University, a master’s degree in economics and finance from the University of Chicago and a law degree from the University of Toronto.

Curtis H. Moore, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Development
Curtis H. Moore is the vice president of Marketing and Corporate Development for Energy Fuels. He oversees product marketing for Energy Fuels, and is closely involved in mergers & acquisitions, investor relations, public relations, and corporate legal. He has been with Energy Fuels for over 12 years, holding various roles of increasing responsibility. Prior to joining Energy Fuels, Moore worked in multi-family real estate development, government relations and public affairs, production homebuilding, and private law practice. Moore is a licensed attorney in the State of Colorado. He holds Juris Doctor and MBA degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Bachelor of Arts dual degree in Economics-Government from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California.

Investment Considerations

• Largest producer of uranium in the United States (2017-2019); assets accounted for over one-third of nation’s supply since 2006
• Leading U.S. vanadium producer in 2019 with flexibility to respond to evolving markets
• Diverse business opportunities, including alternate feed materials recycling, land cleanup and rare earths, which all have significant potential to drive significant cash flow
• Positioned to benefit from Trump Administration’s pursuit of $1.5B over 10 years to purchase uranium from U.S. miners, along with other U.S. government support of domestic production
• Strong cash, working capital and inventory positions
• Proven track-record of sustained U.S. market leadership

Additional Resources

• Company Website
• Corporate Media Kit
• NewsRoom

Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX.V: ELO) (OTCQX: ELRRF)

Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX.V: ELO) (OTCQX: ELRRF) is a publicly traded exploration and mine development company with a portfolio of gold and base-metal properties in Bolivia, Peru and Quebec.

The company has an option to acquire a 99% interest in the highly prospective Iska Iska Property, classified as a silver-tin polymetallic epithermal-porphyry complex, a significant mineral deposit type in the Potosi Department of southern Bolivia. Iska Iska is a road-accessible, royalty-free property.

Eloro also owns an 82% interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project, located in the North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru, some 50 kilometers south of Barrick’s Lagunas Norte Gold Mine and Pan American Silver’s La Arena Gold Mine. La Victoria consists of eight mining concessions and eight mining claims encompassing approximately 89 square kilometers. La Victoria has good infrastructure, with access to road, water and electricity, and is located at an altitude that ranges from 3,150 meters to 4,400 meters above sea level.

The company has a strong management and technical team working diligently to uncover the value of both Iska Iska and La Victoria. Eloro is based in Toronto, Canada.

Projects

Iska Iska – Potosi, Bolivia

Iska Iska is associated with a Miocene possibly collapsed/resurgent caldera, emplaced on Ordovician age rocks with major breccia pipes, dacitic domes and hydrothermal breccias. The property is wholly controlled by the title holder, Empresa Minera Villegas S.R.L. It is located 48 kilometers north of Tupiza city, in the Sud Chichas Province of the Department of Potosi. This is an important mineral deposit type in the prolific South Mineral Belt of Bolivia. Eloro commissioned a NI 43-101 Technical Report on Iska Iska, which was completed by Micon International Limited and is available on Eloro’s website and under its filings on SEDAR.

A fully financed drill program is currently underway on the property, situated near world-class deposits including Silver Sand, San Bartolomé, Pulacayo, San Cristobal, San Vicente, Chorolque, Tasna, Choroma and Siete Suyos. Iska Iska is in the southwest part of the Eastern Cordillera, which hosts a number of major polymetallic mines and mineral deposits. Drilling and continuous channel sampling results have demonstrated some very high metal values, especially silver and tin, within an immense system, where mineralization has been encountered in every drill hole to date. The company believes there is excellent potential for world-class bulk mineable deposits.

La Victoria – Ancash, Peru

The La Victoria project, targeting gold and silver production, is situated near world-class, low-cost gold producers Pan American Silver and Barrick Gold Corporation. Located in Ancash Department, La Victoria sits on the western slopes of the Peruvian Andes. The property is located 12 hours from Lima, with a travel distance of 600 kilometers. The nearest road accessible population centers from La Victoria are Huandoval, Pallasca and Cabana. The project includes four principal mineralized zones in Peru’s prolific North-Central Mineral Belt – San Markito, Victoria, Victoria South and Ccori Orcco – with excellent potential for gold discovery. Operations at La Victoria are planned to proceed with a 2,000-meter diamond drilling program to test targets to outline potential resources at San Markito. Trenching and sampling confirmed high silver values and veins at San Markito in 2020.

Market Outlook

According to industry association The Silver Institute, the outlook for silver demand is exceptionally promising, with global demand forecast to rise to a record high of 1.112 billion ounces in 2022. The increase will be driven by record silver industrial fabrication, which is forecast to improve by 5%, as silver’s use expands primarily in solar energy and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing. The institute states that government commitments to carbon neutrality have resulted in a rapid expansion of green energy projects, driving record photovoltaic panel installations which are expected to lift silver demand in this segment to an all-time high in 2022.

Rising demand in the electronics industry is also boosting the demand for tin, which is primarily used in solder. The electronics and electrical industries use solders containing 40-70% tin, which provide strong and reliable joints under a variety of environmental conditions. At present, the majority of the assemblers are using patented tin-and-copper-based solders. Mordor Intelligence estimated tin demand at 387 kilotons in 2021 and forecasts demand growth of 2.5% annually through 2027. Over the medium term, surging demand from the EV market and increasing applications in the electrical and electronics industry is expected to drive the market.

