Market Newsdesk

NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Community Power Partners, LLC (“CPP”), a rapidly growing community solar aggregation company, today announced a joint venture with Genie Energy, Ltd. subsidiary CityCom Solar, LLC (“CityCom Solar”), a marketer of community generated solar energy directly to end users throughout New York State. 

The joint venture, CPP Genie Community Solar, LLC, will provide customer aggregation and management services to New York’s independent solar power producers operating under the State’s consolidated billing programs.  Consolidated billing programs enable customers to receive credits from their electricity supplier for power generated by community solar programs.

“CPP is extremely excited to partner with CityCom Solar.  Together, we will offer a comprehensive package of benefits to community solar producers operating through NYSERDA’s NY-Sun program,” said Michael Mollin, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Community Power Partners.  “The venture will initially focus on serving community solar projects within the territory of National Grid, the first utility to offer consolidated billing through its community distributed generation initiative.”

Since its inception in April of 2018, CPP has enrolled mass market community solar customers representing over 70 MW including over 60 MW enrolled during 2020. With deep customer aggregation, solar project development and financing knowledge, CPP has a track record of successfully enrolling mass market customers in New York’s community solar projects.

CityCom Solar brings a team of energy industry veterans with extensive customer acquisition and marketing experience.  “Given our long tenure of operations in New York State coupled with our experience working with CPP in the State’s community solar effort, this partnership is a natural extension of our core capabilities as both a traditional energy supplier and community solar services provider,” said Michael Stein, Genie Energy’s Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to working closely with the CPP team to develop new community solar projects and bring their many benefits to families and businesses across the State.”

About Genie Energy Ltd.:
Genie Energy Ltd. (NYSE: GNE, GNEPRA), is a global provider of energy services.  The Genie Retail Energy division supplies electricity, including electricity from renewable resources, and natural gas to residential and small business customers in the United States. The Genie Retail Energy International division supplies customers in Europe and Asia.  The Genie Energy Services division includes Diversegy, a commercial and industrial brokerage and consultative services company, and Genie Solar Energy and Prism Solar, which design, supply and install commercial solar solutions. For more information, visit Genie.com.

ABOUT COMMUNITY POWER PARTNERS
CPP is the leading Community Solar Customer Aggregation Firm in New York. As an affiliate of Matrix Solar Development, a New York based Community Solar Developer, and stemming from professionals with over 60 years of combined experience in real estate development, energy sales and renewable energy development, CPP leverages their expertise to offer the most compelling and effective Community Solar Customer Aggregation product on the market.

Launched in April 2018 CPP was initially formed to fill a void in the Customer Aggregation space that became apparent during the due diligence process for Community Solar Customer Aggregation and Subscription Management for its own portfolio. Due to inefficiencies and strong demand in the market, CPP has since expanded its service offering to other Community Solar Developers, Subscription Management Companies and Asset Owners Nationwide. For more information, visit www.communitypowerpartners.com

ABOUT CityCom Solar, LLC
CityCom Solar, LLC is a subsidiary of Genie Energy, Ltd. (NYSE:GNE) offering subscription and marketing services to maximize the uptake of customers for Community Distributed Generation (CDG) projects throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.SolarSavingsForAll.com

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SOURCE Genie Energy Ltd.

BEIJING, Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — WiMi Hologram Cloud Inc. (Nasdaq: WIMI) (“WiMi” or the “Company”), a leading Hologram AR Technology provider in China, today announced that it has obtained a patent for a spectroscopic processing instrument to be used in optical holographic technology. This patent further enhances the protection of the Company’s products and technologies while also showcasing the innovative nature of the Company’s intellectual property.

The Company’s patent for spectroscopic processing is related to a type of spectroscopic processing instrument currently being used in optical holographic technology. Optical holographic technology is a form of optical disc storage technology. Through its reuse capabilities, optical holographic technology can greatly improve storage capacity and system performance. In addition, users also greatly value the technology’s other advantages, which include high storage capacity, high storage density, high information storage redundancy, and ultra-fast access speed.

