Matt Birney

ASX listed PharmAust has named Dr Richard Hopkins as the company’s new chief executive. Hopkins was previously running Perth biotech company Phylogica Limited and will start as PharmAust CEO on March 7. 

You know the auto pilot is starting to kick in when you reduce your marketing spend by over $3m and your revenue jumps by $2m anyway. Such was the case in the December half year for ASX listed online screening and verification company CVCheck. Revenues for the half year jumped from $2.9m to $4.9m and costs appear to be well and truly under control. 

Investors rarely get interested in metallurgical flowsheets, but they should make an exception by taking a closer look at some exciting news out of Pilbara Minerals recently. The developer of the Pilgangoora Lithium project told the market that pilot plant trials had exceeded expectations by up to 23% which should look good when translated to the bottom line. 

Financial technology and ATM machine company Stargroup has posted strong growth in its half-year result, delivering the company's best-ever revenue of more than $4 million for the half year. The company says the impressive result was driven by record revenues from its ATM network and they are expecting even better results next quarter after some cost savings kick in. 

How is it that some of the world's largest corporations have become customers and partners of a relatively unknown ASX listed junior that was only back-door listed by Perth connections last year ? These include Coca-Cola, US telco goliath Verizon, leading enterprise level US telco AT&T, Vodafone, The Red Cross, Cisco, US Police and a host of other impressive names. 

ASX-listed Sky and Space Global says its first three miniature telecommunications satellites known as “nano-satellites” are now ready for launch after the completion of final testing in Europe. The nano-satellites are scheduled for launch on board the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in the second quarter of this year.

Legend Mining have added more tenements to their already sizeable land holdings in the revered Fraser Range district. The acquisition of two tenements from Musgrave Minerals via a share-only deal underlines the Perth-based explorer’s high confidence in a nickel-copper discovery along strike from the breakthrough Nova-Bollinger discovery by Sirius Resources in 2012.

Lithium Australia re-wrote the corporate play book in the last couple of weeks to achieve unfettered ownership and control of their unique Lithium processing IP known as Sileach. They have been locked in mortal legal combat with Lepidico over their IP rights and just a couple of weeks after Lithium Australia launched a takeover bid for Lepidico the legal action has been settled. 

ASX-listed MGC Pharmaceuticals’ cannabis-derived medicinal products will be fast-tracked to Australia following federal government changes to national medical marijuana laws. The changes mean patients that are prescribed medicinal cannabis will be able to import their medication from local providers such as MGC Pharmacueticals. 

ASX listed Perth financial technology company Peppermint Innovation may have discovered a lucrative new route to market for their interesting mobile bill payment technology. The company recently appointed Metro Gas Sales inc, a domestic gas bottle delivery company in the Philippines with over 60,000 household customers as a Peppermint agent.

Sipa Resources’ hopes of uncovering a major nickel-copper discovery at Akelikongo in Uganda have been boosted by new geophysical surveys. The downhole EM surveys have found strong off-hole conductors, whilst a high-resolution ground magnetic survey suggests Akelikongo could be just one of many highly prospective targets in the area.

The board of Australia’s newest Lithium producer, Neometals, have signaled their confidence in the company’s finances by introducing a share buyback valued at up to $5 million over the next 12 months. The move follows the recent start of production at Mt Marion, which will generate plenty of cash and add to an already strong balance sheet.

ASX listed medical device company Analytica has achieved an important strategic milestone with its “PeriCoach” urinary incontinence device receiving patent protection in Japan. The patent is part of the Brisbane-based company’s strategy to secure IP protection in major markets with ageing populations.

Medical device company Analytica have produced a set of clinical trial results that according to the company, tick every major box in the fight against urinary stress incontinence in women. They recently put a mark 2 version of their urinary incontinence device known as the “PeriCoach” to the test in independent clinical trials with some rather interesting results. 

ASX-listed MGC Pharmaceuticals are on schedule to complete a major commercial and operational milestone, with their medical grade cannabis extraction facility nearing completion in Slovenia. The new facility will allow the Perth-based company to ramp up its production of cannabis derivative cannabidiol to 3,000kg per year.

Bringing one of the world’s largest Lithium mines into production would be enough for many companies, however Neometals are keen to show they still have much more in their armory. They recently unveiled potentially lucrative new technology for recycling cobalt from used Lithium ion batteries that could produce a net present value of at least US$84m over 10 years.

