NA Proactive news snapshot: Gratomic, Vuzix, Marvel Discovery, Lumina Gold, Great Atlantic Resources, Trillion Energy International UPDATE …

Gratomic Inc has announced the ongoing commissioning of several key pieces of equipment in preparation for the final commissioning stage of the grinding, flotation, and drying circuits at its Aukam Graphite processing plant in Namibia. The Toronto-based company said the Product Thickener assembly at the plant has been completed, including the lining of the tank inner walls with an anti-abrasive coating. The commissioning of the equipment consists of operating the rake to ensure that the turning movement is clear and responsive to the speed controls, it added. “Our Aukam construction team has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity,” the company’s chief operating officer and head of graphite marketing and sales Armando Farhate said in a statement. “Even during the holiday period, they never stopped finding ways to push our project forward and keep us ahead of the game.”

Vuzix Corporation (NASDAQ:VUZI) has appointed business operations, manufacturing, and technology veteran Pete Jameson to the open role of chief operating officer (COO).  In a statement, the developer of Smart Glasses said Jameson joined Vuzix in January 2021, serving as general manager until this appointment. Vuzix also said Jameson brings a wealth of general management and operating experience to his new position. Prior to joining Vuzix, he served as COO of Osterhout Design Group (ODG), a leading wearable technology company that developed and manufactured mobile, self-contained, and lightweight head-worn mixed reality smart glasses with photo-realistic imagery. 

Marvel Discovery Corp CEO Karim Rayani told shareholders that the resource company has had a “very successful 2021” and is gearing up for a busy exploration year. In a letter to shareholders, Rayani noted that the company, which rebranded from International Montoro to Marvel in February last year, is positioning itself to serve as an “incubator” of prime projects. “It has entered the uranium space at Key Lake, Saskatchewan within one of the highest-grade uranium producing regions in the world, the Athabasca Basin,” Rayani said in the letter. In late 2020, Marvel acquired its first claims in central Newfoundland called the Slip and Victoria Lake projects. “This set-in motion a chain of events that have led us to where we are today as one of the largest landholders in Newfoundland contiguous to projects with defined resources,” said Rayani.

Lumina Gold Corp (TSX-V:LUM, OTCQX:LMGDF) issued a letter to shareholders outlining its recent milestones and 2022 outlook. “Cangrejos continues to be one of the largest undeveloped gold and copper projects in the world. We are working to further optimize and enhance the project through the Pre-feasibility work. We expect to complete the study in early 2023,” the gold company wrote. Investors may receive a copy of the letter by emailing Scott Hicks at shicks@luminacapital.ca.

Great Atlantic Resources Corp (TSX-V:GR) has updated investors on its exploration efforts at its flagship Golden Promise property in Newfoundland’s gold belt. Drilling in 2021 occurred during the summer at the Jaclyn Zone and the Otter Brook Gold Showing. Great Atlantic completed two diamond drill programs totaling 2,971 metres, or 20 holes, at the targets. So far, assays from the two drill holes received have confirmed high-grade gold in quartz veins in both holes, with intercepts of 238 grams per ton (g/t) gold over 0.40 metres in one and 75.5 g/t gold over 0.35 metres in another.

Trillion Energy International Inc said it received a price increase this month for the sale of natural gas to about US$13.07 million cubic feet (mcf) amid seasonal supply shortages and strong regional demand. In contrast, the company noted that the average natural gas sale price received during 2021 was approximately US$8.84/mcf. The company said it believes a “trifecta of circumstances” have resulted in the sudden sharp price increase, which includes increased demand due to a cold winter, alternate energy sources being shut down (such as several nuclear power plants in Germany), delays in increased supply of natural gas from the Nord stream pipeline, among other issues. 

ElectraMeccanica (NASDAQ:SOLO) Vehicles Corp said it is entering 2022 in a “stronger position than ever” as the company continues to advance its flagship SOLO product – a three-wheel, single-seat electric vehicle (EV). In a letter to shareholders recounting progress made last year, CEO Kevin Pavlov said: “Not only do we expect production to ramp significantly, but we have the necessary infrastructure surrounding sales, marketing, logistics and service networks in place to ensure success. Backed by a balance sheet with over $228 million to execute on our strategic priorities, we are confident in our ability to revolutionize the transportation space by providing consumers, fleets and rideshare users a purpose-built solution to solve today’s urban driving challenges.”