Management Team

Thomas G. Larsen is CEO of Eloro. He has more than 40 years of experience in the investment industry, specializing in corporate finance and management of junior resource companies, raising in excess of C$200 million. He previously held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of Champion Iron Limited. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Champion Iron Mines Limited.

Dr. Bill Pearson is Executive VP of Exploration for Eloro. He has more than 40 years of direct experience in the exploration and production of minerals worldwide. He played an integral role in the acquisitions of Desert Sun Mining Corp. by Yamana Gold in 2006 and Central Sun Mining by B2 Gold in 2009. He was formerly VP Exploration at Desert Sun Mining and Senior VP at Central Sun Mining.

Miles Nagamatsu, CPA, is CFO at Eloro. He has over 30 years of experience in accounting, management, lending, restructurings and turnarounds. Since 1993, he has acted as a CFO of public and private companies primarily in the mineral exploration and investment management sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University.

Osvaldo Arce Burgoa is General Manager at Eloro. He is a geological and mineral processing engineer with 26 years of experience in Bolivia. He is a former President of the Bolivian Geological Society, Main Technical Advisor of the National Mining Corporation (COMIBOL) and has served as exploration manager and chief geologist at various mining and exploration companies. He has authored two books on Bolivian geology and holds a doctorate in mining engineering from Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan.

Investment Considerations

• As of September 7, 2022, the company had a market capitalization of C$235 million.
• In the period ending June 30, 2022, Eloro reported C$14.4 million in cash on hand.
• The company’s stock is covered by analysts from Cantor Fitzgerald and Haywood Securities.
• Eloro has raised more than C$40 million in multiple financing deals.
• Eloro’s strong management and technical team is working diligently to uncover the immense value of the Iska Iska and La Victoria projects, both of which are located in mining-friendly jurisdictions.

Additional Resources

• Company Website
• Iska Iska Presentation
• La Victoria Presentation
• NewsRoom

Correlate Infrastructure Partners Inc. (OTCQB: CIPI)

Correlate Infrastructure Partners Inc. (OTCQB: CIPI), formerly Triccar Inc., through its two subsidiaries, Correlate and Solar Site Design, offers a complete suite of proprietary clean energy assessment and fulfilment solutions for the commercial real estate industry. The company believes scaling distributed clean energy solutions is critical in mitigating the effects of climate change. CIPI is at the forefront in creating an industry-leading energy solution and financing platform for the commercial and industrial sector. The company sees tremendous market opportunity in reducing site-specific energy consumption and deploying clean energy generation and energy efficiency solutions at scale.

The opportunity exists to remove friction between today’s legacy finance process and the needed clean-energy upgrades developed within the company’s program technologies. For the U.S. to reach its 2050 carbon goals, 200,000 commercial buildings must be retrofitted every year until that date. That represents approximately a 5-10x increase over the 2022 industry process run rate.

CIPI announced completion of its acquisition of 100% of the equity of Correlate Inc. and Loyal Enterprises LLC dba Solar Site Design on December 28, 2021. The company notes these acquisitions occurred at a key inflection point of its growth. CIPI currently enjoys channel and sales partnerships with Fortune 250 companies and a strong, proven industry network.

The company’s transparent, leading-edge model changes value delivery for both facility owners and proven solution providers seeking scale. CIPI believes its rapid growth is due to industry demand for actionable, cashflow positive energy programs and the underlying carbon reduction mandates taking effect globally.

The company has been aggressively moving to rebrand, with efforts including a revised website, investor presentation materials and an investor relations awareness campaign. Correlate recently applied for a Nasdaq uplisting and is currently executing on a $200 million project pipeline.

Subsidiaries

Correlate, founded in 2015, is a portfolio-scale development and finance platform offering commercial and industrial facilities access to clean electrification solutions focused on locally-sited solar, energy storage, EV infrastructure, and intelligent efficiency measures. Its unique data-driven approach is powered by proprietary analytics, concierge subscription services, and a highly scalable national fulfillment network to help building owners profit from fully funded, turnkey decarbonization and facility health programs. The platform is designed for commercial and industrial real estate owners seeking to significantly improve net operating income while meeting carbon reduction goals. The platform provides energy programs for commercial property portfolios and requires no upfront capital. Client organizations reduce their risk and generate more profits by leveraging Correlate’s unique payment programs to put more cash in the bank. Deploying Correlate’s strategic energy programs and energy management systems allows property-owning organizations to complete big energy changes across their portfolios.

Solar Site Design, founded in 2013, is a U.S. Department of Energy Sunshot Catalyst winner that provides customer acquisition and project development tools for the commercial solar industry. Its commercial marketplace platform connects highly qualified project opportunities to leading solar construction companies nationwide. The Solar Site Design platform gives commercial and industrial property owners access to the best price for a commercial solar system. Commercial solar analysts provide property owners a site assessment and working project proposal. Solar Site Design’s team of solar engineers finalize the design while approved financing providers help clients explore financing options for their projects. Then, approved contractors in Solar Site Design’s Marketplace bid on the projects, ensuring commercial and industrial property owners get the best estimates for their projects. Solar Site Design’s marketplace process promotes transparency and fair pricing. Its team of experts has nearly 20 years of experience in the solar industry. Only reputable, experienced, certified (NABCEP), licensed, bonded and insured contractors are accepted into the Solar Site Design Marketplace.