Neometals have dealt themselves into an even better position at the newly commissioned Mt Marion Lithium mine by securing improved off-take and mining services agreements with their major partners. The new agreements effectively boost production by 20% and give Neometals upside exposure to the tightening global Lithium market.

ASX-listed Sky and Space Global has signed a deal with the US Defence Department that will ensure the Perth company’s nano-satellites are kept safe as they orbit the earth in space. The agreement comes as the company counts down to the launch of its first 3 trial voice, text and data nano-satellites in the second quarter of this year.

Online CV screening and verification company CV Check has bolstered its board with the appointment of experienced public company director George Cameron-Dow as Non-Executive Director. He is also a non-executive director of ASX listed EVE Investments and previously sat on the boards of Bioxyne Ltd, Windward Resources and Xceed Capital.

In a bold move, ASX-listed MGC Pharmaceuticals has announced it will undertake a new clinical trial to detremine how medicinal cannabis could potentially treat young epilepsy sufferers. The Perth-based company believes the study could present a significant commercial opportunity in the medical marijuana space and it may add a third revenue stream for the company. 

Auroch Minerals have played hardball with AIM listed Xtract Resources over an unpaid debt owing to Auroch for the sale of the Manica Gold Project in Mozambique in March last year. Under the terms of the original AUD$12m sale, Xtract were able to defer USD$2.5m until three months after the sale but only managed to pay down about USD$850,000 of the final USD$2.5m 

Blackham Resources have all the funding they need to charge ahead with a doubling of production from 100,000 ounces to 200,000 ounces of gold per annum following a heavily oversubscribed placement that raised $35 million. The money will be used for a massive drill program, the progressing of a feasibility study to double production and to order long lead time items.

ASX-listed MGC Pharmaceuticals has completed the acquisition of Czech-based medical cannabis company Panax Pharma. The deal will boost MGC’s research capabilities by giving the company access to leading growing and research facilities in the Czech Republic.  MGC said it had settled on a binding heads of agreement to acquire up to 100 per cent equity in Panax. 

ASX listed PharmAust’s wholly owned subsidiary Epichem has posted a record monthly revenue result for January. Pharmaust is developing a promising anti-cancer drug known as “Monepantel” at the Perth based Epichem facility that also undertakes contract work for some of the worlds leading pharmaceutical companies 

Australia has a new Lithium producer and WA’s Lithium boom is well and truly underway. Neometal’s giant Mt Marion mine near Coolgardie, this week joined the ranks of Lithium producers as the first shipment of concentrates sailed for delivery to Chinese partner Ganfeng Lithium. Ganfeng will take 100% of the project concentrates for the next three years.

Lithium Australia say they would have one of the world’s largest Lithium development and exploration portfolio’s under one roof if shareholders of fellow ASX listed Lithium player Lepidico accept their audacious takeover bid launched today. It would also bring together two Lithium processing technologies under one roof and end the costly IP legal battle between the parties. 

Mobile banking and payments company Peppermint Innovation will lever off their burgeoning Philippines mobile payments business to create a new international money remittance business in Australia this year. It will make good use of Peppermint's entrenched position within the Philippines banking market to provide money transfers between the two countries. 

Australia could soon have its first heavy rare earths mine after Northern Minerals said they were rapidly approaching a final investment decision at the Browns Range project in northern WA. The Perth-based company took some big strides with the project in the past quarter, including the appointment of Sinosteel MECC as EPC contractor.

If the extraordinary revenue growth of Perth based, ASX listed CV Check is any guide, employers are clearly becoming more and more suspicious of dodgy CV’s being submitted by job seekers. Employers appear to be embracing the concept of stress testing a job candidate's CV after CV Check posted a 50% jump in quarterly revenues for the December quarter.

Blackham Resources looks set to add another revenue stream at Wiluna by striking a deal with ASX-listed GWR Group to mine their neighboring West Wiluna gold deposits on a profit share arrangement. The West Wiluna gold project, just 40kms from Blackham’s newly recommissioned Wiluna gold plant, contains an estimated gold resource of more than 250,000 ounces.

Troy Resources have developed some exciting new exploration targets near their Karouni gold mine in Guyana, South America, including a new prospect measuring 1200m by 150m. The new targets stem from a major review of historical geophysical data that may have generated some breakthrough ideas for targeting gold in the Karouni mine area.

ASX listed PharmAust has received a $400,000 rebate from the Federal Government in recognition of their cutting edge research and development program being undertaken at two of the Perth-based company’s wholly owned subsidiaries.  Pharmaust’s new anti-cancer drug, Monepantel, has been powering though human and K9 trials with considerable success.