Public Company News

Altech’s ambitions to become the world’s biggest producer of in-demand high purity alumina (HPA) have received a major boost with a $17.4m placement that includes a $5.1m commitment from their German EPC contractor. Long-time existing shareholder, the Melewar Group also features in the new fund raising, which comes hard on the heels of a very positive financial study on the HPA project.

Auroch Minerals’ gamble on an old Czech Copper mine as future source of Cobalt for Europe’s battery factories continues to pay off, with hits of visible Cobalt minerals in the second hole of a maiden drill program. The company hit multiple bands of Copper and Cobalt sulphides over a zone of more than 130 metres, as predicted by Auroch’s 3D model.

ASX listed CV Check has started the financial year with cash receipts for the quarter up 26 per cent to $3 million on the back of a boom in corporate demand for its resume checking and verification services. The Perth-based company expects further growth in FY18 driven by cost cutting, recent wins of high-quality corporate customers and continued user take-up.

ASX-listed Sky and Space Global have successfully space tested a unique smartphone app developed to facilitate affordable phone calls, file transfers and text messaging via its three demonstration nano-satellites. The trial of the company’s “Chatellite” app was undertaken using a smartphone that costs just $1 and could be used on the Perth-listed company’s future miniature satellite network.

ASX-listed Aquabotix continues to rapidly expand its global distribution network, announcing emergency services equipment manufacturer W.S. Darley & Co as US distributor for its innovative range of underwater drones. The addition of Darley means Aquabotix now has distributor partners in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, India, Brazil and Scandinavia.

MGC Pharmaceuticals has hit a new high with expected monthly sales soaring to $3m from a $40m deal to supply its white labelled cannabis based cosmetic products to Korean cosmetics manufacturer, Varm Cosmo. The agreement is set to transform MGC Pharmaceuticals, Australia’s leading listed medical cannabis company with its products supplied in bulk to Varm Cosmo.

Lithium Australia have successfully wrapped up due diligence on the Very Small Particle Company and see breakthrough potential in merging VSPC’s patented cathode production technology with their own SiLeach process. The merger has the potential to create a single flow sheet from low-value Lithium minerals through to next generation cathode materials, with less steps than rival producers.

Altech Chemicals have finalised design of their high purity alumina plant in Malaysia, boosting capacity by 12.5% and widening the range of finished products so it can supply Lithium Ion battery makers. The design improvements will be reflected in an updated BFS due out soon as the company enters the final stages of securing a debt guarantee from the German Government.

Reedy Lagoon Corporation have received approval to drill two exploration holes to test for Lithium brines at their Big Smoky South project in Nevada, right on the doorstep of the only producing Lithium brines mine in the US. The company have produced some compelling drill targets after geophysical surveys suggested highly conductive brines at depth, potentially rich with Lithium.

There’s no doubt about it. Western Australia is truly blessed with an endowment of exotic minerals that will keep the wheels of industry turning around the world for hundreds of years to come. Altech Chemicals are sitting on a remarkable deposit of “Kaolin” in Meckering that is expected to make AUD$100m a year for Altech shareholders for at least the next 30 years, generating an NPV of AUD$650m

ASX-listed Sky and Space Global has signed a deal with Italian space systems company D-Orbit to provide launch and deployment services for the Perth-listed company’s constellation of up to 200 nano-satellites. The deal moves Sky and Space a step closer to rolling out its disruptive telco network based on the their next-generation miniature satellites that are capable of providing telco services to remote regions.

ASX-listed Peppermint Innovation’s advance to full commercialisation of its mobile payments technology continues, with the tech company signing a deal with major Philippines healthcare provider, Cooperative Health Management Federation of the Philippines. The company is partnering with CHMF to provide its 18000 members with mobile-based access to its healthcare services.