Healixa (OTC:EMOR) Inc, which is focused on building disruptive technologies in the health-tech, clean water, and green-tech industries, has announced that Christopher Galliano will join its board as a non-executive independent director to bolster the technology company’s corporate governance mandate in line with national listing requirements. The company noted that Galliano has experience in directing large defense-related projects, including rapid prototyping for software engineering and modernization. A co-founder of Skymount Medical, Galliano currently serves as the company’s chief technology officer. He has co-authored over six patents in artificial intelligence-based drug discovery and leads the research activities at Skymount. Galliano previously architected NATO’s IT modernization, its largest infotech acquisition and the Department of the Navy Enterprise Data Center and subsequent consolidation from over 100 data centers to three enterprise data centers. As a former executive officer of Space and Naval Warfare Systems, Galliano led the program modernization and research efforts of over 40 US Navy programs.

Talon Metals Corp shares soared on Tuesday a day after the company announced a landmark six-year deal with Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) to supply the electric vehicle manufacturer with nickel concentrate from its Tamarack nickel project in Minnesota, US. Shares of the US nickel-focused company were up nearly 22% on Tuesday morning at C$0.73 in Canada. According to a statement from Talon, Tesla has committed to buying 75,000 metric tonnes of nickel in concentrate. The Elon Musk-led company also has a preferential right under the agreement to negotiate the purchase of additional nickel concentrate beyond the 75,000-ton commitment.

RespireRx Pharmaceuticals (OTCQB:RSPI) Inc, a biopharma developing treatments to combat disorders caused by disruption of neuronal signaling, said that on January 4 this year, Timothy Jones, its president and CEO, notified the company of his intent to resign, which he and the company agreed would be targeted for January 31 this year, and would include his resignation from the board of directors. The company said it intends to appoint Arnold S. Lippa as interim president and CEO at that point. RespireRx said it has had “non-contentious preliminary discussions with Mr. Jones regarding the timing, transfer of responsibilities, process, expectations during the transition period through his departure date, as well as related financial matters”.

Trees Corporation (NEO:TREE) told investors its common shares have started trading on the NEO Exchange on January 11, 2022, under the symbol TREE. The independent retail cannabis operator has ten Trees branded storefronts in Canada, including six stores owned and operated in Ontario by Trees, and four additional stores operated by 1015712 B.C. Ltd in British Columbia. “We expect 2022 to be an exciting year, beginning with this public listing milestone and followed by a growth strategy with an aim of securing Trees as a leading national cannabis retailer with a highly differentiated approach to serving the needs of cannabis consumers across the user profile spectrum,” CEO Jon Conquergood said in a statement. 

Plurilock Security Inc said its wholly-owned subsidiary Aurora Systems Consulting Inc has received a US$308,000 order from the US Department of Defense as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) solution for enterprise-wide procurement (SEWP) program, a US government-wide acquisition contract vehicle (GWAC). According to the purchase order, Aurora will provide the Department of Defense with automatic data processing equipment. The department, America’s largest government agency, provides the nation with military forces for defense and national security. Plurilock noted that the average cost of a data breach increased from $3.86 million to $4.24 million in 2021, underscoring the importance of working with experienced cybersecurity and information technology (IT) services vendors in implementing strong security measures.

First Mining Gold Corp has outlined its key aims for the Springpole gold development project in Ontario during 2022 as the company bids to bolster the asset’s green credentials and reduce potential costs. In a wide-ranging update, the resource group also told investors that its chief operating officer (COO) Ken Engquist will leave with effect from January 14, 2022, to pursue another mining opportunity. In January last year, First Mining completed a pre-feasibility study (PFS) for Springpole and is currently working on a feasibility-level metallurgical program, which is expected to be finished in the second quarter of this year.

Safe-T Group (NASDAQ:SFET) Ltd has announced that its ongoing investments into its enterprise privacy business in support of its penetration into the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in the fourth quarter of 2021 have driven significant new enterprises additions. The company in October 2021 expanded and upgraded the capabilities of its enterprise privacy solution in support of its planned entry into the APAC markets, supported by dedicated staffing, content localization, user interface translations, and the addition of digital payment services. During its 4Q, Safe-T said it added more than 75 paying organizations in the APAC region. The New APAC customers are from the fields of e-commerce, travel-tech, and data collection of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). 

Neo Lithium Corp (TSX-V:NLC) has told investors that its wholly-owned subsidiary, LIEX SA, has received a ‘Declaracion de Impacto Ambiental’ (DIA) from the Environmental and Mining Authority in Argentina’s Catamarca province. The company said the issuance of the DIA satisfies one of the final conditions needed under a proposed takeover offer by China’s Zijin Mining Group Co, other than conditions that can only be satisfied at the effective time of the transaction. In October 2021, Neo Lithium announced it had entered into a definitive agreement that will see Zijin acquiring all its outstanding stock for $6.50 per share in cash – or a total of $960 million.

