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BRiN™ SeaDifferently – a sleek, sustainable reusable toothbrush made from recycled ocean plastic.

BRiN™ SeaDifferently – Earth-friendly and award-winning reusable toothbrush, developed by French industrial designer François Hurtaud and Hong Kong marketing veteran Karis Lim.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 21 March 2023 – Hong Kong-based lifestyle brand, BRiN™, has unveiled its first product: SeaDifferently, a sleek, eco-friendly toothbrush holistically designed to reduce waste and support sustainability across the entire use cycle.

BRiN - SeaDifferently- Eco Friendly Replaceable Head Toothbrush Atlantic - Ocean Plastic Recycle Buy.png
BRiN – SeaDifferently- Eco Friendly Replaceable Head Toothbrush Atlantic – Ocean Plastic Recycle Buy.png

A Gold Medal winner at the Hong Kong Smart Design Awards, SeaDifferently is completely reusable – brush heads are replaceable, each using a blend of natural bio-plastic filament and recycled post-consumer plastic, while the durable handle is made from FDA-approved recycled ocean plastic, designed to last for decades.

A subscription option offers greater convenience, featuring automatic brush head refills and free worldwide shipping, with all products packed in 100% compostable materials, significantly reducing the overall environmental impact.

“The intention was to reimagine an essential consumer good as completely sustainable for people’s everyday lives,” said industrial designer François Hurtaud. “Our aim is to make convenience and eco-consciousness work seamlessly together, which is rarely the case for most products in the market.”

BRiN™ SeaDifferently was developed by Hurtaud in partnership with marketing veteran, Karis Lim. The pair spent three years developing the BRiN brand and its launch product, SeaDifferently, with the prototype taking home Gold in the Green Awards at the 2021 Hong Kong Smart Design Awards. Additional time was spent ensuring all materials were ethically sourced and the product itself was durable enough to promote sustainability in the personal hygiene industry.

“Manual toothbrushes – even natural ones made from wood or bamboo – are difficult to recycle, due to the metal staples that attach their bristles,” says Lim. “But SeaDifferently reduces waste by 90% at the end of each use cycle, an important first step to eliminating a growing global problem.”

SeaDifferently’s functional aesthetics are offered in a contemporary minimalist style and have been purposely designed to effortlessly adapt to future trends. The toothbrush is currently available in three different colours to suit all tastes: Atlantic, Coral, and Sand.

BRiN™ SeaDifferently toothbrush is set to revolutionize the personal hygiene industry, offering a stylish, sustainable solution to traditional toothbrushes. By choosing SeaDifferently, customers can actively reduce their individual environmental impact and promote a cleaner, eco-friendly future for all.

Pricing:

Hashtag: #brintoothbrush #cleanwithbrin #brinseadifferently #oceanplastic #sustainableoralcare #reusabletoothbrush #sustainabledentistry #ecotoothbrush #consciousconsumer #reducewaste #sustainablelifestyle #recycledplastic #greenlifestyle



The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About BRiN™

BRiN™ is a lifestyle brand aiming to reimagine everyday essentials, through conscious and convenient product solutions that emphasize sustainability. Founded in 2020 by husband-and-wife creatives François Hurtaud and Karis Lim, BRiN™ is emboldened with a goal to guide consumers in their Earth-conscious journey, inspiring them to reconsider the overall environmental impact of our basic consumer goods.

BRiN’s first product was launched in 2022, SeaDifferently, a reusable toothbrush made of recycled materials, awarded a Gold Medal at the Hong Kong Smart Design Awards. Future releases aspire to continue the intersect between contemporary design and convenient sustainability, while collaborating in tandem with eco-friendly partners and communities.

About François Hurtaud

began his design career as a studio designer in 2008, after graduating with a Master’s degree in Advanced Studies in Cross-Cultural Design at Shanghai University, China as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design at L’Ecole de Design de Nantes, France.

Hurtaud then oversaw the design teams of several major consumer goods companies, demonstrating his insightful understanding of social and sustainable design, cross- cultural design, as well as the precarious balance of function and form in luxury design and production.