The spectrometer is a spectroscopic processing instrument commonly used in optical holographic technology to separate and measure complicated spectral components. The measurement range of a spectrometer generally includes visible light with a wavelength range of 380-780 nm and ultraviolet light with a wavelength range of 200-380 nm. Different light sources have their own unique emission spectrums and, therefore, different luminous objects can be used as a light source for the instrument.

Currently, most spectrometers in the market do not have an anti-collision function. When a spectrometer lacking an anti-collision function encounters external forces while in use, the instrument’s internal components will be damaged, its spectroscopic processing results will be affected, and its useful lifespan will also be reduced as a result. In response to the limited versatility of existing spectrometers on the market and their inability to meet users’ demands, WiMi has decided to solve the issue by creating an innovative spectroscopic processing instrument specializing in optical holographic technology. Winning a patent for such spectroscopic processing instrument not only validates the Company’s innovative capabilities but also lays a pathway for the Company to garner additional market share.

About WIMI Hologram Cloud Inc.

WiMi Hologram Cloud, Inc.(NASDAQ: WIMI), whose commercial operations began in 2015, operates an integrated holographic AR application platform in China and has built a comprehensive and diversified holographic AR content library among all holographic AR solution providers in China. Its extensive portfolio includes 4,654 AR holographic contents. The company has also achieved a speed of image processing that is 80 percent faster than the industry average. While most peer companies may identify and capture 40 to 50 blocks of image data within a specific space unit, WiMi collects 500 to 550 data blocks.

Safe Harbor / Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this press release, as well as the Company’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward−looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward−looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on Forms 20−F and 6−K, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward−looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company’s goals and strategies; the Company’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the AR holographic industry; and the Company’s expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and services. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F and current report on Form 6-K and other documents filed with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable laws. 

Contacts

WIMI Hologram Cloud Inc.
Email: [email protected]

ICR, LLC
Sharon Zhou
Tel: +1 (646) 975-9495
Email: [email protected]

 

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SOURCE WiMi Hologram Cloud Inc.

NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for VERU, NVCN, SIOX, TLRY, and HTBX.

To see how InvestorsObserver’s proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver’s PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.

• VERU: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?stocksymbol=VERU&prnumber=121620201
• NVCN: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?stocksymbol=NVCN&prnumber=121620201
• SIOX: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?stocksymbol=SIOX&prnumber=121620201
• TLRY: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?stocksymbol=TLRY&prnumber=121620201
• HTBX: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?stocksymbol=HTBX&prnumber=121620201

(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)

InvestorsObserver’s PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock’s overall suitability for investment.

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SOURCE InvestorsObserver

ROCKVILLE, Md., Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — AEGIS has chosen the expert.ai natural language platform to implement a risk engineering solution that will extract and analyze critical information from risk engineering reports during the property underwriting process. By applying the power of artificial intelligence to this information-intensive process, AEGIS engineering teams will collect data more efficiently and comprehensively, enabling them to provide deeper insights to both underwriters and policyholders regarding key risk exposures and mitigation strategies.   

“Artificial intelligence will continue to play a crucial role within AEGIS’s digital transformation program which aims to maximize our efficiency and increase our data analytics capabilities,” said Scott Schenker, SVP and Chief Information Officer at AEGIS. “We’ve selected expert.ai for its ability to read, organize and extract relevant data so our team can be more efficient both in terms of managing repetitive tasks as well as better serving our policyholders.”

Tim Heinze, SVP and Chief Loss Control Officer at AEGIS adds: “Our first goal is to support our teams by improving and streamlining the process by which we extract, analyze and aggregate critical information during the property underwriting process. In the course of evaluating and selecting an AI platform, expert.ai outperformed all of our evaluation criteria in terms of ensuring speed and efficiency while delivering the high-quality information needed to properly assess the risks of our policyholders and provide domain expertise based on the data collected.”

By automating the reading and extraction of relevant data from natural language texts, expert.ai offers a range of AI services to reduce risk, improve risk selection and pricing, and augment capacity for insurance carriers and brokers.