Cloud DX (TSX-V:CDX, OTCQB:CDXFF) Inc, a provider of virtual care and remote patient monitoring solutions, and its partner Maxwell Telecare revealed that they have secured three new contracts with US-based primary care practices in Illinois. The North American disruptor in virtual care based in Kitchener, Ontario and Brooklyn, New York, said the three clinics will deploy Connected Health to patients for reimbursed Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and chronic care management. As part of its Patient-First program, Cloud DX (TSX-V:CDX, OTCQB:CDXFF) works with physician partners to establish criteria indicating a patient will benefit from RPM to control exacerbations, improve quality of life, and avoid hospitalization and emergency hospital visits. “These deployments follow recent agreements with seven clinical facilities in the last three months, including University of Waterloo, two previous Maxwell Telecare clinics, Hamilton Health Sciences, and an Ontario Pulmonary Rehabilitation Clinic,” said the company.

Marble Financial Inc said that Nuborrow Inc, a leading mortgage brokerage services firm, has launched the company’s proprietary Marble Connect application programming interface (API) on its platform. The Vancouver, British Columbia-based company noted that Nuborrow has helped more than 15,000 Canadians who seek competitive mortgage solutions and facilitated over $700 million in mortgage loan transactions since 2013. With the Marble Connect API, it said NuBorrow expects to perform more accurate assessments on its users based on their credit information and provide them with access to MyMarble’s state-of-the-art programs, guidance, and tools to improve their financial health in conjunction with Nuborrow’s New Home Equity Loan.

American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC) has unveiled a strategic partnership between its wholly-owned subsidiary, American Rare Earth LLC, and The Heritage Group’s venture capital investment arm HG Ventures LLC. Following a Membership Purchase Interest agreement, Heritage will receive a 7.5% ownership stake in American Rare Earth with American Resources retaining ownership of 92.5% of the equity interest. Heritage has been granted an option to buy up to $50 million of American Rare Earth’s equity interest at a $300 million, pre-money valuation, said the company. HG Ventures invests and partners up with innovative, high-growth companies that support a sustainable future in materials, infrastructure, and environmental solutions. In this case, it will be expediting the path for American Rare Earth becoming the first and lowest-cost producer of domestically-sourced, purified and sustainable battery and magnet metals in the US.

ESE Entertainment Inc has announced that its production company Frenzy sp. z.o.o. will organize and produce Ultraliga, an international League of Legends esports competition with teams from Poland, Switzerland, Serbia, and Lithuania. Ultraliga is an accredited league by Riot Games, the publisher of League of Legends, alongside the French LFL, Spanish LVP, German Prime League, and northern countries’ NLC. Players of accredited leagues are present in the official Riot Games’ Global Contract Database. Thanks to the incorporation of Baltic Masters, ESE said Ultraliga is expanding from eight to 10 teams who will compete over 24 competition days, with five regular-season games per round. The winner of Ultraliga will qualify for the European Masters, a tournament featuring 28 of the top European teams from the regional leagues.

Newrange Gold Corp announced that a new mapping and sampling program in the historic Central Mine area of the company’s Pamlico project in Nevada has indicated widespread gold mineralization with values up to 47.3 grams per tonne (g/t) gold. The company said in keeping with its renewed focus on the larger scale geological setting, a preliminary program of mapping mineralized structures and sampling dump material from the numerous adits was undertaken to determine what had been mined in the past. “These results are very encouraging in that they give us a better understanding of the style of mineralization in the Central Mine area,” Newrange Gold CEO Robert Archer said in a statement.

Nextleaf Solutions Ltd (CSE:OILS, OTCQB:OILFF) announced that its Glacial Gold Distilled CBD 200 Oil is now available nationally in Canada through its medical cannabis distribution partner Medicibis (Mendo). Glacial Gold CBD and THC vapes and distilled oils are available through Mendo, via an online portal for medical patients that ships across Canada. Vancouver-based Nextleaf launched Glacial Gold CBD and THC products for the medical market through Mendo as part of its commitment to improving access to medical cannabis, it said in a statement.

Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc and Granada Gold Mine Inc have announced positive bench-scale leach test results, achieving 99% extraction of the contained alkali metal rubidium, from drill core sourced from the recently discovered EV battery metals zone at the Granada Gold deposit in northwestern Quebec. The company highlighted that the project economics are enhanced by having gold bullion as a primary metal recovery and rubidium carbonate as a secondary by-product metal recovery. “To successfully leach rubidium from the mineralized material is a major accomplishment for the Re-2Ox process. It demonstrates its flexibility in treating other feeds using the same chemicals and process equipment that we used to produce base metal EV salts,” said Frank J. Basa, Canada Silver Cobalt Works CEO, in a statement.

Burcon NutraScience Corporation has announced that Johann Tergesen will be stepping down as its president and CEO but will remain CEO until either a successor is appointed by the company’s board of directors, or no later than February 28, 2022. Tergesen’s decision to focus on other pursuits follows completion of the $130 million first phase of a planned three-phase plant protein production facility for Burcon’s Merit Functional Foods joint venture, which has been designed and built to exclusively produce Burcon’s patented proteins, the Vancouver-based company said. “As a co-founder and management team member for more than 23 years, Johann has played an influential role in Burcon’s development,” chairman Peter Kappel said in a statement. “With the completion of the commissioning of phase 1 of Merit Functional Food’s new state-of-the-art protein production facility, the groundwork has been laid for Burcon to grow and thrive,” he added.

TraceSafe Inc announced that it has completed a US$3.2 million face value convertible note financing with institutional investor Arena Investors LP, raising gross proceeds of US$3.0 million. The company said the financing will help drive its growth agenda, including a significant focus towards solutions in sustainable operations. “This financing will propel us into the next phase of our growth that starts with expanding our reach into the US capital markets and client pool,” TraceSafe CEO Wayne Lloyd said in a statement.

SPYR (OTCQB:SPYR) Inc – dba SPYR (OTCQB:SPYR) Technologies – has announced that its marketing campaign, which consists of both 30 and 60 second TV Commercials, will air in additional markets to expand the viewership. The company said that TVA Media Group and BB3 Advertising have started a dynamic TV ad campaign for MagixDrive, Applied Magix’s wireless CarPlay device. TVA Media Group began the campaign by placing ‘test airings’ of the commercials on different channels and timeslots during the week of December 27, 2021. Based upon the channels and the time of day that the commercials aired, TVA estimates that the commercials were seen by more than one million viewers, the company said in the release. These initial airings served as a test to determine specific interests from different demographic groups. The Woodlands, Texas-based company said that after analyzing this data, a strategic broadcast strategy was created.

Wellteq Digital Health Inc has announced that the company’s chairman, Dr Peter Vaughan, has been appointed to the Order of Canada. The Governor General of Canada cited the appointment of Dr Vaughan “for his contributions to Canada’s health care system, and for his pioneering leadership in the establishment and advancement of digital health”. Dr Vaughan, whose career spans medicine, public healthcare, academia and multiple board and executive positions is recognized for his tenacious evangelism of healthcare modernization. He was appointed chairman of the board of directors for Wellteq just prior to the company’s listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) in March 2021 and continues to lead the company’s execution to modernize healthcare delivery through the deployment of the Wellteq platform.

Champion Gaming (TSX-V:WAGR) Group Inc said it has named Hot Paper Lantern Digital Sport (HPL Digital Sport) as its communications agency of record. HPL Digital Sport is a specialty group within Hot Paper Lantern that helps sports betting, fantasy sports and sports technology companies create greater brand relevance. The communications program will focus on building Champion Gaming (TSX-V:WAGR)‘s reputation among key audiences. Elements will include an aggressive public relations campaign and a targeted investor relations program to communicate its unique story. “As a newly-listed public company, it’s vital that we strategically communicate our value proposition and our vision for growth to shareholders and key stakeholders through the media,” said Ken Hershman, co-founder and chief executive officer of Champion Gaming (TSX-V:WAGR). “HPL Digital Sport specializes in this space and has helped other companies do just that. We are excited to partner with this successful team.” For its services supporting the company’s public relations and investor relations efforts, HPL Digital Sport will receive US$15,500 per month, on a month-to-month basis.

Pure Gold Mining Inc has announced the proactive measures it has taken in response to the small but increasing number of positive coronavirus (COVID-19) cases at the company’s PureGold Mine over the last several days. The company said it has followed stringent screening, hygiene, testing, and contact tracing protocols since the outset of the pandemic and has an exemplary record to date. For a temporary period, administrative staff are working remotely where possible and other on-site staff has been reduced to essential workers only. During this time, production is expected to continue albeit at a slightly reduced rate. While the ultimate impact on monthly or quarterly production, if any, is not yet known, the company expects to make up any production shortfall shortly after returning to full production. The company said it continues to monitor the situation very closely and will provide updates as necessary.

