FORT LAUDERDALE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / February 21, 2020 / DNA Brands Inc., is pleased to announce that the company has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire 954Solar. 954Solar is a solar company, located in the beautiful Sunshine State of Florida.

"Since talks have been ongoing for about 2 months, this LOI confirms both parties desire to scale and grow their respected business under the DNA umbrella, with this proposed acquisition. 954solar has been in business since July of 2018. In 2019, 954Solar produced revenue of approximately $1.3 Million in residential sales, concentrating only in Broward and Palm Beach County Florida." stated DNA CEO Adrian McKenzie.

Once the transaction is closed, the goal will be to scale the solar business at a national level, as a Solar sales brokerage firm. Brokering both Commercial and Residential solar sale jobs. Andrew Ferrin CEO of 954Solar has been a consistent top producer in the solar industry for the past 5 years. DNA has identified a call center and a virtual online sales platform for solar sales (that can be scaled infinitely). The sales team will concentrate on Solar friendly States such as AZ, CA, FL, IL, NJ, NY, that offer Federal solar tax credit incentives

According to IHS Markit, a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions (which trades on the NYSE), the American and European Solar industry has grown sevenfold in the last decade and is slated in the coming years for continued double-digit growth.

https://news.ihsmarkit.com/prviewer/release_only/slug/bizwire-2020-1-7-solar-installations-to-grow-by-additional-142-gw-in-2020-seven-times-the-worlds-total-solar-installations-a-decade-ago

About DNA Brands Inc.

DNA Brands is a Holding company. The primary asset of the company is the two-time award-winning energy drink line (DNA ENERGY). The flavors are citrus, lemon-lime, citrus sugar-free, and cranberry raspberry sugar-free flavors under the DNA Energy drink brand name. At present, the company owns all the IP that developed the award-winning energy drink line. The company also has a fleet agreement with Ridesharerentals.com, whereby DNA has a fleet of cars it rents to Uber and Lyft drivers.

DISCLAIMER

This press release contains statements that are "Forward-Looking" in nature (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1993, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). All statements regarding the Company's financial position, potential, business strategy, plans and objectives for future operations are Forward-Looking statements. Many of these statements contain words such as "goal," "aims," "may," "expect," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "would," "exceed," "should," "steady," "plan," "potential," "dramatic," and variations of such words and similar expressions identify Forward-Looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not a Forward-Looking statement. Because Forward-Looking statements involve future risks and uncertainties, there are many factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The Company cannot predict the actual effect these factors will have on its results and many of the factors and their effects are beyond the Company's control. Any forward-looking statement made by the Company speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise. Given these uncertainties, you should not rely too heavily on these forward-looking statements.

CONTACT:

Adrian McKenzie-Patasar
(561) 654-5722
info@dnabrandsinc.com

SOURCE: DNA Brands Inc.

ReleaseID: 577261

ETFs provide S&P 500 exposure up to a cap, with downside buffer levels of 9%, 15%, or 30% over a one-year Outcome Period
Innovator's Defined Outcome ETFs are the subject of a patent application filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / February 21, 2020 / Innovator Capital Management, LLC (Innovator) announced today the anticipated upside cap ranges and return profiles for the March Series of Innovator S&P 500 Buffer ETFs™, scheduled to begin trading March 2, 2020 on the Cboe (Chicago Board Options Exchange).

Anticipated return profiles for the March Series of S&P 500 Buffer ETFs, as of 2/21/20

Ticker

Name

Buffer Level

Cap Range*

Outcome Period

BMAR
Innovator S&P 500
Buffer ETF™

9.00%

11.22 – 13.61%
12 months
3/1/20 – 2/28/21

PMAR
Innovator S&P 500
Power Buffer ETF™

15.00%

7.51 – 8.71%
12 months
3/1/20 – 2/28/21

UMAR
Innovator S&P 500
Ultra Buffer ETF™

30.00%
(-5% to -35%)

7.07 – 7.87%
12 months
3/1/20 – 2/28/21

* The Cap Ranges above are based on the highest and lowest Cap as illustrated by the Funds' strategy from 1/22/20 – 2/19/20 and are shown gross of the 0.79% management fee. The actual Cap for each Fund will be set at the beginning of the Outcome Period, and is dependent upon market conditions at that time. Periods of high market volatility could result in higher caps, and lower volatility could result in lower caps. As a result, the Cap set by each Fund may be higher or lower than the Cap Range. "Cap" refers to the maximum potential return, before fees and expenses and any shareholder transaction fees and any extraordinary expenses, if held over the full Outcome Period. "Buffer" refers to the amount of downside protection the fund seeks to provide, before fees and expenses, over the full Outcome Period. Outcome Period is the intended length of time over which the defined outcomes are sought. Upon fund launch, the Caps can be found on a daily basis via www.innovatoretfs.com. BMAR, PMAR, & UMAR are not yet available for investment. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Innovator Defined Outcome ETFs – Benefits to Advisors

Pioneer and Creator of Defined Outcome ETFs with over $2 billion AUM across suite
Tax efficient exposure to five broad benchmark indexes (S&P 500, NASDAQ 100, Russell 2000, EAFE, EEM)
Lowest cost available1
Monthly issuance with three buffer levels (9,15, or 30%)
Only sponsor with a proven track record of successful Outcomes2

Innovator Defined Outcome ETFsTM seek to provide a defined exposure to a broad market index (such as the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, Russell 2000, MSCI EAFE, and MSCI Emerging Markets) where the downside buffer level, upside growth potential to a Cap, and Outcome Period are all known, prior to investing. The ETFs reset annually and can be held indefinitely. Innovator Defined Outcome ETFs, with over $2 billion in AUM as of February 20, 2020, are among the fastest-growing new categories of ETFs in the market today.

Defined Outcome ETF Webinars and Videos

Innovator is expanding advisor education around Defined Outcome ETF investing, and has produced a series of webinars available for replay posted on its website using the following link: http://www.innovatoretfs.com/webinars.

Listen to the Innovator Defined Outcome ETFs 101 explainer video by clicking here.