Market Outlook

CIPI is in a rapidly growing market with a unique offering to address a total market of more than 5.9 million commercial buildings in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Currently, the company’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Correlate and the Solar Site Design, have an opportunity pipeline of over $100 million in commercial projects with more than $20 million in awarded backlog. According to the Rocky Mountain Institute, portfolio energy optimization is a $290 billion market in the United States driving deep financial savings and energy efficiency across the commercial sector.

Commercial buildings consume more than 35% of the generated electricity in the U.S. and are underperforming in energy efficiency at every level. These buildings waste energy, emit too much carbon, and are too costly for owners and occupants, but retrofits are not happening at the rate or scale needed.

In today’s real estate market, portfolio property owners own most commercial buildings. Yet most building efficiency work is focused on single buildings, thereby missing the distinct needs of this owner class which has very different needs than traditional owner-occupiers. The diverse nature of commercial buildings, combined with technology and performance uncertainty, make simple energy optimization initiatives – which could greatly reduce energy use and improve building value – financially unattractive, resulting in slow adoption rates. CIPI’s financial instruments and software breakdown this issue known as the “split incentive”, unlocking the majority of the addressable market.

Management Team

CIPI has in place a nationally recognized management team that has been active in the energy market since 2005.

Todd Michaels is President and CEO of CIPI and founder of Correlate. He formerly served as Vice President for Innovation at SunEdison and Senior Director Distributed Solar at NRG Energy. He founded Correlate in 2015 and has 16 years of experience in the energy industry. He graduated from Indiana University with a B.S. in Computer Information Systems.

Channing Chen is CFO at CIPI and Correlate Inc. and brings over 16 years of experience in the solar industry as a developer, financier, and business unit leader. He has held executive management roles at Solar Power Partners (acquired by NRG Energy), where he was a founding employee, SunEdison, and NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG). Most recently, Mr. Chen was founder and Managing Partner at Breakaway Energy Partners LLC – a distributed energy financing and market-making platform. To date, Mr. Chen and his teams have raised over $1.5 billion in financing across residential, commercial, and utility scale solar and energy storage projects representing over 400 MWs. He holds a B.A. in Environmental Chemistry from the University of California at San Diego and an MBA from the University of Southern California. He is also an advisor and early-stage investor to several startup companies in the renewable energy space.

David Bailey is Chief Revenue Officer of Correlate Inc. With over 15 years of executive sales, supply chain management, and energy efficiency experience, he is responsible for ensuring the success of the National Commercial Sales Unit across multiple regional project teams. Mr. Bailey created and launched the Transformation Services team while at Wesco for its multibillion-dollar Distributed Energy Resource division, formerly Westinghouse. His focus was on IoT-enabled efficiency and plant floor automation-based services. Before that, he spent several years in Global Account Sales Management, with GE Supply as a Program Manager, and is a Commercial Leadership Program graduate. Mr. Bailey received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kentucky.

Jason Loyet is VP of Commercial Sales of Correlate Inc. He is a cleantech executive with over 20 years of experience leading high growth solar energy and software start-ups. Mr. Loyet is a U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Catalyst award winner for his work building the Solar Site Design technology platform. Before joining the solar energy industry in 2005, he founded and sold two software companies in the streaming media (GlobalStreams) and newspaper publishing (MyCapture) industries. Mr. Loyet currently serves as a Member of the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Solar Energy Industry Association (TenneSEIA).

Deke Welling is Head of Project Development and Fulfillment Services at Correlate Inc. He has over 19 years’ experience in the energy industry with an emphasis on renewables and energy efficiency over the past seven years. Prior to entering the renewables sector, Mr. Welling was the CEO of Welling Resources, an energy development company focused on the exploration of oil and natural gas reserves in the U.S. It was this experience that led him into the renewables sector and leading a charge for more sustainable resources. Additionally, Mr. Welling also served as the CEO of Circle L Solar Inc., a top 100 solar installer in the United States since 2016. Through his leadership, Circle L Solar experienced a growth rate of over 2,250% from 2016 to 2019, resulting in his company being listed on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S. (Rank #176) and being named ‘Top Energy Company’ and ‘Entrepreneur of Year for the Energy Industry’ by the American Business Awards® in 2019 and again for ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2021.

Kevin Warren is Head of Construction and Development Engineering at Correlate Inc. He is a solar veteran with over 12 years of experience in the field. Prior to co-founding CLS, Mr. Warren was the owner of Beacon Consulting and has originated, consulted, designed and/or engineered over 122 MW of PV installations ranging from small commercial to utility scale projects throughout Texas, California, Colorado and North Carolina. He holds a Photovoltaic Technical Sales Professional Certification from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners and certifications from Solar Energy International in PV Installation, PV Technical Sales, PV battery-based design, PV design and engineering, and PV operations and maintenance. Along with PV expertise, Mr. Warren is a LEED Green Building Associate, a certified building analyst from the Building Performance Institute, a Certified Renewable Energy Professional from the Association of Energy Engineers and holds a designation in High-Performance Sustainable Buildings from the BOMI Institute. He studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Tom Kunhardt is Director of Customer Success at Correlate. He previously held a similar position at Clean.Tech and was Corporate Trainer, Learning & Development, at NRG Energy. He has 15 years of experience in the solar and clean energy industries helping homeowners and businesses find solutions to their energy needs. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts.

CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP)

CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:CNSP) is a clinical stage biotechnology company specializing in the development of novel treatments for primary and metastatic cancers of the brain and central nervous system.

The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Organ Targeted Therapeutics

The company’s lead drug candidate, Berubicin, is proposed for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (“GBM”), an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. Berubicin also has potential to treat other central nervous system malignancies. Based on limited clinical data, Berubicin appears to be the first anthracycline to cross the blood brain barrier in the adult brain, and it was the subject of a successful Phase 1 study which found the MDT and produced efficacy data as well.

CNS holds a worldwide exclusive license to the Berubicin chemical compound. The company has acquired all requisite data and know-how from Reata Pharmaceuticals Inc. related to a completed Phase I clinical trial of Berubicin in malignant brain tumors. In this trial, 44% of patients experienced a statistically significant improvement in clinical benefit. In 2017, CNS entered into a collaboration and asset purchase agreement with Reata.

CNS intends to explore the potential of Berubicin to treat other diseases, including pancreatic and ovarian cancers and lymphoma. The company is also examining plans to develop combination therapies that include Berubicin.

CNS estimates that more than $25 million in private capital and grants were invested in Berubicin prior to the company’s $9.8 million IPO in November 2019.

CNS intends to submit an IND for Berubicin during the fourth quarter of 2020 and expects to commence a Phase II clinical trial of Berubicin for the treatment of GBM in the U.S. in Q1 2021. A sub-licensee partner was awarded a $6 million EU/Polish National Center for Research and Development grant to undertake a Phase II trial of Berubicin in adults and a first-ever Phase I trial in pediatric GBM patients in Poland in 2021.

The company’s second drug candidate, WP1244, is a novel DNA binding agent licensed from the MD Anderson Cancer Center. In preclinical studies, WP1244 proved to be 500-times more potent than the chemotherapeutic agent, daunorubicin, in inhibiting tumor cell proliferation. The company has entered into a sponsored research agreement with the MD Anderson Cancer Center to further the development of WP1244.

CNS Pharmaceuticals recently engaged U.S.-based Pharmaceutics International Inc. and Italian BSP Pharmaceuticals SpA for the production of the Berubicin drug product. The company has implemented a dual-track manufacturing strategy to mitigate COVID-19-related risks, diversify its supply chain and provide for localized availability of Berubicin. CNS has already completed synthesis of Berubicin’s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and has shipped the API to both manufacturers in order to prepare an injectable form of Berubicin for clinical use.

Global Brain Tumor Therapeutics Market

The high recurrence rate of malignant brain tumors is due to reappearance of focal masses, indicating that a sub-population of tumor cells in these cancers may be insensitive to current therapies and may be responsible for reinitiating tumor growth. This necessitates the development of newer drugs in the market that demonstrate greater efficacy in treating such aggressive cancers.

A global increase in neurological disorders has placed increased attention on cancers of the brain over the past decade. Neurological disorders are becoming one of the most prevalent types of disorders, due to longer life expectancy, greater exposure to infection and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Because few treatments for primary and metastatic cancers of the brain exist, costs are high and have acted as a restraint for the brain tumor therapeutics market.

Despite progress in surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapeutic strategies, effective treatments for brain cancer are limited by a lack of specific therapies for the brain and the difficulty in transporting therapeutic compounds across the blood brain barrier. Therefore, there is a significant need for novel and effective therapeutic drugs and strategies that prolong survival and improve quality of life for brain tumor patients.

Several companies are making significant investments into R&D, which is expected to bring more treatment options to the market in the near future. Industry reports consistently project continued growth in the market.

One report estimates that the global brain tumor therapeutics market will reach a valuation of $2.74 billion in 2023, with the market expected to register a CAGR of 11% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2023. Another report projects that the global brain tumor therapeutics market will reach $3.4 billion by 2025, up from $2.25 billion in 2019 (http://nnw.fm/eDUjp).

Management Team

John M. Climaco is the CEO of CNS Pharmaceuticals. For 15 years, Climaco has served in leadership roles for a variety of health care companies. Recently, Climaco served as the Executive Vice President of Perma-Fix Medical S.A, where he managed the development of a novel method to produce Technitium-99. Climaco also served as President and CEO of Axial Biotech Inc., a DNA diagnostics company. In the process of taking Axial from inception to product development to commercialization, Climaco forged strategic partnerships with Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson and Smith & Nephew.

Christopher Downs, CPA, is the company’s Chief Financial Officer. Downs previously served as Interim Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of InfuSystem Holdings Inc. (NYSE: INFU), a supplier of infusion services to oncologists in the United States. Downs holds a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point, an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Dr. Donald Picker is the Chief Scientific Officer of CNS. Picker has over 35 years of drug development experience. Prior to joining CNS, Picker worked at Johnson Matthey, where he was responsible for the development of Carboplatin, one of the world’s leading cancer drugs, which was acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb with annual sales of over $500 million. In addition, he oversaw the development of Satraplatin and Picoplatin, third-generation platinum drugs currently in late-stage clinical development.

