deepmarkit-shares-industry-and-corporate-update

DeepMarkit Shares Industry and Corporate Update

 

DeepMarkit Corp., (“DeepMarkit” or the “Company”) (TSXV: MKT) (OTC: MKTDF) (FRA: DEP), a company focused on transitioning the global carbon offset market to the more accessible digital economy by minting carbon offsets onto the blockchain, is pleased to provide an industry and corporate update. Amidst the backdrop of several significant events recently occurring in the carbon offset industry, the DeepMarkit management team is providing the following update to keep current and future shareholders, as well as the media, informed about its unique competitive position in a growing asset class.

Industry Developments

Recent milestones in the carbon industry include but are not limited to:

  • Blackstone’s investing $400 million in Xpansiv – the leading global carbon and environmental commodities exchange platform1;
  • BMO purchasing Radicle Group – a leading carbon offset developer with over 130 employees and over 4,000 clients globally2;
  • CPP Investments, with a fund value of $523 Billion (as of June 30, 2022), adding an “Investing in the Potential of Carbon Credits” section to the homepage of its website3; and
  • Norton Rose Fulbright publishing its “Draft Core Carbon Principles for the Voluntary Carbon Market” as a large, global law firm4.

Additionally, Bloomberg News reported that “a record US$1.4 billion poured into climate and carbon-focused startups in the second quarter of this year” in an article published on August 17, 2022. The flow of capital is being driven by corporate and government pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and around the world. As such, the DeepMarkit team is encouraged by the current industry environment and its updated strategy plan.

DeepMarkit’s Competitive Position

DeepMarkit’s overall plan is based on combining the growth of the informal carbon offset market with the maturation of blockchain technology. The chance to make carbon offsets the first tangible asset class to adopt blockchain as its backbone is enticing and valuable.

By leveraging the secure and transparent blockchain, the Company has created and launched MintCarbon.io to offer a simple onboarding process and other innovations to users in the voluntary carbon market for them to enjoy as a way to access carbon offsets. DeepMarkit’s user-focused service seeks to ensure that carbon offsets that are onboarded are only of the highest quality and have passed rigorous third-party checks.

DeepMarkit’s platform allows for a compelling way to work with carbon offset generating companies and projects to bring their story to the blockchain. It assists in adding a qualitative layer to the various projects and embed additional data relative to an ERC-20 token standard.

MintCarbon.io is intended to be collaborative and to add an additional way of distribution for projects and carbon offset brokers. Although there are several firms looking to tokenize assets, The platform’s focus is to add the story of the project and embed project data within the token allowing for a more robust, project-friendly offering.

Carbon Offsets – A Growing Asset Class

A key initiative among global efforts to fight climate change, the voluntary carbon offset markets (“VCM“) allow companies around the world to reduce and remove CO2 emissions over and above what would otherwise be possible. The size of the VCM has grown rapidly in recent years with the value of global voluntary carbon markets nearly quadrupling in 2021 towards US$2 billion driven by nearly 500 million offsets traded.

Prices climbed in 2021 by nearly 60% over 2020 to a point not seen since 2013, reaching an annual global weighted average price per ton of $4.00 for all transactions reported by Ecosystem Marketplace respondents, compared with $2.52 in 20206. Looking ahead, the rise in corporate net zero pledges (particularly from firms in carbon intensive sectors) should underpin demand and support expansion in VCMs growth in years to come.

Recent Milestones Achieved
  • The Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, First Carbon Corp., has received a Security Assessment Certificate from Quantstamp, Inc. In order to receive the Certificate, Quantstamp evaluated and passed security-related issues, code quality and adherence to specifications and best practices related to the MintCarbon.io platform’s smart contracts. The Company complied with Quantstamp’s iterative audit process to rigorously review and test the MintCarbon.io platform’s blockchain-based smart contracts. Quantstamp performed the security assessment of the platform’s codebase and FCC incorporated feedback and recommendations from Quantstamp to complete the audit and receive the Certificate. All audited smart contracts are now ready to be deployed on the MintCarbon.io platform.

  • The Company achieved the commercial launch of its proprietary MintCarbon.io platform and received its first purchase order which came from WILL Solutions Inc. (“WILL“) which is a Quebec, Canada based leader in community-based greenhouse gas reduction solutions. Subject to the satisfactory verification of WILL’s carbon offsets, WILL will be allow-listed to mint up to 150,000 tokens, representing 150,000 tons of GHGs, via DeepMarkit’s MintCarbon.io platform.