“We help insurers understand and extract the data they need from loss control and property reports, policies, renewals and submissions, at scale and more than four times faster than their standard,” said Michael Watt, Vice President of Insurance at expert.ai. “All of this is performed with maximum accuracy, ensured by expert.ai’s unique approach to mixing language understanding, a robust knowledge graph and machine learning. We are thrilled that AEGIS will leverage our NL platform to help support its policyholders and honored that AEGIS has selected expert.ai as a trusted AI partner for their digital transformation.”

About AEGIS

Associated Electric & Gas Insurance Services Limited (“AEGIS”) is a leading mutual insurance company that provides liability and property coverage, as well as related risk management services, to the energy industry.  Our policyholders represent virtually the entire energy infrastructure in North America, including electric and natural gas utilities, related energy companies, oil & gas exploration and production companies, water utilities, and transmission & distribution companies. Our energy expertise, combined with a collaborative and fair approach to claims management and specialized loss control services, has set AEGIS apart from commercial insurance companies since the company was founded by its policyholder-members in 1975.  The company’s premium revenues are $1.8 billion and total assets are more than $7.9 billion.

For more information visit https://www.aegislink.com/

About expert.ai

Expert.ai is the premier artificial intelligence platform for language understanding. Its unique hybrid approach to NL combines symbolic human-like comprehension and machine learning to transform language-intensive processes into practical knowledge, providing the insight required to improve decision making throughout organizations. By offering a full range of on-premise, private and public cloud offerings, expert.ai augments business operations, accelerates and scales data science capabilities and simplifies AI adoption across a vast range of industries including Insurance, Banking & Finance, Publishing & Media, Defense & Intelligence, Life Science & Pharma, Oil Gas & Energy, and more. The expert.ai brand is owned by Expert System (EXSY:MIL), that has cemented itself at the forefront of natural language solutions, and serves global businesses such as AXA XL, Lloyd’s of London, Zurich Insurance Group, Generali, Bloomberg BNA, BNP Paribas, Rabobank, Dow Jones, Gannett, IMF and EBSCO.

For more information visit  www.expert.ai

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SOURCE expert.ai

BMO ranked at Leadership Level with A- score, surpassing international financial services sector average

TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ – BMO Financial Group (TSX:BMO) (NYSE:BMO) today announced it has been recognized by CDP for its strong actions and transparency in the areas of climate change governance, climate change risk management, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. CDP, a not-for-profit charity, provides a global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states, and regions to manage their environmental impacts.

More than 9,600 companies globally disclosed through CDP in 2020, 14 per cent more than last year and 70 per cent more than when the Paris Agreement was signed. Companies were scored according to the comprehensiveness of their disclosure and their actions towards a net-zero emissions economy. BMO’s A- score puts the bank in the Leadership band – an indication that it is implementing current best practices.

“At BMO, we recognize that climate change is a challenging issue that presents a test of resilience and requires us to anticipate risks and capture opportunities. We have been working to implement the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), including undertaking climate change scenario analysis,” said Simon Fish, General Counsel for BMO Financial Group and Chair of BMO’s Sustainability Council. “We are committed to making an important contribution in the shift to a sustainable future, both within our own operations and when guiding our clients.”

BMO is focused on the opportunities that the transition to a net-zero carbon economy presents. The bank continues to develop its sustainable finance capabilities and has a goal to mobilize $400 billion in sustainable finance by 2025. Equally committed to reducing the environmental impact of its own operations and in 2020, BMO built on its long-standing commitment to carbon neutrality by setting and meeting a goal to match 100 per cent of global electricity usage with electricity procured from renewable sources. 

BMO Financial Group’s actions on sustainability and towards a sustainable future include the following:

• In 2019, BMO unveiled its Purpose to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, announcing commitments to double the good for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society
• World-class sustainability disclosure, including on climate-related risks and opportunities in line with the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) standards
• In 2019, issued a $500 million USD Sustainability Bond with use of proceeds tied to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
• In October 2020, BMO reached a key milestone in matching 100 per cent of electricity usage with renewable electricity
• In June 2019, BMO announced it would double the bank’s mobilization of sustainable finance to $400 billion by 2025. This includes an impact investment fund, with $250 million in seed capital, to find and scale solutions to sustainability
• In May 2020, signed the Operating Principles for Impact Investment, a gold standard for impact investment fund management, developed by the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank
• First Canadian bank to sign the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles in 2019. In 2018, BMO committed to make $3 billion in capital available to women business owners in Canada over three years
• In 2020, BMO launched BMO EMpower, a $5 billion commitment over five years to address key barriers faced by minority businesses, communities, and families in the United States