The Funds have characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. For more information regarding whether an investment in the Fund is right for you, please see "Investor Suitability" in the prospectus.

The Innovator Defined Outcome Suite of ETFs

S&P 500:

Innovator S&P 500 Buffer ETFs™ (Cboe: BAPR, BJUN, BJUL, BAUG, BSEP, BOCT, BNOV, BDEC, BJAN, BFEB): Designed to track the price return of the S&P 500 (up to a predetermined Cap) while buffering investors against the first 9% of losses over the Outcome Period, before fees and expenses.

Innovator S&P 500 Power Buffer ETFs™ (Cboe: PAPR, PJUN, PJUL, PAUG, PSEP, POCT, PNOV, PDEC, PJAN, PFEB): Designed to track the price return of the S&P 500 (up to a predetermined Cap) while buffering investors against the first 15% of losses over the Outcome Period, before fees and expenses.

Innovator S&P 500 Ultra Buffer ETFs™ (Cboe: UAPR, UJUN, UJUL, UAUG, USEP, UOCT, UNOV, UDEC, UJAN, UFEB): Designed to track the price return of the S&P 500 (up to a predetermined Cap) while buffering investors against a decline of 30% of losses over the Outcome Period, from -5% to -35%, before fees and expenses. Investors are exposed to loss between 0% and 5% and over 35% over the Outcome Period, before fees and expenses.

Nasdaq 100:

Innovator Nasdaq-100 Power Buffer ETF™ (Cboe: NOCT, NJAN): Designed to track the price return of the Nasdaq 100 Index (up to a predetermined Cap) while buffering investors against the first 15% of losses over the Outcome Period, before fees and expenses.

Russell 2000:

Innovator Russell 2000 Power Buffer ETF™ (Cboe: KOCT, KJAN): Designed to track the price return of the Russell 2000 Index (up to a predetermined Cap) while buffering investors against the first 15% of losses over the Outcome Period, before fees and expenses.

MSCI EAFE:

Innovator MSCI EAFE Power Buffer ETF™ (NYSE: IJUL, IJAN): Designed to track the price return of the MSCI EAFE Index (up to a predetermined Cap) while buffering investors against the first 15% of losses over the Outcome Period, before fees and expenses.

MSCI Emerging Markets:

Innovator MSCI Emerging Markets Power Buffer ETF™ (NYSE: EJUL, EJAN): Designed to track the price return of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (up to a predetermined Cap) while buffering investors against the first 15% of losses over the Outcome Period, before fees and expenses.

Interim Period Shareholders

Unlike structured notes, which offer limited liquidity, Innovator Defined Outcome ETFs trade throughout the day on an exchange, like a stock. As a result, investors purchasing shares of a Fund after its launch date may achieve a different payoff profile than those who entered the Fund on day one. Innovator recognizes this as a benefit of the Funds and provides a web-based tool that allows investors to know, in real-time throughout the trading day, their potential defined outcome return profile before they invest, based on the current ETF price and the Outcome Period remaining. Innovator's web tool can be accessed at http://www.innovatoretfs.com/define.

About Innovator Defined Outcome ETFs

Each Innovator Defined Outcome ETF seeks to provide a defined exposure to a broad market index (such as the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, Russell 2000, MSCI EAFE, and MSCI EM) where the downside buffer level, upside growth potential to a Cap, and Outcome Period are all known, prior to investing. Innovator recently began expanding its suite of S&P 500 Buffer ETFs into a monthly series to provide investors more opportunities to purchase shares as close to the beginning of their respective Outcome Periods as possible.

Investors can purchase shares of a previously listed Defined Outcome ETF throughout the entire Outcome Period, obtaining a current set of defined outcome parameters, which are disclosed daily through a web tool available at: http://innovatoretfs.com/define/.

Innovator is focused on delivering defined outcome based solutions inside the benefit-rich ETF wrapper, retaining many of the features that have contributed to the success of structured products3 (e.g., downside buffer levels, upside participation, defined outcome parameters), but with the added benefits of transparency, liquidity and lower costs afforded by the ETF structure.

ETF Construction

Each Fund will hold a portfolio of custom exchange-traded FLEX Options that have varying strike prices (the price at which the option purchaser may buy or sell the security, at the expiration date), and the same expiration date (approximately one year). The layering of these FLEX Options with varying strike prices provides the mechanism for producing a Fund's desired outcome (i.e. Cap or buffer). Each Fund intends to roll options components annually, on the last business day of the month associated with each Fund.

The ETFs are subadvised by Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC (Milliman FRM), a global leader in financial risk management and one of the largest ETF sub advisors. Milliman FRM was also instrumental in the design of the Cboe S&P 500 Target Outcome Indexes, which the Innovator Defined Outcome S&P 500 Buffer ETFs are benchmarked against.

Although each Fund seeks to achieve the defined outcomes stated in its investment objective, there is no guarantee that it will do so. The returns that the Funds seek to provide do not include the costs associated with purchasing shares of the Fund and certain expenses incurred by the Fund.

About Innovator Capital Management, LLC

Innovator Capital Management, LLC is an SEC registered investment advisor (RIA) based in Wheaton, IL. Formed in 2014, the firm is currently headed by ETF visionaries Bruce Bond and John Southard, founders of one of the largest ETF providers in the world. Innovation is our hallmark and acts as a guide to our company principles. Innovator is committed to helping investors better control their financial outcomes by providing investment opportunities they never considered or thought possible. For additional information, visit www.innovatoretfs.com.

About Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC

Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC (Milliman FRM) is a global leader in financial risk management to the retirement industry, providing investment advisory, hedging, and consulting services on over $148.6 billion in global assets as of September 30, 2019. For more information about Milliman FRM, visit Milliman.com/FRM.

About S&P Dow Jones

The Innovator S&P Defined Outcome ETFs Series are based on a license for the use of the relevant S&P 500 indexes and related marks in connection with a defined outcome ETF. The S&P 500 Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates ("SPDJI") and S&P Opco, LLC, and has been licensed for use by Innovator. Standard & Poor's® and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P"); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones"); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by Innovator. S&P Opco's trademarks are trademarks of S&P Opco, and have been licensed for use by SPDJI and Innovator. The Innovator ETFs are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, their respective affiliates, or S&P Opco and none of such parties make any representations regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the S&P 500 index.