  • The Company signed a letter of intent with Bloom X Alliance Inc. to form a referral arrangement. Pursuant to the key terms in the LOI, DeepMarkit and BloomX are working to form the Arrangement through which BloomX will introduce and onboard carbon offset projects onto the blockchain through DeepMarkit’s proprietary minting platform, MintCarbon.io. Based in Japan, BloomX is a blockchain-based products and services company seeking to reduce cost and improve efficiency of international asset transfers. It looks to participate and invest in blockchain-based products and services as well as other technology-enabled and related growth opportunities.
Management Commentary

“Our leading MintCarbon.io platform is secure, easy to use and remains unrivaled in the industry so far. On that basis, and given growing interest in this new asset class, I expect material growth in the number of carbon offsets to be minted into tokens via MintCarbon.io over the next year,” said Ranjeet Sundher, Chief Executive Officer of DeepMarkit. “Blackrock, BMO CPP Investments and Norton Rose Fulbright are only but a few of the major players that are drawing attention to the carbon markets. Making it easier for people and companies to access carbon offsets to improve the environment is the ultimate goal,” added Mr. Sundher.

deepmarkit-successfully-tests-and-mints-carbon-credit-nfts-via-its-mintcarbon.io-platform

DeepMarkit Successfully Tests and Mints Carbon Credit NFTs via its MintCarbon.io Platform

 

DeepMarkit Corp., (“DeepMarkit” or the “Company”) (TSXV: MKT) (OTC: MKTDF) (FRA: DEP), a company focused on transitioning the global carbon offset market to the more accessible digital economy by minting credits into non-fungible tokens (“NFTs“), is pleased to announce it has recently undergone and successfully completed three different scenario-based tests (the “Minting Tests“) to mint carbon credits into NFTs via its MintCarbon.io platform. The Minting Tests were conducted in order to confirm the core functionality of the MintCarbon.io platform, which is nearing commercial launch.

As background, the NFT minting process for an offset credit is initiated by confirming and authenticating the credit on a carbon project registry. Upon verifying the offset credit’s authenticity, the user is then approved to mint it into a verified carbon credit NFT through the MintCarbon.io platform. Once minted, the user can hold, sell or retire their carbon credit NFT. A holder of an active carbon credit can retire it via a retirement contract on the MintCarbon.io platform. Retirement takes place seamlessly on both the blockchain and on the authenticating registry. When the underlying carbon credit is retired, the NFT’s residual value can become a function of the market’s perceived worth of its artwork and its underlying project details.

Management Commentary

“These three successful minting tests are the final major step before being able to launch the MintCarbon.io platform on a commercial scale. The retirement, claim and hold scenarios demonstrate the versatility and optionality available to users of our platform. These successful trials showcase that we are able to deliver on our promise of bringing increased transparency and liquidity to the carbon credit markets in a fast and effective manner,” said Ranjeet Sundher, Interim CEO of DeepMarkit.

Carbon credits from the following projects were selected to be minted into NFTs:

  • Fulton County Mud Road Landfill Carbon Project in the United States;
  • Wind Power Project in Karnataka, India by OMWPL; and
  • VTRM Renewable Energy Project in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The Minting Tests consisted of three different scenarios – retirement, claim and hold – and involved the Gold Standard and Verra registries. The Minting Tests were also designed to evaluate the versatility and ease of use of the MinCarbon.io platform, as well as the compatibility of the MintCarbon.io platform’s software with the registries and the blockchain. Once minted, the carbon credit NFTs were then placed for sale on OpenSea.io and Rarible. In each test case, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, First Carbon Corp., obtained the underlying carbon credit in its account at the respective registry, with beneficial ownership remaining with each respective owner.

Test Scenario 1 – Retirement

Retirement Test Buyer purchased an active carbon credit NFT from the Fulton County Mud Road Landfill Carbon Project certified by Verra on OpenSea (OpenSea Listing). They then desired to retire the active carbon credit NFT to offset one tonne of carbon emissions. Retirement Test Buyer sent the active carbon credit NFT to the retirement contract (polygonscan). Then, they received a retired carbon credit NFT on-chain (OpenSea Retirement). The Fulton County Mud Road Landfill Carbon Offset Project carbon credit was confirmed as retired by the Verra registry (Verra Retirement).