Sandra L. Silberman, M.D., Ph.D., is the Chief Medical Officer of CNS Pharmaceuticals. Silberman is a hematologist/oncologist who earned her B.A., Sc.M. and Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Arts and Sciences, School of Public Health and School of Medicine, respectively, and her M.D. from Cornell University Medical College. She then completed both a clinical fellowship in hematology/oncology and a research fellowship in tumor immunology at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. Silberman has played key roles in the development of many drugs, including Gleevec(TM), for which she led the global clinical development at Novartis. Silberman advanced several original, proprietary compounds into Phases I through III during her work with leading biopharmaceutical companies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Imclone and Roche.

Investment Considerations

• CNS Pharmaceuticals’ lead drug candidate, Berubicin, is proposed for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive and currently incurable form of brain cancer.
• In a Phase I clinical trial of Berubicin in malignant brain tumors, 44% of patients experienced a statistically significant improvement in clinical benefit.
• In preclinical studies, the company’s second drug candidate, a novel DNA binding agent, was 500-times more potent than the chemotherapeutic agent, daunorubicin, in inhibiting tumor cell proliferation.
• A global increase in neurological disorders has placed increased attention on cancers of the brain over the past decade.
• Industry reports estimate that the global brain tumor therapeutics market will reach $2.74 billion in 2023 and $3.4 billion by 2025, up from $2.25 billion in 2019.

CISO Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: CISO)

CISO Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: CISO) is an industry leader in cybersecurity and compliance services. The company leverages an integrated approach to reduce noise and bridge common silos that often limit the effectiveness of cybersecurity programs. Pulling disparate technologies, teams, and vendors together, CISO helps its clients enjoy a simpler and more successful journey to cyber resilience. Since 2019, CISO Global has worked to rapidly expand by acquiring world-class cybersecurity and compliance businesses with top-tier talent who utilize the latest technology to create innovative protection solutions.

The CISO Global workforce is comprised of cybersecurity experts spanning not only global geographies, but also specialties, industries, regulatory frameworks and focus areas. Its team includes audit and compliance specialists, certified forensics experts, ethical hackers, IEEE® certified biometric professionals, security engineers, around-the-clock analysts, and more – all backed by the most respected credentials in the industry. On an ongoing basis, the company works to identify cyber talent that is culturally aligned and that offers operating leverage through both existing customer revenue and relationships.

CISO Global has invested in enterprise solutions and executive talent to integrate its different organizations into an ecosystem that works together to provide complete cybersecurity through cross-pollination of solutions that begin at the network level and extend through technologies, people, policy, and practices. This ecosystem is intended to foster additional growth opportunities and drive overall recurring revenue. Once engaged, the company strives to become trusted advisors for customers’ cybersecurity and compliance demands by providing tailored security solutions based upon their organizational needs.

While cyber resilience requires cycles of continuous improvement, it is a journey that few in the current business and security climate seem to understand. With its deep bench of seasoned experts, CISO Global works to simplify that journey for its growing customer base, straightening out the curves and speeding up the process to resilience along the way.

Cybersecurity is a Culture, Not a Product

Integrating compliance and security, including principles of security by design, CISO Global helps its clients create an organization-wide culture of cybersecurity. Its offerings include audit and compliance, security operations center services, security engineering, virtual Chief Information Security Officer services, incident response, certified forensics, technical assessments and cybersecurity training.

In contrast to the majority of cybersecurity firms that specialize in a specific technology or service, CISO Global seeks to differentiate itself by remaining technology agnostic, focusing on accumulating highly sought-after subject matter experts. Cerberus Sentinel believes that bringing together a world-class team of technological experts with multi-faceted proficiency in the critical aspects of cybersecurity is key to providing technology agnostic solutions to its clients in a business ecosystem that suffers from a chronic lack of highly skilled professionals.

CISO Global’s goal is to create a culture of security and to help quantify, define and capture a return on investment from information technology and cybersecurity spending. Its end-to-end, holistic process covers every aspect of clients’ cybersecurity and compliance requirements in an effort to promote greater efficiency and strengthen awareness about the integral role of internal team members in the cybersecurity culture of an organization.

As a result of this strategy, CISO Global customers receive an efficient engagement from a single partner that covers a wide range of their needs – addressing challenges more thoroughly and resolving problems more rapidly when compared to working with a host of vendors.

Market Outlook

According to an analysis by the firm Research and Markets, the global managed security services market was valued at $22.45 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $77.01 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 12.8% through the forecast period.

An expected increase in cybercrime, cost effectiveness of provided solutions and stringent mandatory government regulations aimed at protecting corporate data will drive the global managed security services market for the foreseeable future.

In addition, the documented and growing use of mobile devices in the workplace and the rise in captured and stored digital data serve to fuel market growth. Moreover, growing awareness about the critical nature of data security, the growing importance of e-business and demand for customized services is expected to offer ample opportunities for expansion of the market during the forecast period.