Media Contact
Bill Conboy
+1 (303) 415-2290
bill@bccapitalpartners.com

1 Innovator S&P 500 Buffer ETFs have a 0.79% management fee. Other S&P 500 based Buffer ETFs available to US investors have a higher 0.85% management fee.

2 Innovator Capital Management, LLC is the only issuer that has Defined Outcome ETFs available that have successfully completed a one-year Outcome Period.

3 Structured notes and structured annuities are financial instruments designed and created to afford investors exposure to an underlying asset through a derivative contract. It is important to note that these ETFs are not structured notes or structured annuities.

Investing involves risks. Loss of principal is possible. The Funds face numerous market trading risks, including active markets risk, authorized participation concentration risk, buffered loss risk, cap change risk, capped upside return risk, correlation risk, liquidity risk, management risk, market maker risk, market risk, non-diversification risk, operation risk, options risk, trading issues risk, upside participation risk and valuation risk. For a detail list of fund risks see the prospectus.

Foreign and Emerging Markets Risk Non-U.S. securities and Emerging Markets are subject to higher volatility than securities of domestic issuers due to possible adverse political, social or economic developments, restrictions on foreign investment or exchange of securities, lack of liquidity, currency exchange rates, excessive taxation, government seizure of assets, different legal or accounting standards, and less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges in foreign countries.

Technology Sector Risk Companies in the technology sector are often smaller and can be characterized by relatively higher volatility in price performance when compared to other economic sectors. They can face intense competition which may have an adverse effect on profit margins.

Small Cap Risk Small cap companies may be more volatile and susceptible to adverse developments than their mid and large cap counterpart. In addition, the small cap companies may be less liquid than larger companies.

FLEX Options Risk The Fund will utilize FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC). In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses. Additionally, FLEX Options may be less liquid than standard options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices. The values of FLEX Options do not increase or decrease at the same rate as the reference asset and may vary due to factors other than the price of reference asset.

These Funds are designed to provide point-to-point exposure to the price return of the Index via a basket of Flex Options. As a result, the ETFs are not expected to move directly in line with the Index during the interim period.

Investors purchasing shares after an outcome period has begun may experience very different results than funds' investment objective. Initial outcome periods are approximately 1-year beginning on the funds' inception date. Following the initial outcome period, each subsequent outcome period will begin on the first day of the month the fund was incepted. After the conclusion of an outcome period, another will begin.

Fund shareholders are subject to an upside return cap (the "Cap") that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the funds' for the Outcome Period, before fees and expenses. If the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund has increased in value to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing at that price has little or no ability to achieve gains but remains vulnerable to downside risks. Additionally, the Cap may rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next. The Cap, and the Fund's position relative to it, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Funds' website, www.innovatoretfs.com, provides important Fund information as well information relating to the potential outcomes of an investment in a Fund on a daily basis.

The Funds only seek to provide shareholders that hold shares for the entire Outcome Period with their respective buffer level against Index losses during the Outcome Period. You will bear all Index losses exceeding 9, 15 or 30%. Depending upon market conditions at the time of purchase, a shareholder that purchases shares after the Outcome Period has begun may also lose their entire investment. For instance, if the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund has decreased in value beyond the pre-determined buffer, an investor purchasing shares at that price may not benefit from the buffer. Similarly, if the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund has increased in value, an investor purchasing shares at that price may not benefit from the buffer until the Fund's value has decreased to its value at the commencement of the Outcome Period.

Nasdaq® is a registered trademark of Nasdaq, Inc. (which with its affiliates is referred to as the "Corporations") and is licensed for use by Innovator Capital Management, LLC. The Product(s) have not been passed on by the Corporations as to their legality or suitability. The Product(s) are not issued, endorsed, sold, or promoted by the Corporations.

THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO WARRANTIES AND BEAR NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT(S).

The Innovator Russell 2000 Power Buffer ETF (the "Fund") has been developed solely by Innovator Capital Management, LLC. The "Fund" is not in any way connected to or sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the London Stock Exchange Group plc and its group undertakings (collectively, the "LSE Group"). FTSE Russell is a trading name of certain of the LSE Group companies. All rights in the Russell 2000 Index (the "Index") vest in the relevant LSE Group company which owns the Index. "FTSE®" "Russell®", and "FTSE Russell®" are trade marks of the relevant LSE Group company and are used by any other LSE Group company under license.

The Index is calculated by or on behalf of FTSE International Limited or its affiliate, agent or partner. The LSE Group does not accept any liability whatsoever to any person arising out of (a) the use of, reliance on or any error in the Index or (b) investment in or operation of the Fund. The LSE Group makes no claim, prediction, warranty or representation either as to the results to be obtained from the Fund or the suitability of the Index for the purpose to which it is being put by Innovator Capital Management, LLC.

The ETFs referred to herein is not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by MSCI Inc. or based upon the MSCI EAFE and MSCI Emerging Markets Indexes. MSCI Inc. bears no liability with respect to the ETFs.

MSCI, MSCI EAFE, and MSCI Emerging Markets are trademarks or service marks of MSCI Inc. or its affiliates ("Marks") and are used hereto subject to license from MSCI. All goodwill and use of Marks inures to the benefit of MSCI and its affiliates. No other use of the Marks is permitted without a license from MSCI.

Cboe Global Markets, Inc., and its affiliates do not recommend or make any representation as to possible Benefits from any securities, futures or investments, or third-party products or services. Cboe Global Markets, Inc., is not affiliated with S&P DJI, Milliman, or Innovator Capital Management. Investors should undertake their own due diligence regarding their securities, futures and investment practices.

Cboe Global Markets, Inc., and its affiliates make no warranty, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, any warranties as of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, completeness or timeliness, or as to the results to be obtained by recipients of the products.

INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS SUBJECT TO COMPLETION OR AMENDMENT. A REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATING TO THESE SECURITIES HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION BUT HAS NOT YET BECOME EFFECTIVE. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD NOR MAY OFFERS TO BUY BE ACCEPTED PRIOR TO THE TIME THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT BECOMES EFFECTIVE. THIS COMMUNICATION SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO BUY OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH STATE.

AN INDICATION OF INTEREST IN RESPONSE TO THIS ADVERTISEMENT WILL INVOLVE NO OBLIGATION OR COMMITMENT OF ANY KIND.

Innovator ETFsTM, Defined Outcome ETFTM, Buffer ETFTM, Enhanced ETFTM, Define Your FutureTM, Leading the Defined Outcome ETF RevolutionTM and other service marks and trademarks related to these marks are the exclusive property of Innovator Capital Management, LLC.

The Funds' investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses should be considered before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information, and it may be obtained at innovatoretfs.com. Read it carefully before investing.

Innovator ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

Copyright © 2020 Innovator Capital Management, LLC.

800.208.5212

SOURCE: Innovator

ReleaseID: 577256

DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / February 21, 2020 / ECHG, LLC, a subsidiary of Envela Corporation (NYSE American: ELA) ("Envela" or the "Company") announced today that it has entered into an agreement to lend $1.5MM to CExchange, LLC, and warrant and call-option agreements to acquire all of CExchange's equity interests. There is no assurance that ECHG will exercise its warrant or call option.

"Today is an exciting day for ECHG, as we believe acquiring CExchange will deliver significant value to our shareholders. CExchange shares our core values and strong commitment to fostering talent and delivering a premium customer experience," said John Loftus, CEO of Envela. CExchange also complements ECHG's operations well, with an enviable network of customers, solid marketplace leadership and powerful technology infrastructure," added Loftus.

CExchange, founded in 2006 with a focus on consumer electronics, is a leading provider of consumer electronics trade-in services in the U.S. retail sector, and an expert in reverse logistics, repair services, asset-recovery management and retail-sales representation. It provides services to clients among the largest manufactures, wireless-service providers and U.S. retailers.

CExchange has a proven track record of building custom programs to efficiently process both ends of tech companies' logistics needs. It's been awarded significant contracts from highly respected names in the tech industry. CExchange also provides custom retail solutions for a diverse client base, including several Fortune 500 companies. It uses proprietary market analytics to determine the highest recovery methods for processed products, selling wholesale and direct-to-consumer across multiple channels.

Hunter Howard, President and COO of CExchange, said, "Companies are only as good as their people, innovation and determination. Envela/ECHG leadership, combined with our experienced management team, will prepare us to achieve the next level of success." "Such a partnership will put us in a position to accelerate growth and provide retailers with unsurpassed solutions," added CExChange's CEO and co-founder, Scott Nordhaus.

"ECHG views CExchange as the clear leader in electronics trade-ins, having delivered tremendous value to a long list of Fortune 500 retailers. Its ISO and R2 certified facility, and end-to-end secure technology enable its retail clients to achieve higher trade-in prices for their customers, better data and insights, and a more liquid marketplace," said Tommy McGuire, President of ECHG, LLC. "We believe acquiring CExchange will position ECHG to generate an attractive total return for Envela shareholders over the long term," added McGuire.

About CExchange

CExchange is a leading electronics trade-in and recycling service for retailers. It provides custom solutions to meet the needs of diverse clients, including Fortune 500 companies, both online and offline. CExchange is committed to providing services that help consumers get maximum value for their used electronics and protect the environment through responsible recycling. Its services include reverse logistics and refurbishing; and resale and liquidation services for returned, excess, and other liquidated merchandise. Since servicing its first Fortune 500 company in 2007, CExchange has sold hundreds of millions of dollars of inventory.

About Envela

Envela and its subsidiaries engage in diverse business activities within the recommerce sector. These include one of the nation's premier authenticated recommerce retailers of luxury hard assets; end-of-life asset recycling; data destruction and IT asset management; and providers of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial companies.

Envela operates primarily via two business segments. Through DGSE, LLC, the Company will operate its Dallas Gold and Silver Exchange, Charleston Gold & Diamond Exchange, and Bullion Express brands. Under ECHG, LLC, it will operate Echo Environmental, ITAD USA and Teladvance. Envela is a Nevada corporation, headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Additional information about Envela is available at its investor-relations site, Envela.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements, including statements regarding future equity acquisitions, business strategies, and the potential future success of CExchange. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, market conditions and other risks detailed in the Company's periodic report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release except as required by law.

Investor Relations Contact:
David Vadala
Head of Investor Relations
Envela Corporation
13022 Preston Rd Dallas, TX 75240
972.587.4030

SOURCE: Envela Corporation

ReleaseID: 577302

HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / February 21, 2020 / Spark Energy, Inc. ("Spark" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:SPKE), an independent retail energy services company, announced today that it plans to present its full year and fourth quarter 2019 financial results in a conference call and webcast on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at 10:00 AM Central (11:00 AM Eastern).

A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed from the Events & Presentations page of the Spark Energy Investor Relations website at ir.sparkenergy.com/events-and-presentations. An archived replay of the webcast will be available for twelve months following the live presentation.

About Spark Energy, Inc.

Spark Energy, Inc. is an independent retail energy services company founded in 1999 that provides residential and commercial customers in competitive markets across the United States with an alternative choice for their natural gas and electricity. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Spark currently operates in 19 states and serves 94 utility territories. Spark offers its customers a variety of product and service choices, including stable and predictable energy costs and green product alternatives.

We use our website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Investors should note that new materials, including press releases, updated investor presentations, and financial and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are posted on the Spark Energy Investor Relations website at ir.sparkenergy.com. Investors are urged to monitor our website regularly for information and updates about the Company.

Contact: Spark Energy, Inc.

Investors:

Mike Barajas, 832-200-3727

Media:

Kira Jordan, 832-255-7302

SOURCE: Spark Energy, Inc.

ReleaseID: 577274

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 21, 2020 / StageZero Life Sciences, Ltd (TSX:SZLS) ("StageZero" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it closed a private placement of convertible debentures (each a "Debenture") for gross proceeds of $1,180,000 on February 19, 2020 (the "Offering").