Test Scenario 2 – Claim

Claim Test Buyer purchased an active carbon credit NFT from the Wind Power Project in Karnataka by OMWPL certified by Goldstandard on Rarible (Rarible Listing). They desired to claim their active carbon credit NFT from the Wind Power Project in Karnataka by OMWPL and receive the carbon credit on the Gold Standard registry. Claim Test Buyer sent their active carbon credit NFT to the claim contract (polygonscan) along with their account details to the registry. Claim Test Buyer delivered the NFT and the underlying carbon credit was transferred on Gold Standard to their registry account.

Test Scenario 3 – Hold

Hold Test Buyer purchased an active carbon credit NFT from the VTRM Renewable Energy Project 1812 certified by Verra (OpenSea link). They desired to hold onto their active carbon credit NFT from the VTRM Renewable Energy Project. Hold Test Buyer was able to mint and hold the NFT for deposit at a future date.

deepmarkit-announces-strategic-initiative-to-explore-the-minting-of-renewable-energy-certificates

DeepMarkit Announces Strategic Initiative to Explore the Minting of Renewable Energy Certificates

 

DeepMarkit Corp., (“DeepMarkit” or the “Company”) (TSXV: MKT) (OTC: MKTDF) (FRA: DEP), a company focused on transitioning the global carbon offset market to the more accessible digital economy by minting credits into non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”), is pleased to announce that it has embarked on a strategic initiative to explore the minting of Renewable Energy Certificates (“RECs“) into NFTs via its proprietary MintCarbon.io platform. RECs, also known as green tags or tradable renewable certificates, are non-tangible energy commodities that represent proof that one megawatt hour (“MWh“) of electricity was generated from an eligible renewable energy source. The global REC market was valued at US$12.7 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach US$100 billion by 2030.1 By comparison, the voluntary carbon credit market surpassed $1 billion in market value in November 2021.2

The increase in demand for electricity around the world and company policies to reach certain renewable energy consumption targets, combined with the increase in renewable energy market share, are driving growth in the REC market. Until recently, the market’s growth has been restrained by opaque regulations, general inaccessibility and the lack of awareness by developing countries that could benefit from a transparent and accessible platform like the MintCarbon.io platform. MintCarbon.io is expected to play an important role in assisting projects by providing an additional avenue of monetization, while better articulating a project’s story and enabling new forms of engagement.

Management Commentary

“RECs represent a significant market segment for DeepMarkit. Based on input from our corporate development team, the MintCarbon.io platform’s ability to seamlessly integrate RECs, combined with positive feedback received from renewable energy sector participants,  make our decision to explore entering into this market an easy one, while remaining fully committed to our current carbon credit minting model,” said Ranjeet Sundher, Interim CEO of DeepMarkit.

deepmarkit-gains-access-to-global-carbon-credits-via-referral-arrangement

DeepMarkit Gains Access to Global Carbon Credits via Referral Arrangement

 

DeepMarkit Corp., (“DeepMarkit or the “Company”) (TSXV: MKT) (OTC: MKTDF) (FRA: DEP), a company focused on democratizing access to the voluntary carbon offset market by minting credits into non-fungible tokens (“NFTs“), is pleased to announce that it has advanced its previously announced letter of intent (“LOI“) with Radiance Assets Berhad (“Radiance“) to a binding definitive agreement (the “Definitive Agreement“). Based in Malaysia, Radiance is a diverse investment holding company with a focus on innovative and technologically driven businesses in the areas of Cleantech, Meditech and Fintech. Radiance also has a focus on the environment and solutions that better peoples’ lives. Radiance has several classes of funds including a new Agritech fund being launched with an asset value of USD 250 million. As previously announced, Radiance is currently a shareholder of DeepMarkit via recent private placements.