Since an early age, Hurtaud was instilled with a passion for art, science and technology, cultivated through his education and apprenticeship in the field of design. Imparted with the opportunity to work in different countries and continents, at agencies and companies that explored multitude design aspects, he now considers design to be an equation – attempting to discover creative solutions that balance functionality and aesthetics, sustainability and profitability, and viability and legitimacy.

Hurtaud’s designs have been bestowed with multiple international design awards and accolades, including Good Design Award, Red Dot Design Award, German Design Award and A’ Design Award.

Today, Hurtaud runs his own multi-disciplinary boutique design agency in Hong Kong, delivering human-centric design solutions highlighted by their sustainable approaches, to consumer product companies in both the mass market and luxury sectors.

Xapo Bank Announces Updated Member Benefits Including 4.1% interest on US Dollars, 1% Interest on Bitcoin, and GBP Transfer Capabilities through the Faster Payment System (FPS)

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach – 21 March 2023 – Xapo Bank, the world’s first international private bank to combine traditional banking with Bitcoin, has announced its members worldwide will earn an interest rate of 4.1% on US Dollar deposits*. Xapo Bank has also introduced 1% interest on Bitcoin, divided over the year and paid out daily, and from this week, Xapo Bank has also added support for GBP through the Faster Payment System. This means members will be able to make payments directly to UK Banks and participating territories as well as to wallets like Wise, Revolut or many exchanges.

FBruegg.jpg

This interest increase on US Dollar deposits doubles the rate the bank previously offered and is significantly higher than the industry average. The raise is part of the bank’s interest rates restructuring, which is based on market conditions and aims to ensure that Xapo Bank members can continue to earn sustainable returns on their deposits.

Before the increase to 4.1%, Xapo Bank was paying a 2% interest rate on USD deposits, an already-competitive rate in today’s market. This latest increase brings Xapo Bank far above the industry average, making the Gibraltar-based financial pioneer’s proposition particularly attractive to consumers. Xapo Bank members also receive protection on fiat deposits up to 100,000.00 US Dollars. This guarantee is provided by the Gibraltar Deposit Guarantee Scheme – a robust level of protection that’s equivalent to that provided by leading banks in Europe and the UK.

Xapo Bank’s 4.1% interest rate on US dollars and 1% interest rate on Bitcoin is available to all new and existing members around the world.

Seamus Rocca, CEO of Xapo Bank, said: “We are committed to helping our members grow and protect their wealth in a responsible manner. Offering a market-leading interest rate is just one of the ways we do this, alongside operating to some of the highest global standards of private banking and security.”

Xapo Bank’s decision to introduce GBP payments comes in reaction to uncertainty and turbulent markets.

Seamus Rocca continued: “The ongoing issues related to bank closures in the US and the increased regulatory pressures around crypto could certainly push players to look for alternative jurisdictions and maybe even alternative currencies in which to operate.

“Xapo Bank took a business decision in 2019 to sell our Institutional Custody business and focus on retail, so we are not a B2B bank in the same way that Silvergate or Signature are. Consumers are expressing the need for trusted institutions in the space that offer diverse routes to transfer and receive their funds in a crypto-native way. In addition to its existing Bitcoin offering and its integration into the Faster Payment System, as of this week, Xapo Bank is also activating USDC payments, enabling members to send and receive USDC to their Xapo Bank account, promptly and without any transfer fees.”

These updates follow Xapo Bank’s recent announcement that it has become the only fully licensed private bank in the world to partner with Lightspark and integrate with the Lightning Network to enable lightning-fast Bitcoin payments for its customers. The partnership enables Xapo Bank members to pay for small purchases of up to $100 instantly to any vendor who accepts Lightning payments without suffering high transaction fees and long blockchain confirmation waiting times.

To explore the range of accessible and safe private banking benefits that Xapo Bank offers and to apply for membership, visit: https://www.xapo.com/membership

EDITOR’S NOTES
*Interest rates may vary and can be paid in any supported currency.