BMO’s leadership on sustainability has been recognized on numerous rankings, including:

• Ranked in the top ten per cent globally for sustainability performance on the 2020 Dow Jones Sustainability Index
• Ranked 15^th in The Wall Street Journal’s 2020 list of the 100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies in the World, third overall on Social Capital
• Top ranked North American bank on Corporate Knights 2020 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World
• Recognized at the Leadership band by CDP (formerly called the Carbon Disclosure Project) for its strong actions and transparency in the areas of climate change governance, climate change risk management, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction
• Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (2020) for the fifth year in a row
• Forbes 2020 Best Employers for Diversity (United States)
• Corporate Knights 2020 Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada
• Ethisphere^® Institute’s list of the 2020 World’s Most Ethical Companies^®

For more information on BMO’s commitment to a sustainable future, please visit the bank’s Sustainability Report.  The 2020 version of the Sustainability Report will be published December 18^th.

For more information on BMO’s Purpose, please visit our Purpose page.

About BMO Financial Group 
Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider – the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America. With total assets of $949 billion as of October 31, 2020, and a team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

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SOURCE BMO Financial Group

TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ – Converge Technology Solutions Corp. (“Converge” or “the Company“) (TSXV:CTS)  (FSE:0ZB) (OTCQX:CTSDF) a national platform of regionally focused Hybrid IT solution providers in the U.S. and Canada, is pleased to announce it has achieved Cisco CX Specialization status. The Company has secured this status by demonstrating its technical abilities and by enabling its customers to accelerate innovation, reduce risks, and achieve better business outcomes faster.

In recent years, it has become increasingly important to enable customers with sustainable lifecycle practices, which remains particularly true of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. Traditional methods of replacing legacy infrastructure and software are not a sustainable IT approach, thus working closely with clients to identify their requirements and how well their technologies are serving them is pivotal in creating success. Converge has a very mature customer success practice that is tailored to help enhance the customer experience in partnership with key software vendors.  In addition to leveraging data from tools specifically designed to assist customers with their software adoption strategies, Converge can capitalize on the Cisco CX program by offering assessment-based services around Cisco products.

“We are ready, willing, and able to offer analytics-driven, expert guidance to our customers so they can realize the full value of their Cisco solutions,” said Cory Reid, COO of Converge. “Using valuable insights from adoption and optimization tools, we can progress partnerships with our customers to build solutions that deliver on business-critical outcomes throughout the lifecycle of their Cisco products.”

“User experience has always been a major driver of the way we do business,” added Greg Berard, President of Converge. “Ensuring that our customers’ investments continue to exceed their expectations is paramount to maintaining trusted relationships, thereby setting them up for success.”

About Converge
Converge Technology Solutions Corp. is a North American software-enabled, Hybrid IT solution provider focused on delivering industry-leading solutions and services. Converge’s regional sales and services organizations deliver advanced analytics, cloud, cybersecurity, and managed services offerings to clients across various industries. The Company supports these solutions with talent expertise and digital infrastructure offerings across all major IT vendors in the marketplace. This multi-faceted approach enables Converge to address the unique business and technology requirements for all clients in the public and private sectors. For more information, visit convergetp.com.

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SOURCE Converge Technology Solutions Corp.

FORT LEE, N.J. and AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Creatd, Inc. (Nasdaq CM: CRTD) (“Creatd” or the “Company”), the parent company of Vocal, today announced its first collaboration in partnership with Plant Camp, a consumer packaged goods company, and the launch of their first product, a healthy take on mac and cheese for kids. Plant Camp is the inaugural partner of the Company’s corporate venture division, Creatd Partners, spearheaded by Creatd’s President and founder, Justin Maury, and Chief Operating Officer, Laurie Weisberg.