Management Team

David Jemmett is CEO and founder of CISO Global. He has more than 35 years of executive management and technology experience with telecommunications, managed services, and cybersecurity consulting services. He previously held positions as CEO of GenResults, a leading provider of security consulting services and technology solutions, and as CTO and founder at ClearData Networks, a HIPAA-compliant HealthDATA cloud hosting platform.

Dave Bennett is COO at CISO Global. Since 2015, he has served on the President’s STEM Advisory Board of Grand Canyon University. Before joining Cerberus Sentinel, he served as Chief Product Officer at Experian Health and as Senior Vice President, Product for Gainwell Technologies. He has also held positions as Vice President and Worldwide Head of Build, Healthcare and Life Sciences at DXC Technology, and as EVP, Product and Strategy at Orion Health.

Ashley Devoto is President and Chief Information Security Officer at CISO Global. Over the past 17 years, Devoto has worked with the cybersecurity elite to design, build, and operate world-class cybersecurity programs for large, diverse organizations in both government and commercial enterprises. Prior to joining CISO, Devoto served as CISO for Booz Allen Hamilton, as business information security officer (BISO) at Bank of America, and as a cyberspace operations officer in the United States Air Force.

Deb Smith is CFO at CISO Global. Prior to assuming that position, she was the company’s EVP, Finance and Accounting. She has also served as SVP, Global Accounting at International Cruise and Excursions Inc., and as Chief Accounting Officer for BeyondTrust, an information security software company. She has also held the positions of Corporate Controller at Aspect Software and Assistant Controller at JDA Software.

Investment Considerations

• CISO Global shares were listed on the Nasdaq in the first quarter of 2022.
• The company joined the broad-market Russell 2000 Index in June 2022.
• CISO Global posted a 376% revenue CAGR for the years 2019 through 2021.
• In 2021, 58% of the company’s revenue was recurring revenue from managed services contracts.
• CISO Global has completed 12 strategic acquisitions since October 2019.
• The global managed security services market was valued at $22.45 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $77.01 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 12.8% through the forecast period.

Cepton Inc. (NASDAQ: CPTN)

Cepton Inc.  (NASDAQ: CPTN) is a provider of state-of-the-art, intelligent, lidar-based solutions serving a range of markets, including automotive (ADAS/AV), smart cities, smart spaces and smart industrial applications.  General Motors (NYSE:GM) has granted a series production award for Cepton’s lidar, the biggest such award to date in the automotive space. Cepton’s is the lidar component of GM’s Ultra Cruise autonomous driving platform. By leveraging its patented Micro Motion Technology (MMT®) lidar platform, the company develops reliable, scalable and cost-effective solutions that deliver long-range, high-resolution 3D perception for smart applications.

Cepton was established in 2016 by co-founders Dr. Jun Pei and Dr. Mark McCord. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California, and serves a fast-growing customer base through an international presence spanning North America, Germany, Japan, India and China.

Micro Motion Technology (MMT®)

Cepton was built from the ground up to meet key lidar industry challenges for mass market adoption. This company’s portfolio of proprietary technology is uniquely aimed at facilitating this industry growth through a combination of performance, reliability, affordability and design integration.

Key among its innovations is MMT®, a mirrorless, frictionless, rotation-free 3D imaging platform designed specifically for lidars. Its benefits for OEMs and system integrators include:

• Reliability – The durable design uses common, easily attainable materials.
• Versatility – The platform is capable of achieving near- to ultra-long range with a wide field of view.
• Efficiency – MMT® features a compact form factor, low power usage and inexpensive components.
• Scalability – Its simple design means that scale-up to high manufacturing volumes is easily attainable.

Because of their compact form factor, Cepton lidars are embeddable and ideally suited for advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) integration, whether behind windshield, in headlamp or in fascia.

Agreement with KOITO

KOITO Manufacturing Co. Ltd., the world’s premier Tier 1 auto lighting supplier, originally started an evaluation of Cepton’s MMT® based lidars in 2018. In 2020, KOITO made an investment in Cepton aimed at accelerating the company’s development and enabling KOITO’s industrialization of high-performance and high reliability lidar sensors for ADAS and autonomous vehicle (AV) applications.

Through this collaboration, Cepton was able to secure the largest ADAS lidar series production award^[1] with General Motors as a sole source in the automotive space. The award covers GM vehicles for the initial period of 2023-2027.

On August 5, 2021, the two companies deepened their relationship when KOITO committed to invest a further $50 million in Cepton’s business through its participation in a Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE) offering of shares of common stock of Growth Capital Acquisition Corp. in connection with Cepton’s recent merger.

Collaboration with GM

On July 13, 2021, Cepton announced that it had secured an ADAS lidar series production award from a leading, Detroit-based global automotive OEM – the biggest lidar production award by any OEM to any lidar company. It was later clarified that the OEM was General Motors, and Cepton’s lidar is part of GM’s ADAS Ultra Cruise system.

GM is “expected to deploy Cepton lidars in its next generation of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) across multiple vehicle classes and models – not just luxury cars.” As such, the agreement marks the potential for “an industry-first, mass-market adoption of lidar technology for automotive ADAS, with an anticipated deployment in consumer vehicles starting in 2023.”

On July 28, 2021, Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) distributed an article on Medium noting, “Ford has been engaged with Cepton almost since their inception in 2016, both for R&D collaboration and small-scale deployments. Cepton LiDAR are deployed in some of [Ford’s] smart city projects. Based on Ford’s guidance, Cepton delivered a custom version of their LiDAR to enable R&D on advanced ADAS features.”