Hashtag: #XapoBank



The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Xapo Bank

Xapo Bank is the world’s first international private bank to combine traditional banking with Bitcoin, experienced via an app built on a next-generation secure digital platform.

Xapo Bank originated as cryptocurrency wallet Xapo, founded in 2013 by Wenses Casares. The dream behind Xapo Bank is a world that enjoys economic freedom and wealth protection, no matter where you live or who is running your country. Members of Xapo Bank enjoy the freedom of knowing that their wealth is protected, have instant access to US dollars, can immediately buy and sell their Bitcoin, and exchange USDC to USD instantly in the most secure and safe way possible.

Xapo Bank renders its services through fully regulated entities within the legal jurisdiction of Gibraltar, a rock-solid jurisdiction with a 300-year history of stability and UK standards of law and protection of property rights. Xapo Bank and Xapo VASP are fully segregated and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC), and all members’ fiat deposits are protected up to 100K Euros under the Gibraltar deposit guarantee scheme.

Xapo Bank has a global branch in Gibraltar that members can visit anytime and currently has a 100% remote workforce of 200 Xapiens.

Cloud Comrade Signs Strategic Collaboration Agreement with AWS to Accelerate Digital Skilling and Cloud Transformation for Customers in ASEAN

Cloud Comrade becomes first Singapore-headquartered born-in-the-cloud partner to sign a strategic collaboration agreement with AWS

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 21 March 2023 – Cloud Comrade, a Singapore-headquartered cloud computing consultancy and managed services provider (MSP), and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have signed a three-year Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) to accelerate the cloud transformation of customers in ASEAN.

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This will bring together AWS’s migration and modernization offerings, AWS Managed Services (AMS), as well as Cloud Comrade’s in-depth expertise and proven track record in helping companies migrate seamlessly and securely to AWS. This allows Cloud Comrade to better meet the changing needs of modern businesses, and help them surmount common challenges of cloud migration and adoption.

As part of the SCA, Cloud Comrade and AWS will increase their go-to-market efforts of VMware Cloud on AWS, addressing the challenges of migrating data center applications to the cloud, data analytics, as well as application and database modernization practices. This will improve overall data maturity across the region by supporting organizations to harness the power of data, which, according to recent findings by AWS and Deloitte Access Economics, will help organizations in APAC grow their annual business revenue by 8.7% on average.

With these practices, Cloud Comrade will help more customers in the region, specifically enterprises in the financial services, logistics, manufacturing, and media industries, adopt AWS at scale to drive productivity, cost efficiencies, and business innovation.

Scaling to new heights across ASEAN

Both companies will increase investment in joint go-to-market activities to expand Cloud Comrade’s footprint in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other ASEAN countries, including an amplified marketing focus on the financial services and media sectors to capture the growing market opportunities in these areas. Cloud Comrade and AWS will collaborate on several sales and marketing initiatives, including events, training programs for Cloud Comrade customers across Asia Pacific, and access to enablement tools to ramp up on new customer acquisitions in the new markets.

Upskilling ASEAN’s digital workforce to accelerate innovation

Having achieved the status of an AWS Authorized Training Partner in 2022, Cloud Comrade can now support organizations of all sizes to develop the necessary skills to accelerate migration, innovate faster, and build modern applications on AWS. In line with Cloud Comrade’s commitment to digital skilling, all Cloud Comrade’s employees have achieved cloud certification. As part of the SCA, Cloud Comrade will further train 100 people across its organization and affiliates on AWS Cloud over the next three years to help upskill the Singapore and ASEAN digital workforce.

“Cloud Comrade is committed to accelerating cloud innovation in the vibrant region of Southeast Asia,” says Andy Waroma, Co-managing Director, Cloud Comrade. “We have been an AWS Partner for more than eight years, and we are delighted to take our relationship to new heights through this SCA. Both companies are deeply aligned in our vision to help customers in the region use cloud to convert challenges into opportunities amid a volatile and uncertain business landscape. We help customers do that by enabling employees in our organization and affiliates with cloud skills, and delivering innovative AWS technologies to power their business transformation.”