Plant Camp’s central mission is to create healthy upgrades to classic kid-friendly foods. Its founders, Angela Hein and Heidi Brown, are longtime friends and fellow parents who found themselves facing a challenge common to parents everywhere: “How do I provide a healthy alternative to classic foods that kids love?”

Hein and Brown discovered an opportunity in an unaddressed segment of the U.S. mac and cheese market, a market that totals approximately $1.2 billion in annual revenues. While dominated by large entities like the Kraft Heinz Company and General Mills’ Annie’s brand, the space offered little direct focus on healthy calories for kids.

Angela Hein brings to Plant Camp extensive experience in launching consumer packaged goods, having brought several brands to market at food retailers such as Whole Foods and Walmart. Co-founder Dr. Heidi Brown brings in-depth knowledge of science, nutrition, and culinary arts. Together, they decided to create a unique solution, and Plant Camp was born.

Plant Camp’s first product is a fresh and healthy take on mac and cheese, combining organic, plant-packed ingredients with a classic mac and cheese taste. Additional products designed to provide healthy alternatives to other kid-friendly favorites are currently in development, as are plans to expand distribution beyond direct-to-consumer e-commerce, to eventual placement at big box retailers.

The collaboration between Creatd and Plant Camp was first initiated in late second quarter 2020. Creatd’s management team soon recognized that the founders’ extensive experience in launching and marketing direct-to-consumer products could be significantly amplified by leveraging Creatd’s resources, and that a collaborative venture would be value-added for both Plant Camp and Creatd.

Commenting on Plant Camp’s partnership with Creatd, Hein said, “Having developed and launched numerous consumer products over the years, I have had unique visibility into the necessity of disruptive marketing. Entrepreneurs like Heidi and myself can significantly cut down on cost and time to market with a partner like Creatd. Creatd’s Vocal for Brands studio has a proven track record working with established brands and direct-to-consumer goods.”

In the months leading up to today’s launch, Creatd provided nominal seed capital to support Plant Camp in key initial development stages. Creatd’s design team has helped construct Plant Camp’s e-commerce infrastructure, and Creatd’s business intelligence team has harnessed the power of the Vocal community to generate a profile of Plant Camp’s target audience. In exchange for the seed and equity capital and providing strategic and operational resources, Creatd received a 30% ownership interest in Plant Camp.

Added Justin Maury, Creatd’s President and the driving force behind the Vocal platform, “We have long envisioned DTC (direct-to-consumer) brands as an ideal beneficiary to leverage the power of our proprietary technology. Having created successful campaigns with DTC brands such as Cleancult, Lull, and Kettle & Fire, we were able to accelerate Plant Camp’s go-to-market timeline, such that consumers can now place pre-orders through their e-commerce store at https://plantcamp.com.”

Creatd Partners
 invests time, energy, and critical early-stage funding into brands that are aligned with the Company’s mission to help creators and brands grow through technology and partnership. It determines what its partners need to achieve success and supports them with marketing, digital strategy, and operational expertise. The Company’s management team continues to vet and qualify early-stage companies, particularly direct-to-consumer brands such as Plant Camp that, subject to rigorous due diligence, can provide a win-win opportunity for all of Creatd’s stakeholders.

About Creatd

Creatd, Inc. (Nasdaq CM: CRTD) empowers creators, brands, and entrepreneurs through technology and partnership. Its flagship technology, Vocal, is a best-in-class creator platform. For more information:

Creatd: https://creatd.com;
Creatd IR: https://investors.creatd.com;
Vocal Platform: https://vocal.media;
Investor Relations Contact: [email protected]

About Plant Camp

Plant Camp, LLC is an Austin, Texas-based consumer packaged goods (CPG) company. For more information:

Plant Camp: https://plantcamp.com;
Contact: [email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements that are not historical facts and that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, indicated through the use of words or phrases such as “will likely result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimated,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes” and “projects”) may be forward-looking and may involve estimates and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. We caution that the factors described herein could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements we make and that investors should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of such factors. Further, we cannot assess the impact of each such factor on our results of operations or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. This press release is qualified in its entirety by the cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

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SOURCE Creatd, Inc.