Bioharvest Sciences Inc has announced that Liron Carmel has resigned as a member of the company’s board of directors. Dr Zaki Rakib, chairman of the board, commented: “On behalf of the board of directors, I want to thank Liron for his contribution to the governance of BioHarvest during his service on the board. As announced when Mr David Tsur joined the board in October 2021, the Company will continue to enhance the board with members bringing expertise in Biotech”.

Exmceuticals Inc said the company Global Cannabinoids (GC) have determined not to proceed with the proposed business combination due to difficult financing conditions in the cannabis market. The company also announced that Jonathan Summers has resigned as its chief executive officer, however, will retain his position as chairman of the board of directors of the company. Julie Lemieux has been appointed to the position of CEO and will lead a review of the company and its business objectives, it added. The company further announced that due to lack of financing, all operations at its Portugal subsidiary have ceased. Management of the company have worked diligently to find business opportunities that would benefit from Exmceuticals’s existing assets, such as GC. However, the difficult financing conditions for Exmceuticals, and in the cannabis sector generally, have made these initiatives challenging to maintain, and ultimately unsustainable.  The company said it is evaluating alternative business opportunities.

Beyond Medical Technologies Inc said it has granted an aggregate of five million stock options to directors, officers, employees and consultants of the company to purchase five million common shares in the capital of the company pursuant to the company’s share option plan. The options, which vest immediately, are exercisable at an exercise price of 7.5 cents per share for a period of five years from the date of grant.

Aurelius Minerals Inc (TSX-V:AUL, OTCQB:AURQF) has announced the granting of incentive stock options to John. B. Carter, who was elected as a director of the company at the Annual General Meeting held on December 16, 2021, to purchase up to 50,000 common shares under the company’s Incentive Stock Option Plan. The options were granted for a period of five years, commencing on January 10, 2022, exercisable at a price of $0.35 per share and vest immediately.

Soma Gold Corp has announced, subject to regulatory approval, the grant of a total of 1,662,000 stock options to directors of the company to purchase common shares in accordance with its Equity Incentive Plan. The options vest immediately and are issued at an exercise price of 35 cents per common share and expire five years from the date of issuance. Upon completion of this grant, there will be 5,249,500 options and RSU’s granted under the plan, representing 6.9% of the outstanding shares of the company.

Mountain Boy Minerals Ltd (TSX-V:MTB, OTCQB:MBYMF) said the TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to its non-brokered private placement announced on December 16, 2021, December 22, 2021, and December 31, 2021, which will see the issue of 7,587,057 flow-through shares and 882,353 non-flow-through shares at purchase prices of 17 cents per share, together with 3,793,530 share purchase warrants for flow-through units and 882,353 share purchase warrants for non-flow-through units with exercise prices of 26 cents for a two-year period and 20 cents for a two-year period, respectively, with 26 placees.

Nextech AR Solutions Corp has announced that it will exhibit at the upcoming NRF 2022: Retail’s Big Show to showcase its ARitize 3D solution for eCommerce being held January 16-18, 2022, at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center, New York City. The company will occupy Exhibitor Booth: # 1118, and interested parties can register for the event at the following link: https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com/register. Retail’s Big Show will have the biggest names in retail such as Walmart, Nordstrom, Best Buy, PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Foods, IBM, Macy’s, McDonald’s, Ralph Lauren, Foot Locker, Microsoft, Target, and more. At the show, Nextech will highlight its suite of ARitize 3D eCommerce solutions and enhancements to 3D AR models, including product hotspots, animations, 360+ exploded views, 3D swirl ads, configurator, 3D carousel, virtual staging and room decorator.

OTC Markets Group Inc, the operator of financial markets for over 11,000 US and global securities, has announced that Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings Ltd, a non-life global specialty insurance company, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market and begins trading today, January 11, 2022, on OTCQX under the symbol RQIHF. Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their US investors. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the US. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. William Spiegel, executive chairman of Randall & Quilter commented: “I am pleased that R&Q has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Market. Trading on OTCQX will complement our AIM listing and provides the business with exposure to a wider audience of investors.”

TMX Group (TSX:X) has announced its financing activity on Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) for December 2021. TSX welcomed nine new issuers last month, compared with 25 in the previous month and 10 in December 2020. The new listings were four exchange-traded funds, two mining companies, two life sciences companies, and one technology company.