“Our partners are critical in helping our customers harness the power of the cloud to transform, innovate, and succeed. Cloud Comrade, with deep cloud expertise and an industry-focused approach to delivering customer solutions, is a great example,” said Corrie Briscoe, Head of Alliances & Channels in Asia-Pacific and Japan. “AWS has been working with Cloud Comrade since 2014, and I am delighted with this expansion in our relationship. This collaboration agreement makes it easier for our joint customers to access advanced cloud capabilities like data analytics, and modernize their applications and databases as they accelerate their digital transformation. We look forward to developing innovative solutions with Cloud Comrade to solve meaningful customer challenges.”

Expanding a strong collaborative relationship

Since its inception in 2014, Cloud Comrade has built up a strong presence across ASEAN, helping over 500 organizations, including Indonesian e-commerce company Tokopedia and global logistics services provider Rhenus Freight Logistics GmbH, to modernize their IT infrastructure on AWS Cloud and enhance their digital capabilities to be future-ready.

An AWS Partner Network (APN) Premier Tier Consulting Partner and an early AWS Partner in Singapore since 2014, Cloud Comrade offers a comprehensive range of cloud services from strategy and design to deployment, migration, and management of customers’ IT infrastructure. Cloud Comrade is also an AWS Marketplace Skilled Consulting Partner and is listed on AWS Marketplace, allowing its customers to purchase and deploy its services faster, in a more streamlined manner.

The collaboration agreement comes a month after Cloud Comrade achieved the Level 1 Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) Competency, which recognises that Cloud Comrade has successfully met AWS’s extensive list of requirements for a baseline of managed security services to protect and monitor essential AWS resources 24/7. Cloud Comrade also holds three other AWS Competencies, specifically, the Migration Consulting Competency, SAP Consulting Competency, and Financial Services Consulting Competency. The AWS Competency Program identifies, validates, and promotes AWS Partners with demonstrated AWS technical expertise and proven customer success in specialised areas across industries, use cases, and workloads.

Cloud Comrade has won numerous accolades over the years. The most recent ones include the SMB Company for Partner Innovation and Regional company for ASEAN-wide Innovation at the Channel Asia Innovation Awards 2021, the 2022 AWS Collaboration Partner of the Year award – APJ, and the Partner Innovation Award (SMB) at the Channel Asia Innovation Awards 2022.

Hashtag: #CloudComrade

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Cloud Comrade

Cloud Comrade (https://cloudcomrade.com) is a Singapore-based cloud computing consultancy company with a regional footprint in Indonesia and Malaysia. The company offers a comprehensive range of services from strategy and design to deployment, migration, and management of customers’ IT infrastructure. Cloud Comrade partners with the best solution providers in the field of cloud computing and is a preferred Amazon Web Services (AWS) consulting partner in ASEAN, as well as a managed service provider for AWS, Google, and Alibaba Cloud. In January 2019, ST Telemedia (), an active strategic investor specializing in communications & media, data centers, and infrastructure technology businesses, acquired a majority stake in the company. For more information on Cloud Comrade, visit cloudcomrade.com

Appointment of Jonathan Shelley as COO & General Counsel and key technology updates

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 21 March 2023 – 3 Capital Partners, the private investment office that allocates capital on behalf of ultra-high net worth families in Asia, today announces the appointment of Jonathan Shelley as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel.

Based in Hong Kong, Jonathan will report to Alex Yu, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of 3 Capital Partners. He will be responsible for executing the business strategy of the firm, overseeing operations and the legal and compliance functions, and streamlining systems and processes to accelerate growth across Asia. Drawing on his legal experience in alternative investment, he will also be instrumental in structuring 3 Capital Partners’ private equity investment programme.