The Definitive Agreement between DeepMarkit and Radiance is an arrangement under which Radiance will introduce carbon credit projects for onboarding through DeepMarkit’s MintCarbon.io platform which is being developed to mint carbon offset credits into NFTs. Any minting and royalty-based revenues earned by DeepMarkit via Radiance’s referrals will result in a percentage-based sharing arrangement with Radiance. The fees payable to Radiance under the Definitive Agreement shall be payable in cash, common shares of DeepMarkit (“Common Shares“), or a combination thereof, at the sole discretion of DeepMarkit, and subject, where applicable, to TSX Venture Exchange (“TSXV“) approval and applicable securities laws for any given payment made in Common Shares. In the event DeepMarkit elects to make any payment or portion thereof in Common Shares, the applicable price at which such Common Shares shall be deemed to be issued shall be the greater of (i) the Discounted Market Price, and (ii) the volume-weighted average price of the Common Shares trading on the TSXV for the ten (10) trading days prior to the effective date of such payment, subject to a pricing floor equal to CAD 0.82. Payment in Common Shares is subject to TSXV approval, and in the event DeepMarkit elects to make a payment to Radiance in Common Shares that would result in Radiance holding greater than 20% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of DeepMarkit at any time, DeepMarkit will be required to obtain specific TSXV approval for Radiance to become a “Control Person”, which will require approval from DeepMarkit’s shareholders in accordance with TSXV policies. The completion of any transaction with a carbon credit project introduced to DeepMarkit by Radiance is subject to the entering into of an agreement among DeepMarkit and the customer, and DeepMarkit’s ability to complete the minting transaction in accordance with applicable regulations.

“We are pleased to have finalized the Definitive Agreement with Radiance so quickly and believe that it will act as a major building block for DeepMarkit and its MintCarbon.io platform. Radiance’s confidence in MintCarbon.io further validates our thesis that utilizing blockchain technology is the best pathway to accessibility, transparency and the international achievement of carbon neutrality,” stated Ranjeet Sundher, Interim CEO of DeepMarkit. “Radiance’s introduction of new users and their carbon projects is also expected to bring significant transaction volume to our platform. We are grateful to have Radiance as a shareholder and collaborator and are looking forward to working with them to expand our global presence,” added Mr. Sundher.

“Radiance has the business connections and financial capacity to support DeepMarkit in the execution of its corporate goals. Our recent investment in DeepMarkit and the execution of this agreement are a testament to our belief in the company and the sector,” commented Jamie Stevenson, CEO of Radiance.

The MintCarbon.io platform creates NFTs that are deposited into the originator’s blockchain wallet, whereby the NFT or Token will become a traceable, liquid asset capable of being listed for trading on nearly any decentralized exchange in the world. MintCarbon.io enables anyone to access information about carbon credit-based NFTs or Tokens, including a link to their respective trading platforms (e.g. OpenSea.io) through an easy-to-use interface.

deepmarkit-announces-option-grants-and-investor-relations-service-provider-engagements

DeepMarkit Announces Option Grants and Investor Relations Service Provider Engagements

 

DeepMarkit Corp., (DeepMarkit or the Company(TSXV: MKT) (OTC: MKTDF) (FRA: DEP), a technology company focused on creating new tools and technologies to aid businesses in sales development and increasing profitability, announces that it has granted stock options for holders to purchase 3,900,000 common shares in the capital of the Company (“Common Shares“) to directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, First Carbon Corp., pursuant to the Company’s stock option plan, and subject to regulatory approval and approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange“). The options were issued with an exercise price of CAD 0.85 per Common Share and, other than as described herein, vest immediately and have a term of two (2) years.

The Company also announces that it has entered into agreements for investor relations or awareness creation services with each of Star Finance GmbH, GRIT Capital Corp., and Octagon Media Corp. Each of these engagements remain subject to approval by the Exchange and the key terms of each are highlighted below:

GRIT Capital Corp.

DeepMarkit has engaged GRIT Capital Corp. (“GRIT Capital“), a financial media company, for promotional and media advertising services to be carried out for an initial term of 24 weeks.  Under the terms of the agreement, the Company will pay to GRIT Capital an upfront fee of USD 75,000.  GRIT Capital does not own or control any common shares or other securities of the Company.  The engagement of GRIT Capital remains subject to approval by the Exchange.

Star Finance

DeepMarkit has entered into a consulting agreement (the “Star Finance Agreement“) with Star Finance GmbH (“Star Finance“), a Swiss-based company, for European investor relations and communication services. Star Finance is owned and operated my Michael Adams who is a communication professional with more than 16 years of experience assisting Canadian public companies with introductions to investors, primarily in Germany and German-speaking Europe.  Under the Star Finance Agreement, Star Finance will create and implement an investor relations program for the Company, provide corporate communication advisory services and market intelligence services, and oversee dissemination of Company information in European markets.  Under the Star Finance Agreement, Star Finance will receive 100,000 options, with an exercise price equal to the Market Price (as defined in Exchange policies) on the date of issuance (being CAD 0.85). The options granted to Star Finance will be exercisable for a period of two (2) years, and shall vest in one-quarter increments every three months from the date of issuance. Star Finance will also be reimbursed for pre-approved expenses incurred in connection with the services provided under the Star Finance Agreement. Star Finance currently owns 474,984 common shares of the Company. Star Finance holds these common shares for investment purposes and may increase or decrease its holdings depending on market factors and other considerations. The engagement of Star Finance remains subject to approval by the Exchange.