Market Outlook

Driven by increasing development and adoption in automobile safety applications, environmental mapping and 3D-modeling, the global lidar market is forecast to experience considerable growth over the coming years. A research report published by MarketsAndMarkets suggests that the sector will grow to an estimated $3.4 billion by 2026, achieving a CAGR of 21.6% over the next five years.

The report further highlights increasing investments in lidar startups by automotive giants as a driver of growth opportunities in the sector, particularly in North America.

In 2020, ground-based lidar accounted for the lion’s share of the overall lidar market, and this trend is expected to continue as the automotive sector continues to rapidly advance adoption across the full spectrum of vehicle classes. One factor not to be underestimated is the high barrier of entry and the exceptionally long time required for automotive OEMs to vet and award a production win to a lidar company. It is a commonly held view that the over 50 lidar companies will inevitably coalesce into a handful serving all OEMs.

Cepton, having a head start through its established partnership with leading global OEM GM, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this market growth in the years to come.

Management Team

Cepton’s founder-led team is made up of lidar industry pioneers with decades of collective experience across advanced lidar and imaging technologies.

Jun Pei, Ph.D., is the company’s CEO and Co-Founder. He is a technology specialist with a focus in optics and electronics. Prior to founding Cepton, Dr. Pei founded AEP Technology, a firm focused on developing advanced 3D optical instruments. He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

Mark McCord, Ph.D., is Cepton’s CTO and Co-Founder. Prior to founding Cepton, he led advanced development at KLA-Tencor. Dr. McCord also formerly served as an associate professor at Stanford University, where he earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering.

Winston Fu, Ph.D., is the company’s CFO. Dr. Fu is the founder of Silicon Valley venture capital firm LDV Partners. Prior to joining Cepton, he served as CFO and Chairman of Active-Semi before its acquisition. Dr. Fu has also helped to build many technology companies as an entrepreneur and/or board member. He received his Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford University, as well as an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

[1] Largest known ADAS lidar series production award based on number of vehicle models awarded

Investment Considerations

• Cepton Inc. provides highly competitive price-for-performance lidar solutions based on its proprietary Micro Motion Technology (MMT®).
• The company was awarded by General Motors the industry’s largest automotive OEM program, with an anticipated start of production set for 2023.
• Cepton has partnered with KOITO, the world’s premier Tier 1 auto lighting supplier, to accelerate product development and enable economies of scale.
• The company boasts a compelling financial profile supported by a capital efficient model leveraging Tier 1 and system integrator relationships, as well as contract manufacturing.
• Cepton is founder-led and guided by management team with a proven track record in advanced lidar and imaging technology.

Canada Nickel Company Inc. (TSX.V: CNC) (OTCQX: CNIKF)

Canada Nickel Company Inc. (TSX.V: CNC) (OTCQX: CNIKF) is advancing the next generation of nickel-cobalt sulfide projects to deliver the metals needed to power the electric vehicle (EV) revolution and feed the high growth stainless steel market. The company is one of only a few new sources of potential supply outside Indonesia and China.

Canada Nickel possesses industry leading nickel expertise and is focused on low risk, well established mining jurisdictions. The company has launched wholly owned subsidiary NetZero Metals Inc. to develop zero-carbon production of nickel, cobalt and iron and has applied in multiple jurisdictions to trademark the terms NetZero Nickel, NetZero Cobalt and NetZero Iron. Canada Nickel is also pursuing development of processes to allow net zero carbon production of these elements.

Canada Nickel is currently anchored by its 100% owned flagship Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulfide Project with large-scale potential located in the heart of Ontario’s prolific Timmins-Cochrane mining camp, adjacent to major infrastructure.

The company believes the EV industry and many other consumer sectors have an urgent need for zero-carbon metal this decade, not in 20-25 years as contemplated by some resource companies. Canada Nickel also believes that nickel supplies from Indonesia and other Pacific island nations, typically controlled by Chinese-owned companies, are not the answer for batteries needed by GM, Ford and the European automakers working to develop and manufacture EV models.

The company is headquartered in Toronto.

Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulfide Project

The Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulfide Project is the largest sulfide discovery since the early 1970s and contains the fifth-largest nickel sulfide resource in the world, based on Measured & Indicated resources, according to the latest update. The Crawford project is expected to be one of the largest base metal mines in Canada based on results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment. Early projections by Canada Nickel estimate that the project has the potential to produce 50,000 tons of nickel per year. The company is now in the final stages of completing the project’s feasibility study.

The project is projected to produce 2.8 tons of CO² per ton of nickel equivalent production, which is 89% lower than the industry average of 34 tons of CO² per ton of nickel equivalent production.

The company is taking significant steps toward developing the Crawford project as a net zero carbon producer. In addition to harnessing the natural ability of the project’s geology to act as a carbon sink through spontaneous reaction of the host rock once exposed to atmospheric conditions called mineral carbonation, Canada Nickel has discovered a new way to enhance carbon capture, termed In Process Tailings (IPT) Carbonation. This act of conditioning the tailings with a concentrated stream of carbon dioxide before deposition has been demonstrated at lab scale to achieve carbon capture at a rate 8-12 times faster than naturally occurring sequestration, achieving more than 60% of the capture that had previously taken six days.