Jonathan joins 3 Capital Partners from Allen & Overy where he specialised in private equity fund formation and investments, including in secondary transactions, based in Hong Kong. Prior to this, Jonathan worked at O’Melveny & Myers LLP for 13 years in Shanghai, London and Hong Kong, advising high profile alternative investment firms, sovereign wealth funds and other institutions.

Commenting on the hire, Alex Yu said: “We are excited to welcome Jonathan to 3 Capital Partners as we continue to grow our team and platform. Jonathan will play a critical role in our efforts to expand our business of investing with an endowment approach for our clients. Furthermore, his experience of working with some of the biggest names in the private equity industry will benefit our clients and partners.”

Jonathan Shelley commented: “Joining 3 Capital Partners represents an enormous opportunity for me at a time when Hong Kong strives to become a leading regional hub for family offices and the allocation of private wealth towards private equity continues to grow in the region. 3 Capital Partners is unique in its endowment investment approach, strong alignment with clients, and commitment to continuously reinvest in its business. I look forward to working with the team.”

3 Capital Partners has made significant investments in technology too, having implemented portfolio analytics tool Venn by Two Sigma, to provide best-in-class technology and client support functions. Venn by Two Sigma provides a leading technology platform which helps investors embrace a modern, quantitative approach to multi-asset portfolio risk and investment decision making. 3 Capital Partners will use the platform to further strengthen portfolio management capabilities, enhance the portfolio construction process and manage due diligence by unlocking information through advanced data analytics.

3 Capital Partners is the first private investment office in Asia to implement Venn by Two Sigma’s technology, a demonstration of the firm’s approach of investing in institutional-level infrastructure. 3 Capital Partners was also among the first private investment offices in Hong Kong to onboard Addepar, a leading software and data platform that is purpose-built for professional wealth, investment and asset management firms to deliver portfolio management, analytics and reporting for their clients.

Hashtag: #3CapitalPartners

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About 3 Capital Partners

3 Capital Partners is a private investment office that allocates capital on behalf of ultra-high net worth families in Asia. Our objective is to deliver sustainable returns over the long term by adopting an endowment investment approach. We are a fully discretionary capital allocator offering a purpose-driven risk-based multi-asset investment strategy with a focus on alternatives. We pride ourselves on our independent advice and strong alignment of interest with the families we work with. 3 Capital Partners is headquartered in Hong Kong and regulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission.

World on ‘Thin Ice’ as UN Climate Report Gives Stark Warning

A usually submerged section of the lake Serre-Poncon is dry in southern France, March 14, 2023. A major new United Nations report being released Monday, March 20, 2023, is expected to provide a sobering reminder that time is running out if humanity wants to avoid passing a dangerous global warming threshold. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole, File)
A usually submerged section of the lake Serre-Poncon is dry in southern France, March 14, 2023. A major new United Nations report being released Monday, March 20, 2023, is expected to provide a sobering reminder that time is running out if humanity wants to avoid passing a dangerous global warming threshold. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole, File)

BERLIN (AP) — Humanity still has a chance, close to the last, to prevent the worst of climate change’s future harms, a top United Nations panel of scientists said Monday.

Avaloq, an NEC Company: Results Show Investors Are Ready for AI in Wealth Management

Tokyo, Japan – Newsfile Corp. – 20 March 2023 – NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) (OTC Pink: NIPNF) shares a recent survey conducted by Avaloq, an NEC Company and leading financial services provider, stating that nearly 80% of investors are comfortable with having artificial intelligence (AI) in a lead or supporting role when it comes to managing their portfolios.

The poll, conducted on 6000 retail, affluent, high-net-worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, also revealed 73% are open to receiving investment advice supported by AI, and 74% are willing to receive AI-assisted product recommendations.

From providing entertainment suggestions to facilitating navigation and shopping, AI has increasingly become the backbone of numerous services relied on daily by a tremendous amount of people. According to the survey results, AI is making significant headway in the banking industry and is currently considered a major disruptor in this field.

The ability of AI to sort vast quantities of data, automate repetitive processes and accurately identify outliers has proven particularly valuable in the back and middle offices of financial institutions. From anti-money laundering to payment fraud prevention, AI is helping financial institutions to not only streamline their workflows, but to increase service accuracy by minimizing the risk of human error.