The Debentures, issued in increments of $1,000, bear interest at a rate of 6% per annum, have a term of 18 months from the date of issue and are convertible in units ("Units") at a conversion price of $0.04 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one (1) common share ("Common Share") of the Company and one-half (1/2) of a Common Share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant (a "Warrant") is exercisable into one Common Share of the Company at an exercise price of CAD$0.07 per Common Share for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the date of issuance of the Debentures. Securities issued pursuant to the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period lasting four (4) months and a day after the issuance of the securities.

The debentures will be secured against the assets of the Company once the Convertible Security Funding Agreement (CSFA) between the Company and Lind Asset Management XI, LLC is duly terminated.

"This Debenture, together with our private placement of $674,409 announced January 27 will allow us to more aggressively advance our commercialization efforts as well as begin the final phase for the Aristotle program" commented James Howard-Tripp, Chairman and CEO of StageZero. "It was pleasing to note that we were significantly oversubscribed".

About StageZero Life Sciences, Ltd.

StageZero Life Sciences is dedicated to the early detection of cancer and multiple disease states through whole blood. Aristotle®, our next generation test, is a panel for simultaneously screening for 10 cancers from a single sample of blood with high sensitivity and specificity for each cancer. Aristotle is built on our proven and proprietary Sentinel Principle Technology Platform which has been validated on 10,000 patients and used to develop the first liquid biopsy for Colorectal Cancer, with further validation currently underway. In addition to building a pipeline of products for early cancer detection, the Company operates a CAP accredited and CLIA certified reference laboratory based in Richmond, Virginia that offers the ColonSentry® test as well as licensed biomarker tests for lung, breast and prostate cancers. To learn more visit www.stagezerolifesciences.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements identified by words such as "expects", "will" and similar expressions, which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual events to differ materially from those projected herein. Investors should consult the Company's ongoing quarterly filings and annual reports for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Company Contacts:

James R. Howard-Tripp
Chairman & CEO
jht@stagezerols.com
Tel: 1-855-420-7140 Ext. 1

Rebecca Greco
Investor Relations
rgreco@stagezerols.com
Tel: 1-855-420-7140 Ext. 1838

SOURCE: StageZero Life Sciences, Ltd.

ReleaseID: 577311

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 21, 2020 / Gratomic Inc. ("GRAT" or the "Company") (TSXV:GRAT) (FRANKFURT: CB81, WKN:A143MR) is pleased to provide the following update to shareholders on general operations and the issuance of mining license ML215.

Mining License Update

On the 24th of January the Company's Co-CEO, Arnoldus Brand met with the Ministry of Mines and Energy in Namibia to satisfy a request that came from the special committee that is in charge of recommending the mining license request to the Minister of Mines and Energy, to provide an update on mine development and to fulfill certain criteria required for the approval of the mining license.

The Company is happy to report that it fulfilled 100% of the required criteria during the meeting and was requested to amend the current Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan over EPL 3895 to include ML 215.

After meeting with the members of the special committee, the Company immediately engaged Risk-Based Solutions (RBS) CC, Consulting Arm of Foresight Group Namibia (FGN) (Pty) Ltd, to start amending the EIA and EMP to include ML215. The final submission of the amended EIA and EMP was done on the 17th of February 2020. Through this submission Gratomic has now fulfilled all requirements to satisfy the committee's requests and is now waiting to hear back from the Ministry of Mines and Energy with respect to the granting of mining licence ML215.

We would like to thank the Ministry for their co-operation and hard work to help Gratomic advance towards a mining company from a junior exploration company.

Operations Update

The Chinese manufacturing facility that is supplying the last pieces of equipment that make up the greater part of the drying circuit for the Aukam mine graphite processing plant has experienced significant delays due to the impact of the Coronavirus and has been unable to ship the equipment. The Company has been waiting for correspondence from the manufacturer on the platform designs that are required to be poured at the same time as the shipment leaves China to provide a sufficient curing period for the concrete platforms. The minimum shipping time from China to Namibia is 39 days once the equipment leaves port. We foresee further delays at both the port of China and the port of Walvis Bay given strict quarantine restrictions at both ports currently.

On the 19th of February the Company received feed-back from the manufacturer on the platform designs and confirmation that some of the staff have returned back to the factory and it is now able to proceed with shipping of the remaining equipment.

The List of Equipment from China includes the following:

Cyclone Cluster

10 m Electrical Dryer

Thickener

600 mm conveyor belt

Filter press

Slurry pumps and lines

The equipment was specifically designed and built to accommodate mass balance pull and the treatment of Aukam Graphite based on the results of our pilot testing programs.

The remainder of the equipment has already been set up on site and what remains is the arrival of this equipment to fully complete the 20,000 tonnes per year operating capacity of the processing facility.

We appreciate the patience of our shareholders during this delay.

We further sympathize with our Chinese vendors as they have been going through a difficult time.

Management Update

In an effort to reduce the Company's expenditures, the majority of Namibian staff and management has agreed to go to 50% remuneration as per SECTION 12 (6) OF THE NAMIBIAN LABOUR ACT NO 11 OF 2007 until the granting of ML215. The Canadian management team has lead by example by doing the same in an effort to preserve capital for operations.

The efforts by the Namibian team to agree to such conditions is extraordinary and shows their commitment to the success of the business.

We thank each and every one of our devoted and hard-working employees for their commitment towards the success of Gratomic as a company.

Financing Update

Gratomic further pushes to conclude its current financing as the Company moves towards fully commercializing its assets.

To date the Company has raised CAD $626,000 of up to a CAD $2.5 million-dollar issuance.

Management has excelled beyond their calling to do as much as they can to further operations along and will continue to work relentlessly to earn success.