CHESTNUT RIDGE, N.Y., Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — BioHiTech Global, Inc. (“BioHiTech” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BHTG), a sustainable technology and services company, announced today it has received a new purchase order for its Revolution Series™ food digesters from Holland America Line valued at approximately $700,000 and an additional order from Princess Cruises valued at approximately $650,000, which will include three new ships from that line.  In addition, the company received an order valued at $90,000 from Australia-based P&O Cruises – the first order for this brand, which is also under the Carnival umbrella.  BioHiTech expects to fulfil the orders through the first quarter of 2021.

“This is an important milestone for BioHiTech demonstrating our growing relationship with Carnival Corp.’s third and fourth brands, Holland America Line and P&O Cruises, while adding to our service of Carnival’s Princess Cruises as well,” commented Tony Fuller, BioHiTech’s Chief Executive Officer.  “As Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Princess, P&O Cruises, and the rest of the Carnival family of brands move toward a resumption of the cruise business, we are pleased to be part of their sustainable food waste management systems and enhanced stewardship over the environment.”

The Revolution Series digesters, equipped with BioHiTech’s proprietary data analytics platform, is part of the Carnival umbrella’s comprehensive plan to limit food waste, achieve safe onboard disposal, and improve associated environmental outcomes.

“These orders further support BioHiTech’s continued growth and substantive progress in strengthening our position as a leading provider of sustainable food waste disposal solutions,” continued Mr. Fuller. “We look forward to maintaining the highest levels of product and service quality for our products in supporting our clients’ growing needs, while delivering value creation for our BioHiTech shareholders.”

About BioHiTech Global
BioHiTech Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: BHTG), is a technology services company focused on providing cost-effective solutions that improve environmental outcomes. Our technologies for waste management include the patented processing of municipal solid waste into a valuable renewable fuel, biological disposal of food waste on-site, and proprietary real-time data analytics tools to reduce food waste generation. When used individually or in combination, our solutions lower the carbon footprint associated with waste transportation and can reduce or virtually eliminate landfill usage. In addition, we distribute a patented technology that achieves high-level disinfection of spaces such as classrooms, hotel or hospital rooms and other enclosed areas to combat the spread of viruses and bacteria without the use of harsh chemicals. Our unique solutions enable businesses, educational institutions and municipalities of all sizes to solve everyday problems in a smarter and more cost-effective way while reducing their impact on the environment. For more information, please visit www.biohitech.com.

Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this document contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements, including statements about the estimated contract value, additional purchase orders or deliveries, and the ability of the Company’s products to improve environmental outcomes and achieve corporate sustainability goals, are based on many assumptions and estimates and are not guarantees of future performance. These statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of BioHiTech Global, Inc. to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. BioHiTech Global, Inc. assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future, except as required by securities laws. Our actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation those set forth as “Risk Factors” in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). There may be other factors not mentioned above or included in the BioHiTech’s SEC filings that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement.

Company Contact:
BioHiTech Global, Inc.
Lisa Giovannielli
VP, Corporate Communications
O: 888.876.9300
E: [email protected] 
www.biohitech.com

Investors: 
[email protected]

Media:
[email protected]

 

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SOURCE BioHiTech Global, Inc.

CUPERTINO, Calif., Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — DURECT Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track Designation to DUR-928 for the treatment of alcoholic hepatitis (AH, also known as alcohol-associated hepatitis). AH is an acute, life-threatening form of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). DUR-928 is the lead investigational product candidate in DURECT’s Epigenetic Regulator program.  

“Fast Track Designation highlights the life-threatening nature of AH and the lack of therapeutic options for this devastating condition,” said Norman L. Sussman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of DURECT Corporation. “As an endogenous epigenetic regulator, DUR-928 is a new class of therapeutics. We are very encouraged by the promising clinical data from our Phase 2a trial in which 100% of AH patients treated with DUR-928 survived the 28-day follow-up period compared to a 26% historical 28-day death rate. We look forward to initiating our Phase 2b trial shortly and working with the FDA to bring DUR-928 to the many patients in need as soon as possible.”

The FDA grants Fast Track Designation to facilitate development and expedite the review of therapies with the potential to treat a serious condition where there is an unmet medical need. A therapeutic that receives Fast Track Designation can benefit from early and frequent communication with the agency in addition to a rolling submission of the marketing application, with the objective of getting important new therapies to patients more quickly.