Wealth management professionals are seeing increased AI adoption in the front and investment office, where they have traditionally been reluctant to incorporate AI in the advisory process, according to Gery Zollinger, Head of Data Science and Analytics at Avaloq. When looking into the attitudes of wealth management clients, he added, it’s clear that the time is right for AI to play a greater role in areas such as portfolio analysis or optimization.

“The main benefits of AI technology in finance are enhanced operational efficiency, increased relationship manager productivity and improved data analysis,” said Zollinger. In the following Q&A, he shares his thoughts on the present and future of AI in wealth management.

What are the current uses of AI in the front office?

Two key areas have been identified where AI is already established in the wealth management sector. The first use case is virtual assistant technology to augment the role of the relationship manager. Smart virtual assistants can support relationship managers, for example, by providing near-instant suggestions to client requests for account statements, transfers, trade proposals, etc. This works based on natural language processing (NLP) – similar to the technology behind ChatGPT. The virtual assistant analyses client-adviser communications, understands the client’s intent and suggests next best actions or relevant news items for the adviser to share. This AI support enables the relationship managers to serve a larger and more diverse client base, while ensuring quicker responses to keep clients engaged.

The second is improved client lifecycle management. Wealth managers can deploy network analytics to automate prospect mapping, while churn prediction engines can alert relationship managers when a client is at risk of leaving the firm. In our experience, these tools can enable wealth managers to increase their client acquisition rate by up to 20% while staving off client attrition.

How will AI help wealth management in the future?

Advances in NLP will help drive conversational banking – i.e. interaction with relationship managers over multiple channels – and substantially increase the productivity of bank employees. An exciting future application of this technology is the combination of NLP with a voice-to-text solution. This would enable the AI to suggest next best actions in near real time, such as generating trade ideas, to the relationship manager during client meetings or generate a summary and to-do list after the meeting has finished.

What about AI in the broader banking industry?

The biggest change on the horizon is new regulation on the use and ethics of AI. A prime example is the pending AI Act by the EU Commission, which sets out clear guidance with respect to fairness, verifiability and non-discrimination. We believe that this guidance will give decision-makers the regulatory confidence to implement value-adding AI tools to leverage their vast datasets, which will ultimately boost innovation in the financial sector. Increased client acceptance of AI is expected over time, especially as individuals become more familiar with AI-augmented tools such as ChatGPT.

Gery Zollinger
Gery Zollinger

About Gery Zollinger, Head of Data Science and Analytics at Avaloq, an NEC Company

Gery Zollinger leads the team behind the Avaloq Insight product line, which is designed to embed data analytics and artificial intelligence in wealth management. Gery joined Avaloq in February 2019 from Credit Suisse, in the global Credit Risk Analytics team, where he was responsible for credit risk modelling within the Private Banking and Investment Banking divisions. Gery has worked in analytics and quantitative modelling for more than ten years. He holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Lausanne.

About Avaloq

Avaloq is a premium provider of front-to-back software and services for 160 financial institutions around the world. Avaloq’s clients include private banks, wealth managers and investment managers, as well as retail and neo banks. Avaloq develops software that can be deployed flexibly through cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) or on-premises, and the Company offers Banking Operations outsourcing through its Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) model. Avaloq is a subsidiary of NEC Corporation, a global leader in the integration of IT and network technologies. www.avaloq.com

About NEC

NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of “Orchestrating a brighter world.” NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.

Press Contact

If you are a member of the press and would like to feature Avaloq or speak to an Avaloq representative, please contact press@avaloq.com.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

First Phosphate Obtains High Purity 40.2% Apatite Concentrate in Metallurgical Testwork Based on Lac à L’Orignal Property in Quebec, Canada

Saguenay, Quebec – Newsfile Corp. – 20 March 2023 – First Phosphate Corp. (CSE: PHOS) (FSE: KD0) (“First Phosphate” or the “Company“) is pleased to announce that it has obtained Metallurgical Testwork results on mineralization sourced from its Lac à l’Orignal Property in the region of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec, Canada. The testwork was completed by an independent laboratory, SGS Canada Inc., Quebec City, Quebec, and dated March 13, 2023. The full report is available at: https://firstphosphate.com/projects/assets.