TODA Notes Update

Further to the press release of October 17, 2019, where Gratomic announced the Supply Agreement with TODAQ Holdings ("TODAQ") to supply TODAQ with an aggregate of USD $25,000,000 of graphite, payable in TODA Notes ("TDN"), and the subsequent press release on December 20, 2019 where Gratomic received its first of two purchase orders from TODAQ, Gratomic is pleased to provide an update on the current status of TDN trading. TDN has been trading on BitForex, a digital asset exchange, with a 30-day average price and volume of approximately USD $0.24 and USD $950,000, respectively. TDN first started trading on Bitforex on November 1, 2019 at a price of USD $0.10 and a volume of USD $300,000. To follow TDN, please click the following link: https://www.bitforex.com/en/spot/tdn_btc. No TDN will be issued to the Company until the equipment arrives from China and the processing plant is in production.

Arno Brand, Co-CEO, stated: "These have been trying times for the Company as it progresses its efforts to evolve from a junior exploration company to a mining company. The achievements of those that have sacrificed their time in making it a reality will not go unnoticed. The Company is still in a very strong position as it has built its operations without having to fall on the assistance of an abusive debt transaction that will impede its profitability and damage shareholder value going forward. I am proud of our team for their patience and hard work as we wait for our mining license. I would further like to thank all the shareholders for their continued support."

Risk Factors

No mineral resources, let alone mineral reserves demonstrating economic viability and technical feasibility, have been delineated on the Aukam Property. The Company is not in a position to demonstrate or disclose any capital and/or operating costs that may be associated with satisfying the terms of the TODAQ Supply Agreement.

Gratomic wishes to emphasize that Supply Agreement is conditional on Gratomic being able to bring the Aukam project into a production phase, and for any graphite being produced to meet certain technical and mineralization requirements.

Gratomic continues to move its business towards production and as part of its business plan, expects to obtain a National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects technical report to help it ascertain the economics of Aukam. Presently the Company uses its existing pilot processing facility to produce certain amounts of graphite concentrate from accumulated surface graphite.

The Company advises that it has not based its production decision on even the existence of mineral resources let alone on a feasibility study of mineral reserves, demonstrating economic and technical viability, and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit.

The Supply Agreement provides that if Gratomic is unable to deliver graphite in accordance with the orders from Todaq, Todaq has the right to refuse to take any subsequent attempt to fulfill the order, terminate the agreement immediately, obtain substitute product from another supplier and recover from the Company any costs and expenses incurred in obtaining such substitute product or suing for damages under the contract.

Historically, such projects have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure. There is no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved.

Failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company's ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations. Failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company's cash flow and future profitability.

Steve Gray, P.Geo. has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release and is Gratomic's "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Gratomic Inc.

Gratomic is an advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products most notably high value graphene-based components for a range of mass market products. We have a JV collaborating with Perpetuus Carbon Technology, a leading European manufacturer of graphenes, to use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol GRAT.

For more information: visit the website at www.gratomic.ca or contact:

Arno Brand, Co-CEO, +1 416-561-4095 E-mail inquiries: abrand@gratomic.ca

"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com).

SOURCE: Gratomic Inc.

ReleaseID: 577300

Company Cuts an Estimate of Over $35 million in Losses to Focus on Efficiencies, Profitability and Sustainable Job Creation

FISHERS, IN / ACCESSWIRE / February 21, 2020 / American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC) ("American Resources" or the "Company"), a supplier of raw materials to the rapidly growing global infrastructure marketplace with a primary focus on the extraction, processing, transportation and distribution of metallurgical carbon to the steel and specialty metals industries, announced today that it has substantially completed the post-acquisition restructuring of Perry County Resources ("PCR").

American Resources has been a consolidator and operator of quality metallurgical carbon assets in the Central Appalachian basin (CAPP) to serve customers in the steelmaking, specialty alloy metals, and industrial marketplaces. Its next-generation model and philosophy is to restructure existing, legacy operations to better fit the modern-day marketplace by eliminating legacy costs and liabilities to significantly reduce the overall operating costs and to allow its operations to thrive throughout all cycles of the carbon market. Perry County Resources is the Company's fifth carbon processing and logistics complex located in eastern Kentucky, near the town of Hazard.

"We are extremely excited to have the restructuring of Perry County Resources complete and now have the complex in a much better position to serve its customers, workforce, community and all of our shareholders," stated Mark Jensen, Chairman and CEO of American Resources Corporation. "We also applaud our team's hard work, tenacity and ability to stay focused, despite numerous distractions that have been presented by parties that fought such change and to keep this project on its desired timeline."

American Resources acquired PCR in October, 2019 as part of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings of Cambrian Holding Company, Inc. which were governed by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. As part of its restructuring efforts to significantly cut costs and reset the operations to focus on efficiency and profitability, the Company has made the decision to complete the following initiatives:

Eliminated an estimated $35 million of annual expenses from the PCR complex by either restructuring or eliminating costly policies, contracts, leases and operations including certain long-term leases that cost the complex over $80 million over the last twenty years.
Executed a mine consolidation project to reallocate resources from two existing deep mines when purchased, into one of the existing deep mines allowing the Company to convert the operating sections and mine plan to support similar output under a much more efficient, lower-cost structure. The revised mine plan now allows the Company to run super-sections, rather than single-sections, which essentially doubles the output with only 25% incremental labor.
Entered into an agreement to divest the non-core, idled deep mine which reduces holding costs and provides capital and equipment to support the operating deep mine at PCR.
Implemented repair and revised maintenance plans to both underground and processing equipment to significantly increase the efficiency and productivity of the equipment and workforce.
Restructured the remaining deep mine to reduce maintenance and holding costs, while improving the safety of the retained operations.

"We remain fully confident in the changes we brought to PCR and are bringing to the industry as a whole. We look forward to discussing with the state, regulators and employees about getting this mine back into production. We are willing and able to hire back approximately 100 men and women and are confident that the state and regulators would also like to see these jobs created and retained in an area that needs them more than ever," concluded Mr. Jensen.

American Resources is now in the process of interviewing for the PCR complex and hopes to have it back online under its efficient, low-cost operating structure within the next thirty days. Interested applicants can visit here for more information.

