NA Proactive news snapshot: Marrone Bio, American Battery Metals, Exro Technologies, Q BioMed UPDATE …

Marrone Bio Innovations Inc (NASDAQ:MBII) announced Tuesday that two of its biofungicide products -- Stargus and Regalia -- have been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency for indoor and outdoor use on hemp plants. Stargus and Regalia improve hemp plant quality and yield, as well as treat and protect hemp plants from a range of diseases, including powdery mildew, Botrytis bud rot, Sclerotinia white mold, Fusarium rots and wilts and other fungal and bacterial diseases. Marrone Bio said this is the first time that the EPA has approved crop protection products on hemp since the crop became legal to grow under the 2018 Farm Bill.  American Battery Metals Corporation (OTCMKTS:ABML) announced the launch Tuesday of a battery recycling plant in Nevada that the company expects to have up and running in the second half of 2020. “Our facility and process will make American Battery Metals Corporation one of the largest lithium-ion battery recyclers in the world,” CEO Doug Cole said in a statement. “We will harvest and then redeploy strategic metals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel back into the supply chain at a considerable cost advantage." Exro Technologies Inc (CSE:XRO) (OTCMKTS:EXROF) announced Tuesday that Schneider Electric’s Viorel Nica is joining the company’s business advisory board. Nica, who is currently the services business director at Schneider Canada, will provide “strategic guidance” to Exro’s technology roadmap, the firm said in a release. The new advisory board member also spent 19 years at General Electric in its motors and industrial divisions. Q BioMed Inc (OTCMKTS:QBIO) is eyeing revenues of between $25 million and over $50 million annually within the next three years from the sales of its cancer pain drug, which received clearance for production by the FDA late last year. "We expect to initiate sales early in Q1 2020. Having a revenue stream will differentiate QBIO from most others in the microcap biotech space," the company said in a shareholder update ahead of the commercial launch of its first drug - Strontium-89. For the drug, the firm has also announced a distribution partnership with Jubilant Radiopharma, allowing access to the whole US market. It is also planning a Phase 4 clinical trial involving Strontium-89 with the goal of treating metastatic bone cancer, which would potentially generate significantly more in annual revenues. Fidelity Minerals Corp (CVE:FMN) on Tuesday provided an update on the progress with the Cerro Dorado plant upgrades and sale. Per a modification arrangement reached with the purchaser, the company said in a statement that it has received US$250,000 of the December payment for the gold plant in Arequipa, Peru. The total sale to certain private Peruvian interests is US$1.43 million, with the balance payable on January 22. The arrangement suits Fidelity Minerals and helps the purchaser maintain pace on the plant upgrades. And the payment schedule as previously announced remains otherwise unchanged. NetCents Technology Inc (CSE:NC) (OTCMKTS:NCCTF) is boosting its board with the addition of a Swiss finance executive, the firm said Tuesday. Daniel-Carl Eigenmann, founder of leading wealth management firm Iko Capital AG, is joining the Vancouver-based cryptocurrency company’s board. Also joining the board is current NetCents CFO Christopher Cherry. The additions come as board member and president Gordon Jessop announced his retirement effective December 31, 2019. Recruiter.com Group Inc (OTCMKTS:RCRT) announced Tuesday that its Job Market platform is now available to businesses that use SAP Fieldglass on SAP App Center, the digital marketplace for SAP partner offerings. By integrating the Job Market platform with SAP Fieldglass -- an industry-leading, cloud-based vendor management system that transforms how companies find, engage and manage their external workforces -- organizations will be able to access expert recruiters for their contingent workforce staffing needs, particularly the hardest-to-fill positions across specialties and industries. Recruiter.com’s diverse network of talent delivery specialists helps organizations reduce recruiting costs and shorten recruiting cycles by cutting down the usually time-intensive candidate screening process. Australis Capital Inc (CSE:AUSA) (OTCMKTS:AUSAF) said Tuesday that it has strengthened the company’s leadership team by promoting Alex Han, who was vice president of accounting, to the role of chief accounting officer. In a statement, Australis Capital CEO Scott Dowty said Han is an “exceptional executive” who has proven her unique skills during the past year and brought “tremendous value” to the company. "As Australis Capital evolves, Alex will work closely with the C-suite and board of directors delivering on sound accounting practices, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning while expanding her highly skilled team," said Dowty. Surge Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:SURG) revealed it was recognized by the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in North America in 2019. The Memphis group provides financial and telecom services. It offers subsidized wireless service to low income customers. It also operates the SurgePays Marketplace, a sales channel that disrupts the traditional corner store supply chain model by providing local retailers direct access to regional