About Alcoholic Hepatitis (AH)
AH is an acute form of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) that may occur after months or years of excess alcohol consumption, often after a recent period of intense consumption.   AH is typically characterized by recent onset jaundice and hepatic failure. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a part of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), there were over 122,000 hospitalizations for patients with AH in 2017. From a recent publication analyzing the mortality and costs associated with AH, the cost per patient is estimated at over $50,000 in the first year. ALD is one of the leading causes of liver transplants in the U.S., costing over $800,000 per patient.

About DUR-928
DURECT’s lead drug candidate, DUR-928, is an endogenous sulfated oxysterol and an epigenetic regulator. It represents a new class of therapeutics with a unique mechanism of action. DUR-928 epigenetically modulates the expression of multiple clusters of master genes that are involved in many important cell signaling pathways, through which it stabilizes mitochondria, reduces lipotoxicity, regulates inflammatory or stress responses, and promotes cell survival.

About DURECT Corporation
DURECT is a biopharmaceutical company committed to transforming the treatment of acute organ injury and chronic liver diseases by advancing novel and potentially lifesaving therapies based on its endogenous epigenetic regulator program. DUR-928, the company’s lead drug candidate is in clinical development for the potential treatment of alcoholic hepatitis (AH), COVID-19 patients with acute liver or kidney injury, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). DURECT’s proprietary drug delivery technologies are designed to enable new indications and enhanced attributes for small-molecule and biologic drugs. One late-stage product candidate in this category is POSIMIR® (bupivacaine extended-release solution), an investigational locally-acting, non-opioid analgesic intended to provide up to three days of continuous pain relief after surgery. For more information about DURECT, please visit www.durect.com and follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/DURECTCorp.

DURECT Forward-Looking Statement
The statements in this press release regarding clinical development plans for DUR-928, including the potential use of DUR-928 to treat AH and other acute organ injuries, including in COVID-19 patients, as well as chronic liver diseases, such as NASH, and the potential use of POSIMIR to provide pain relief after surgery are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks that the start of the AHFIRM trial or other trials will be delayed due to COVID-19 or other factors, that the AHFIRM trial will take longer than expected and may not replicate results from earlier trials, that the clinical trial of DUR-928 in COVID-19 patients is delayed or stopped because of changes to the standard of care, the availability of alternative therapies, required protocol changes or lack of available patients, the risk that clinical trials of DUR-928 do not demonstrate the safety or efficacy of DUR-928 in a statistically significant manner, the risk that the FDA will not approve POSIMIR or approve POSIMIR with a limited label, the risk that additional time and resources may be required for development, testing and regulatory approval of DUR-928 or the Company’s other product candidates, potential adverse effects arising from the testing or use of our drug candidates, our potential failure to maintain our collaborative agreements with third parties and risks related to our ability to obtain capital to fund operations and expenses. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in DURECT’s Form 10-Q filed on November 3, 2020 under the heading “Risk Factors.”

NOTE: POSIMIR® and SABER® are trademarks of DURECT Corporation.  Other referenced trademarks belong to their respective owners.  DUR-928 and POSIMIR are investigational drug candidates under development and have not been approved for commercialization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other health authorities for any indication.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/durect-corporation-announces-dur-928-granted-fda-fast-track-designation-for-treatment-of-alcoholic-hepatitis-301193994.html

SOURCE DURECT Corporation

HOUSTON, Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Luby’s, Inc. (“Luby’s” or the “Company”) (NYSE: LUB), today announced that the Company has entered into an agreement to franchise 13 of its currently Company owned Fuddruckers stores to Black Titan Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of successful food service entrepreneur Nicholas M. Perkins. Specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Pursuant to the transaction, Black Titan Holdings, LLC will purchase the assets of the Company at the 13 locations listed below and become one of the largest Fuddruckers franchisees in the United States. It is currently anticipated that, following the closing of the transaction, almost all employees will be offered positions to remain at those store locations. It is not expected that there will be any disruption of business at these locations as a result of the transaction.