These latest results move the company further toward production of Net Zero Nickel™ and generation of 21 tonnes of CO² credits per tonne of nickel, which would produce an estimated average of 710,000 tonnes of CO² credits annually and 18 million total tonnes of CO² credits over the expected life of mine. IPT Carbonation does not require complex new technologies and major process modifications and could encourage the development of a net zero carbon industrial cluster centered around the Crawford project.

Canada Nickel in January 2023 announced that its latest test work results support the incorporation of carbon capture and storage into the Crawford project. The company believes that utilization of existing process streams should allow IPT to be efficiently engineered and incorporated into the project’s flowsheet, with an integrated feasibility study for the project expected in the second quarter of 2023.

In December 2022, Canada Nickel announced its engagement on Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (“Deutsche Bank”) and Scotiabank – two of the world’s leading investment banks with a broad base of mining and industrial expertise – as financial advisors for the equity component of the project financing for the Crawford project. In the same release, the company announced the completion of another significant permitting milestone by filing the detailed project description with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. Canada Nickel targets receipt of permits by mid-2025, with construction to immediately follow.

Additional Projects

The Reid Nickel Property is located just 16 kilometers southwest of Crawford, or 37 kilometers northwest of Timmins, and contains an ultramafic body with a target geophysical footprint of 3.9 square kilometers. Preliminary assay results from Canada Nickel’s summer/fall drilling program confirm the presence of mineralized dunite, as well as currently undefined higher-grade sections. Partial assay results confirm expected nickel grades. Nickel mineralization in serpentinized dunite was found in all 16 holes drilled to date.

The Sothman Nickel Property is located 70 kilometers south of Timmins. Five drill holes on the eastern half of the target anomaly confirmed the continuation of ultramafic lithologies, primarily peridotite, with moderate to strong serpentinization and variable amounts of mineralization throughout.

The company in December 2022 announced positive drilling results from its ongoing regional exploration campaign at its Reid and Sothman properties. These latest results continue to reinforce the success of Canada Nickel’s geophysical targeting approach and increase the probability of success at the company’s other 20-plus properties within its 42 square kilometers of geophysical targets.

Building on this momentum, Canada Nickel in December 2022 announced its entry into a deal to acquire a 100% interest in the past producing Texmont property situated between the company’s properties south of Timmins. As noted in the news release, the acquisition of the Texmont property provides near-term smaller scale production potential and is highly complementary to the company’s large-scale Crawford and regional nickel sulphide projects.

Market Opportunity

Global demand leaves the market fundamentally short of nickel in the medium- and long-term. Global primary nickel demand will likely reach 3 million tons in 2022, up from 2.4 million tons in 2020, according to the International Nickel Study Group (INSG).

The INSG says primary nickel production is forecast to hit 3.1 million tons in 2022. Indonesia, the world’s largest nickel miner, halted exports of unprocessed nickel ore in January 2020, due to a government-imposed ban. Indonesia has floated the concept of a nickel cartel whose member nations would exert influence over world nickel supply and prices, similar to OPEC’s pricing power over oil.

Benchmark Minerals, a leading EV supply chain research firm, projects that, by 2035, world demand for nickel will double from current levels to 6 million tons annually. That growing demand represents a need for new nickel production equivalent to 70 mines the size of Canada Nickel’s Crawford Project.

Management Team

Mark Selby is Chairman, CEO and Director of Canada Nickel. He was formerly President and CEO of RNC Minerals, where he led a team that successfully raised over $100 million and advanced the Dumont nickel-cobalt project from initial resource to a fully permitted, construction-ready project. He has held senior management roles with Quadra Mining, Inco and Purolator Courier, and was a partner at Mercer Management Consulting. Since 2001, he has been recognized as one of the leading authorities on the nickel market. He graduated from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Commerce.

Wendy Kaufman is CFO of Canada Nickel. She has 25 years of experience leading publicly listed mining companies in project financing, capital structuring, capital markets, accounting and internal controls, tax, and financial reporting and public disclosure. She was also previously CFO at Khiron Life Sciences Corp. and held CFO and senior finance positions at Pasinex Resources Limited, Primero Mining Corporation and Inmet Mining Corporation. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Steve Balch is VP Exploration at Canada Nickel. He is an Ontario registered geoscientist with 32 years of experience in geophysics, specializing in magnetic and electromagnetic methods. He founded Triumph Instruments and developed the AirTEM system, a multi-coil helicopter-borne EM system that is in use worldwide. He has also been active in borehole geophysics and helped develop new technologies including north-seeking gyros, temperature compensated induction conductivity probes, UAV-based magnetometers and high sensitivity magnetic gradiometers.

Christian Brousseau is VP Capital Projects at Canada Nickel. He is a professional engineer (P.Eng) with over 30 years of experience in engineering, design and construction in the Canadian mining industry, including six years as Project Director for the Dumont Project and three years as the Engineering and Construction Manager for Detour Gold. Prior to Detour, he held various construction management positions at Osisko’s Malartic Project and at Goldcorp’s Éléonore Project. He also spent eight years at Falconbridge supervising and managing various capital projects.