manufacturers. “In just a few short years, we grew from a monthly revenue run rate of $125,000 to over $5 million per month. We achieved these results while 2019 was primarily focused on product development and building our infrastructure,” said Surge President Anthony Nuzzo. After announcing two deals worth over US$21 million to kick off 2020, analysts at Noble Capital Markets are looking forward to a strong 2020 from Great Panther Mining Limited (NYSEAMERICAN:GPL) (TSE:GPR). The Vancouver-based company kicked off the week with a US$11.25 million gold doré prepayment agreement with a Samsung subsidiary, which comes hot on the heels of a late-December offtake deal with IXM Group worth US$10 million. In a recent research note, analysts at Noble said that the proceeds from the financing will go towards advancing the miner’s 2020 strategic initiatives. Shares in exploration group Tocvan Ventures Corp (CNSX:TOC) shot up as it reported "very encouraging" assays from grab sampling at its Pilar gold project in Sonora state, Mexico, which have extended the known mineralization.High grade gold (Au) and silver (Ag) mineralization was found at two new showings, the Calgary-based group said in a statement. Tocvan shares added 15.4% in Toronto to stand at C$0.15 each. "The assay results are very encouraging and provide new areas to potentially develop and define additional mineralization east and south-east of the main area of drilling of the North Hill Zone, Main Zone, and 4-Trench Zone," the company said. AgraFlora Organics International Inc (CSE:AGRA) (OTCMKTS:AGFAF) provided a corporate update Tuesday, saying it was kicking off 2020 with a fully automated edibles facility, a technically advanced production facility, worldwide distribution and strong brands. In a statement, the company said 2019 was a “transformative year” for AgraFlora, bookended by “accretive acquisitions.” As a result, AgraFlora increased its equity stake to 70% in its Propagation Services Canada joint venture, which houses the firm’s 2.2 million square foot Delta Greenhouse Facility. GGX Gold Corp (CVE:GGX) (OTCMKTS:GGXXF) updated on last year's exploration at its Gold Drop property in the Greenwood Mining Camp, British Columbia, where findings merit more investigation. The work included a deep drill hole to test a large geophysical anomaly at the property, which showed elevated copper, zinc and iron between 90.31 metres (m) and 718.7m. NexTech AR Solutions Corp (CSE:NTAR) (OTCMKTS:NEXCF), the augmented reality company, posted rocketing revenue totals in a preliminary fourth-quarter statement on Tuesday. The company brought in more than $2.5 million in revenue for the period, 44 times more than the same quarter last year, while gross profit clocked in at $1.3 million. NexTech earned $760,000 in December alone, its biggest sales quarter ever, and saw gross profit of $453,000. Fireweed Zinc Ltd (CVE:FWZ) revealed plans to move towards a maiden resource for the Boundary Zone at its Macmillan Pass project in Yukon as it said last year saw excellent results at several targets across its flagship property. Last year's drilling at Boundary hit wide zones of potential open pit mineralization and assays included 100 metres (m) of 7.94% zinc from surface including 6.4 m of 42.88% zinc, the company highlighted. This year, the firm plans more drilling in the zone. 1933 Industries Inc (CSE:TGIF) (OTCMKTS:TGIFF) is moving westward into the most populous US state with a new manufacturing and cultivation operation in California, the company announced Tuesday. Vancouver-based 1933 Industries said it is poised to begin manufacturing its line of proprietary CBD wellness products for sale in California dispensaries. The company is also debuting its Alternative Medicine Association-branded THC products in the Golden State. Ximen Mining Corp (CVE:XIM) (OTCMKTS:XXMMF) has updated on last year's exploration at the Gold Drop property in British Columbia carried out by option partner GGX Gold Corp (CVE:GGX) (OTCMKTS:GGXXF), which included drilling and surface prospecting.  Among the work was the last hole drilled on the COD vein, which was designed to test the vein at depth below other holes drilled in 2019. The hole encountered two quartz veined zones containing elevated gold contents. Assays included 3.33 grams per tonne (g/t) of the yellow metal from an intersection of 0.44 metres (m) from a depth of 128.62 m, Ximen reported. Co-Diagnostics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CODX), a molecular diagnostics company with a unique, patented platform for the development of diagnostic tests, said Tuesday that its ground-breaking CoPrimer technology will be featured at the International Plant & Animal Genome XXVIII conference, held on January 11-15 in San Diego, California. The group said the evaluation of BHQplex CoPrimers in flexible PCR-based genotyping will be presented by a representative of Bayer-Crop Science on Monday, January 13, in a presentation titled ‘CoPrimer Assays for Multiplex PCR.’ Newgioco Group Inc (NASDAQ:NWGI), a global sports betting and gaming technology company, says CEO Michele (Mike) Ciavarella and founder Beniamino Gianfelici will be joined by several members of management, advisors, and guests to ring the opening bell of the Nasdaq Stock Market on January 14 at 9:30 am ET. The ceremony will be webcast live beginning at 9:20 am. "We are incredibly grateful to have been invited by Nasdaq to participate in this iconic event ushering in a new era for Newgioco," said Ciavarella,