The results from the batch and locked cycle tests were used to prepare an overall mass balance for the proposed flowsheet. The overall mass balance showed that the flowsheet could recover 91.4% of the apatite to a concentrate containing 40.2% P2O5.

Preliminary upgrading testwork on the ilmenite and magnetite streams achieved an ilmenite concentrate grading 39.3% TiO2 and a magnetite concentrate grading 69.0% Fe (99.2% Fe2O3). Further testwork is recommended to optimize the ilmenite circuit.

“We are pleased with the results of our high purity apatite recovery which has the potential to allow us to create a large amount of purified phosphoric acid for the production of LFP batteries,” says First Phosphate President, Peter Kent. “Our secondary recovery of ilmenite is equally important in that its upgrading may allow us to create the iron sulphate required as another important ingredient in the production of LFP batteries. The magnetite remains a potential tertiary recovery of value. We are now able to proceed towards a beneficiation pilot plant ahead of schedule.”

The metallurgical testwork program was undertaken on a composite of 75 fluoroapatite half drill cores from the Lac à l’Orignal Deposit with the objective of recovering and upgrading the apatite (removing silicates, ilmenite, magnetite, etc.) to produce high grade concentrate feed for phosphoric acid production to be used in the production of LFP cathode active material. The composite sample had a head grade of 5.55% P2O5.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical disclosure for First Phosphate included in this news release have been reviewed and approved by D. Grant Feasby, P.Eng. of P&E Mining Consultants Inc. Mr. Feasby is a metallurgist and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”).

About First Phosphate Corp.

First Phosphate is a mineral development company fully dedicated to extracting and purifying phosphate for the production of cathode active material for the Lithium Iron Phosphate (“LFP”) battery industry. First Phosphate is committed to producing at high purity level, at full ESG standard and with low anticipated carbon footprint. First Phosphate plans to vertically integrate from mine source directly into the supply chains of major North American LFP battery producers that require battery grade LFP cathode active material emanating from a consistent and secure supply source. First Phosphate holds over 1,500 sq. km of total land claims in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean Region of Quebec, Canada that it is actively developing. First Phosphate properties consist of rare anorthosite igneous phosphate rock that generally yields high purity phosphate concentrate devoid of high levels of deleterious elements.

For additional information, please contact:

Peter Kent, President
peter@firstphosphate.com
Tel: +1 (647) 707-1943

Investor Relations: investor@firstphosphate.com
Media Relations: media@firstphosphate.com
Website: www.FirstPhosphate.com

Follow First Phosphate:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FirstPhosphate
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-phosphate/

Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements

Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as “may”, “should”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “potential”, “believe”, “intend” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements relating to: the Company’s commitment to producing high purity phosphate materials at full ESG standard under a low carbon footprint; the Company’s plans to integrate directly into the functions of certain major North American LFP Battery producers; the Company’s proposed development of its land claims in the region of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec; the availability of the metallurgical testwork report on the Company’s website; the estimated recovery rates contained in the report and the potential of such recovery rates in allowing the Company to create a large amount of purified phosphoric acid and iron sulphate, both used in the production of LFP batteries; the potential recovery of magnetite as a potential tertiary recovery of value; and the Company’s plans, if any, to expand or carryout its metallurgical programs.

Forward-looking information in this press release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Company’s ability to producing high purity phosphate materials at full ESG standard under a low carbon footprint; the Company’s ability to integrate directly into the functions of certain major North American LFP Battery producers; the Company’s ability to develop its land claims in the region of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec; the ability of the Company to provide the metallurgical testwork report on the Company’s website; the Company’s ability to meet and exceed the stated recovery rates to allow the Company to create a large amount of purified phosphoric acid and iron sulphate; the Company’s ability to carry out its recovery of magnetite as a tertiary recovery of value; and the Company’s ability to accomplish its plans, if any, with respect to its metallurgical programs or the expansion thereof.