American Resources Corporation continues to focus on its growth objective by efficiently leveraging its large number of core mining permits and through identifying strategic, supplemental acquisitions. The Company is committed to being one of the lowest cost operators in the Central Appalachian basin (CAPP) and throughout all its carbon mining, processing, and transportation operations.

About American Resources Corporation

American Resources Corporation is a supplier of raw materials to the rapidly growing global infrastructure marketplace. The company's primary focus is on the extraction, processing, transportation and selling of metallurgical carbon and pulverized coal injection (PCI) to the steel industry. The company operations are based in the Central Appalachian basin of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia where premium quality metallurgical products are located.

The company's business model is based on running a streamlined and efficient operation to economically extract and deliver resources to meet its customers' demands. By running operations with low or no legacy costs, American Resources Corporation works to maximize margins for its investors while being able to scale its operations to meet the growth of the global infrastructure market.

Website:
http://www.americanresourcescorp.com

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond American Resources Corporation's control. The words "believes", "may", "will", "should", "would", "could", "continue", "seeks", "anticipates", "plans", "expects", "intends", "estimates", or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Any forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. The Company cannot assure you that the projected results or events will be achieved.

PR Contact:

Precision Public Relations
Matt Sheldon
917-280-732
matt@precisionpr.co

Company Contact:

Mark LaVerghetta
317-855-9926 ext. 0
Vice President of Corporate Finance and Communications
investor@americanresourcescorp.com

SOURCE: American Resources Corporation

ReleaseID: 577273

Large Purchase Order Received for Thermal Imaging Product  for Consumer Market Application

ORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / February 21, 2020 / LightPath Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:LPTH) ("LightPath," the "Company," or "we"), a leading vertically integrated global manufacturer, distributor and integrator of proprietary optical and infrared components and high-level assemblies, today announced it has won a $1.14 million purchase order for 2.7mm focal length thermal imaging lens assemblies from a well-known technology integrator and original equipment manufacturer ("OEM") in East Asia and its partnership in the European Union.

Jim Gaynor, LightPath's President & CEO, stated, "This contract win is an example of how LightPath is using its advanced technologies and manufacturing capabilities to differentiate itself from the competition in the emerging and fast-growing market for thermal imaging sensors."

The 2.7mm focal length lens is a catalog solution adaptable to a variety of long-wave infrared ("LWIR") thermal sensing applications. It utilizes several of LightPath's vertically integrated in-house capabilities, such as: 1) state-of-the-art precision glass molding that enables aspheric performance with tight tolerances; 2) high-efficiency anti-reflective ("AR") coatings; and, 3) LightPath's BD6 (chalcogenide) glass material, which offers optical athermalization and high transmission over a wide range of temperatures. LightPath is expected to start monthly deliveries in April of 2020 and fulfill the agreement ratably over 12 months, with production managed from the Company's facilities in China.

LightPath continues to increase its offerings of thermal imaging lenses with a broad range of focal lengths to enable applications such as monitoring solutions for health care markets, smart homes and businesses, firefighting, security and surveillance, military target tracking and situational awareness, outdoor sporting equipment, industrial thermography, and many other emerging applications.

About LightPath Technologies

LightPath Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:LPTH) is a leading global, vertically integrated provider of optics, photonics and infrared solutions for the industrial, commercial, defense, telecommunications, and medical industries. LightPath designs, manufactures, and distributes proprietary optical and infrared components including molded glass aspheric lenses and assemblies, infrared lenses and thermal imaging assemblies, fused fiber collimators, and proprietary Black DiamondTM ("BD6") chalcogenide-based glass lenses. LightPath also offers custom optical assemblies, including full engineering design support. The Company is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, with manufacturing and sales offices in Latvia and China.

LightPath's wholly-owned subsidiary, ISP Optics Corporation, manufactures a full range of infrared products from high-performance MWIR and LWIR lenses and lens assemblies. ISP's infrared lens assembly product line includes athermal lens systems used in cooled and un-cooled thermal imaging cameras. Manufacturing is performed in-house to provide precision optical components including spherical, aspherical and diffractive coated infrared lenses. ISP's optics processes allow it to manufacture its products from all important types of infrared materials and crystals. Manufacturing processes include CNC grinding and CNC polishing, diamond turning, continuous and conventional polishing, optical contacting and advanced coating technologies.

For more information on LightPath and its businesses, please visit www.lightpath.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes statements that constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our ability to expand our presence in certain markets, future sales growth, continued improvements in our financial results, and implementation of new distribution channels. This information may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, factors detailed by LightPath Technologies, Inc. in its public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. Except as required under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, we do not have any intention or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

CONTACTS:

Jeremy Huddleston
Imaging Optics Product Line Manager
jhuddleston@lightpath.com

Omar Ruiz
Specialty Product Line Manager
oruiz@lightpath.com

Jordan Darrow
Darrow Associates
512-551-9296
jdarrow@darrowir.com

SOURCE: LightPath Technologies, Inc.

ReleaseID: 577272

Numerous talks and posters on sphingotec's acute care biomarkers in the scientific program of the conference

sphingotec to host symposium "Relevant Pathways, Novel Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches in Acute Organ Dysfunction"

HENNISDORF, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / February 21, 2020 / SphingoTec GmbH ("sphingotec") today announced that novel data on its acute care biomarkers Proenkephalin (penKid(R)) and Dipeptidyl Peptidase 3 (DPP3) will be presented at the 25th International Conference on Advances in Critical Care Nephrology (AKI & CRRT 2020) taking place in San Diego, CA, USA, on February 24-27, 2020.

AKI & CCRT 2020 Presentations on penKid(R) and DPP3

In the scientific program of the conference, clinical researchers will present the latest results from studies investigating these two critical care biomarkers and their utility in diagnosing kidney injury. In a session on translating biomarker discoveries to clinical care, Peter Pickkers (Radboud University | RU · Department of Intensive Care, Nijmegen, The Netherlands) will present data demonstrating that sphingotec's kidney function marker penKid(R) is a reliable surrogate for assessing true glomerular filtration rate (true GFR) in patients with renal insufficiency. Previous studies demonstrated that penKid(R) is a real-time kidney function biomarker, which is independent of inflammation and other co-morbidities. In another session, Matthieu Legrand (University of California, San Francisco | UCSF · Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, USA) will provide evidence showing that sphingotec's biomarker DPP3 is one cause for short-term kidney dysfunction and is highly associated with the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with severe burns. Being at the core of a newly discovered disease mechanism, DPP3 has been shown to play a causal role in short-term organ dysfunction when released into the bloodstream upon massive cell death in several acute and critical care conditions.