Octagon Media Corp. (doing business as Wall Street Reporter)

DeepMarkit has recently engaged Wall Street Reporter as part of Octagon Media Corp. (“WSR“) of Las Vegas, Nevada for investor marketing services (the “WSR Services“) to assist the Company in enhancing its online profile with the investment community. The term of the engagement is for a period of six months (the “Term“), subject to the terms of the Marketing Services Agreement (the “MSA“) executed between the Company and WSR. Pursuant to the terms of the MSA, WSR will be paid an aggregate, up-front, cash amount of USD 250,000 for the WSR Services to be provided over the Term. In addition, WSR will be granted 300,000 options to purchase common shares of the Company at a price equal to CAD 0.85), for a period of eighteen (18) months from the date of issuance, pursuant to its stock option plan and the policies of the Exchange. The options shall vest in one-quarter increments every three months from the date of issuance, in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the Exchange. The Company and WSR are unrelated and unaffiliated entities. WSR is located at 7836 West Sahara Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89117 and can be contacted via email at [email protected] or directly by calling (212) 871-2057.

deepmarkit-achieves-successful-registration-on-gold-standard-and-verra-carbon-registries

DeepMarkit Achieves Successful Registration on Gold Standard and Verra Carbon Registries

 

DeepMarkit Corp., (“DeepMarkit” or the “Company”) (TSXV: MKT) (OTC: MKTDF) (FRA: DEP), a technology company focused on creating next-generation ESG-driven tools and technologies to aid businesses in sales development and increasing profitability, is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, First Carbon Corp. (“FCC“), has become successfully registered on both the Gold Standard and Verra carbon credit registries. The Gold Standard and Verra carbon offset registries establish the core rules and requirements that must be met in order for a carbon project, program or activity to become certified. The two registries display the performance of carbon projects and provide critical tracking services to account holders and transparent project documentation to the public.

“Finalizing our registration on two of the largest and most reputable carbon credit registries in the world is an important milestone for DeepMarkit. Maintaining a strong relationship with Gold Standard and Verra will keep us plugged into the offset market. It will also enable us to open dialogues with existing and new carbon credit project developers as potential onboarding candidates to our proprietary MintCarbon.io platform,” said Ranjeet Sunder, Interim Chief Executive Officer of DeepMarkit.

In the minting of NFTs from carbon credits, it is important to prove through registry verification and smart contracts on the blockchain that a holder of an NFT actually owns its underlying carbon credit. As a subsidiary of DeepMarkit, and in addition to obtaining representations and warranties through a comprehensive agreement with each customer, FCC will ensure the legitimacy and ownership of the carbon credits through verification on the Gold Standard or Verra registry. FCC expects to become successfully registered on other registries as they emerge and achieve the same or greater credibility maintained by Gold Standard and Verra.

Through the utilization of carbon registries, FCC can certify to its clients and customers that the underlying value of a carbon credit is legitimate. This will provide transparency and certainty regarding the individuality of the NFTs minted via FCC’s MintCarbon.io platform. Additionally, the Gold Standard and Verra registries offer a database of hundreds of thousands of verified carbon credit projects, which are expected to be essential for FCC’s carbon credit minting pipeline.

Registries oversee the independent verification of projects that meet science-based standards and follow approved carbon accounting methodologies. This ensures the accuracy, precision and rigor in the measurement, monitoring and verification of emission reductions. Gold Standard and Verra provide the flexibility of a wide range of methodologies that diversify offset sourcing options and demonstrate environmental benefits beyond emissions reductions.

Gold Standard and Verra are tax-exempt, not-for-profit organizations, that have become trusted by a broad range of stakeholders, including but not limited to non-governmental organizations, the private sector and governments. They are widely recognized and used in both the voluntary and compliance-driven carbon credit markets because they deliver credible and transparent assessments of project performance.