These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the Company’s inability to produce high purity phosphate materials at full ESG standard under a low carbon footprint; the Company’s inability to integrate directly into the functions of certain major North American LFP Battery producers; the Company’s inability to develop its land claims in the region of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec; the inability of the Company to provide the metallurgical testwork report on the Company’s website; the Company’s inability to meet and exceed the stated recovery rates to allow the Company to create a large amount of purified phosphoric acid and iron sulphate; the Company’s inability to carry out its recovery of magnetite as a tertiary recovery of value; and the Company’s inability to accomplish its plans, if any, with respect to its metallurgical programs or the expansion thereof.

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company’s expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Fosun’s Businesses Show an Upward Trend, Nomura Reiterates its “Overweight” Rating

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 March 2023 – On 19 March 2023, Nomura Orient International Securities (“Nomura”) published a research report, stating that with the strategy of focusing on core businesses, Fosun International Limited’s (“Fosun International” or the “Company”) (stock code: 00656.HK) operations have continued to improve. In the future, Fosun will focus on core businesses, innovation, and globalization. Nomura believes that with strong strategic determination, Fosun’s business recovery is just around the corner, thus maintaining “overweight” rating on Fosun International, with a target price of HK$9.20.

Nomura pointed out that Fosun recently announced it has formally signed an agreement with Shagang Group on the transfer of 60% of the equity of Nanjing Nangang Iron & Steel United, and the overall transaction plan is progressing smoothly. Nomura believes that focusing on its core businesses and streamlining the organization is still the main strategic direction of Fosun International. Nomura also believes that Fosun’s accelerated disposal of non-core businesses, consolidated capital buffer, active approach to adjust business structure, and focus on core businesses with high growth potential in the household consumption sector will enable the Company to achieve more valuable growth. At the same time, as Fosun continues to implement the strategy, Nomura believes that concerns regarding the Company’s leverage ratio and liquidity will subside, and Fosun’s fundamental operations are on an upward trend.

In addition, Nomura expressed optimism about Fosun’s globalization strategy, and believes that Fosun International has formed solid globalization capability, which allows the Company to leverage its global business presence to gather resources around the world for customers worldwide. In terms of innovation, Fosun has always maintained a high investment in R&D, building a global innovation system led by product innovation, digital intelligence innovation, and management innovation, and leading the upgrade of family happiness with innovation.

On 17 and 18 March, Guo Guangchang, Chairman of Fosun International, attended the 23rd Annual Conference of Yabuli China Entrepreneurs Forum 2023, and the 6th Shanghai Forum Themed Zhejiang Entrepreneurs in the World & the 11th Member Representative Conference of ZCCS (Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai) hosted by the ZCCS, respectively. Guo Guangchang pointed out in his speech that for the future development, Fosun will first focus on innovation and R&D investment, especially in biopharmaceuticals. Secondly, Fosun will step up its efforts to improve global innovation capabilities and operational capabilities. Fosun has full confidence in its overall development goals for this year.

Guo Guangchang said that since the beginning of this year, he has truly felt the rapid recovery of consumption, offline consumption in particular. In fact, Fosun’s various businesses demonstrated optimistic performance in both domestic and overseas markets: Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival became an Internet sensation this year and attracted more than 4 million visitors. The recovery of the tourism industry is even more evident, the occupancy rate of Atlantis Sanya under Fosun Tourism Group (FTG) has exceeded 90% since mid-January and has exceeded 99% during Chinese New Year. In terms of overseas markets, Club Med posted the highest single-month business volume in its history of more than 70 years since its establishment.

The robust recovery and steady development of various businesses conveyed a positive signal of Fosun’s development momentum. Fosun will continue to focus on innovation, adhere to global operations, and continue to achieve steady development this year.

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