The locations covered by this transaction include:

Arizona


Glendale, AZ                                      
Superstition Springs, Mesa, AZ                      
Phoenix, AZ                                       
Tempe, AZ                                         

Kansas


Kansas City, KS                                 

Missouri

Sunset Plaza, St. Louis, MO              

Texas

Copperfield, Houston, TX                 
MacGregor, Houston, TX                  
Tidwell, Houston, TX                        
Kingwood, TX                                               
Stafford, TX                                       
Creekside, Tomball, TX                                 

Virginia


Woodbridge, VA                                

The closing of the transaction is expected to occur within the next 90 days and is subject to customary industry conditions to closing. The transaction is not subject to a financing contingency.

The Company commented that it is pleased to place these locations into new hands enabling the many loyal Fuddruckers customers at these locations to continue enjoying the famous Fuddruckers offerings they have come to enjoy over the years. The Company believes it is a positive signal to the marketplace that there has been interest in the Fuddruckers brand and its operations. 

“I am excited about becoming one of the largest Fuddruckers franchisees in the United States. A Fuddruckers hamburger, in my opinion, has always been the standard by which all other hamburgers should be judged. Fuddruckers has a tremendously loyal customer base that is passionate about the brand and the products they sell every day. I look forward to developing lasting relationships with the Fuddruckers employees, customers, and vendor partners. I am keenly focused on the future of this tremendous legacy brand and building upon its rich history,” said Nicholas M. Perkins, President of Black Titan Investment Corporation.

This transaction is part of the execution of the previously announced Plan of Liquidation and Dissolution of Luby’s, Inc., where ultimately, the net proceeds from sales of all Company assets, after expenses and liabilities, will be distributed to Luby’s stockholders.

About Luby’s
Luby’s, Inc. (NYSE: LUB) operates two core restaurant brands: Luby’s Cafeterias and Fuddruckers. Luby’s is also the franchisor for the Fuddruckers restaurant brand. In addition, through its Luby’s Culinary Contract Services business segment, Luby’s provides food service management to sites consisting of healthcare, corporate dining locations, sports stadiums, and sales through retail grocery stores.

About Black Titan Holdings, LLC
Black Titan Holdings, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Black Titan Investment Corporation, the special purpose entity that will solely operate Fuddruckers Franchises. The Company is affiliated with Nicholas M. Perkins, an accomplished food industry entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in multi-unit contract food service and restaurant operations dedicated to delivery of excellent customer service, high quality food, and memorable experiences

Contact:

Dennard Lascar Investor Relations
Rick Black / Ken Dennard
[email protected]

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of these provisions, including the statements regarding sales of assets, potential continued employment of employees after the above-referenced transactions, effects of the Plan, expected proceeds from the sale of assets, and expected proceeds to be distributed to stockholders or the timing thereof.

Luby’s cautions readers that various factors could cause its actual financial and operational results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements made from time-to-time in news releases, reports, proxy statements, registration statements, and other written communications, as well as oral statements made from time to time by representatives of Luby’s. The following factors, as well as any other cautionary language included in this press release, provide examples of risks, uncertainties and events that may cause Luby’s actual results to differ materially from the expectations Luby’s describes in such forward-looking statements: general business and economic conditions; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the impact of competition; our operating initiatives; fluctuations in the costs of commodities, including beef, poultry, seafood, dairy, cheese and produce; increases in utility costs, including the costs of natural gas and other energy supplies; changes in the availability and cost of labor; the seasonality of Luby’s business; changes in governmental regulations, including changes in minimum wages; the effects of inflation; the availability of credit; unfavorable publicity relating to operations, including publicity concerning food quality, illness or other health concerns or labor relations; the continued service of key management personnel; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in Luby’s annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Further information regarding the risks, uncertainties and other factors relating the Plan, the expected net proceeds from the sale of assets, and expected proceeds to be distributed to stockholders, are discussed under the section “Risk Factors” in the definitive proxy statement that has been previously filed with the SEC in connection with the approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lubys-inc-signs-agreement-to-franchise-13-company-owned-fuddruckers-stores-301194037.html

SOURCE Luby’s, Inc.