Sphingotec Symposium at AKI & CCRT 2020

In a symposium organized by sphingotec titled "Relevant Pathways, Novel Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches in Acute Organ Dysfunction" leading clinical researchers will further discuss pathways leading to acute organ dysfunctions in critically ill patients as well as a novel diagnostic solution to assess the involvement of such pathways in acute and critical care conditions. Beyond providing an overview of novel biomarkers for monitoring kidney function, endothelial function, and DPP3-mediated heart and kidney dysfunction, the speakers will also share findings that are qualifying these biomarkers as biotargets.

Oral Presentations at AKI & CRRT 2020

Session: Bench to Bedside: Translating Discoveries to Clinical Care, February 24, 2020

"Proenkephalin: Is it the New GFR Marker?" presented by Peter Pickkers (Radboud University | RU · Department of Intensive Care)

Session: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI): Pathophysiology, February 25, 2020

"DPP3 in Critical Illness: Another Piece of the Puzzle" presented by Matthieu Legrand (University of California, San Francisco | UCSF · Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care)

Poster Presentation at AKI & CRRT 2020

Title: Proenkephalin, a Novel Biomarker for Kidney Function, is Earlier in Detecting Acute Kidney Injury Compared to Creatinine.

Authors R Beunders, M Meekes, J Struck, P Pickkers

Title: Proenkephalin Predicts Renal Dysfunction, Organ Failures, Renal Replacement Therapy, and Mortality in Sepsis

Authors H Kim, M Hur, J Struck, A Bergmann, S Di Somma

Title: penKid Proenkephalin A 119-159 effectively predicts Acute Kidney Injury, Multiple Organ Failure, Mortality particularly among septic patients at the ER with seemingly intact renal function

Authors M Rosenqvist, K Bronton, O Hartmann, A Bergmann, J Struck & O Melander

About sphingotec

SphingoTec GmbH ("sphingotec"; Hennigsdorf near Berlin, Germany) develops and markets innovative in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests for novel and proprietary biomarkers for the diagnosis, prediction and monitoring of acute medical conditions, such as sepsis, acute heart failure, circulatory shock, and acute kidney injury in order to support patient management and provide guidance for treatment strategies. sphingotec's proprietary biomarker portfolio includes Bioactive Adrenomedullin (bio-ADM(R)), a unique biomarker for real-time assessment of endothelial function in conditions like sepsis or congestive heart failure, Proenkephalin (penKid(R)), a unique biomarker for real-time assessment of kidney function, and Dipeptidyl Peptidase 3 (DPP3), a unique biomarker for cardio-renal pathway disruptions leading to acute organ dysfunction. In addition, sphingotec develops a portfolio of novel biomarkers, which predict the risks of developing obesity, breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases. IVD tests for sphingotec's proprietary biomarkers are made available as sphingotest(R) microtiterplate tests as well as point-of-care tests on the Nexus IB10 immunoassay platform by sphingotec's subsidiary Nexus Dx Inc. (San Diego, CA, USA) alongside a broad menu of IB10 tests for established biomarkers for acute and critical care.

Contact
SphingoTec GmbH
Ruxandra Lenz
Neuendorfstr. 15 A
16761 Hennigsdorf
Germany
Tel. +49-3302-20565-0
press@sphingotec.de
www.sphingotec.com

SOURCE: SphingoTec GmbH

ReleaseID: 577310

Not for Distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for Dissemination in the United States

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 21, 2020 / Aztec Minerals Corp. (TSXV: AZT)(OTCQB:AZZTF) has arranged a CAD$430,000 non-brokered private placement financing with sophisticated investors, shareholders and directors of the Company. No finders fees are payable with respect to this financing.

The Company has agreed to issue 8.6 million units at a price of CAD$0.05 per Unit for gross proceeds of CAD$430,000. Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company and one-half (1/2) warrant with each full warrant exercisable to purchase an additional common share at an exercise price of CAD$0.10 for a two-year period following the closing of the Private Placement.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Private Placement to conduct exploration work on its Tombstone CRD silver-gold-lead-zinc-copper project in Arizona, complete the joint venture agreement for the Cervantes Porphyry gold-copper project in Mexico, and for general working capital purposes.

The closing of the Private Placement is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"). The securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws commencing on the closing date of the Private Placement.

The securities being offered under the Private Placement have not been, nor will they be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. federal and state registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities in the United States.

"Joey Wilkins"

Joey Wilkins, Chief Executive Officer
Aztec Minerals Corp.

About Aztec Minerals – Aztec is a mineral exploration company focused on the discovery of large mineral deposits in the Americas. Our core assets include the prospective, district scale Cervantes porphyry gold-copper property in Sonora, Mexico, and the Tombstone CRD silver-gold-lead-zinc-copper district in Arizona. The Company board and management have successful track records of value creation through discovery, development and production in the mining sector. Aztec's shares trade on the TSXV (symbol AZT) and on the OTCQB (symbol AZZTF).

Contact Information – For more information, please contact:

Joey Wilkins, President and CEO or Bradford Cooke, Chairman
Tel: (604) 685-9770
Fax: (604) 685-9744
Email: joey@aztecminerals.com
Website: www.aztecminerals.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects" or "it is expected", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward looking statements in this press release include, but are not restricted to, statements regarding the completion of the Private Placement, the number of securities to be issued in the Private Placement, the anticipated gross proceeds of the Private Placement, and the Company's planned use of the proceeds of the Private Placement.

These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include that the Company does not complete all or any part of the Private Placement or the Company does not receive regulatory acceptance to the Private Placement. Accordingly the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward looking statements, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Aztec Minerals Corp.

ReleaseID: 577284