Fintech
Bastion Square Announces Additional Details on its Proposed Qualifying Transaction with ALUULA Composites Inc.
Victoria, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – February 22, 2023) – Further to the press release issued on December 21, 2022 by Bastion Square Partners Inc. (TSXV: BASQ.P) (“BSP” or the “Company“) announcing that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Aluula Composites Inc. (“ALUULA“), the Company is pleased to announce highlights from ALUULA’s fiscal 2022 financial results and provide additional details on the transaction structure.
Aluula Consolidated Fiscal 2022 Financial Highlights
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Table 2
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- Sales for the fiscal year ending October 31, 2022 were $5,772,655, a 26% increase over the prior year. Ocean Rodeo kites and wings continued to set new performance standards in 2022 with the integration of ALUULA composite materials. The increase in sales was driven by both Ocean Rodeo’s enhanced product performance and growth within the wing market that we commenced in April 2021.
- Gross margins increased from 15% in 2021 to 20% in 2022. The increase is due to both a decrease in shipping costs and sales commissions. Shipping costs declined in 2022 as the shipping industry recovered from delays and associated cost increases resulting from the pandemic, while sales commissions decreased due to changes within the sales team.
- Net loss for fiscal 2022 was $916,193 compared to a loss of $232,985 in fiscal 2021. Contributing to the year-over-year increase in net loss was an increase in marketing spend and salaries and benefits. Ocean Rodeo’s strategic focus in 2022 was to market the superior performance of Ocean Rodeo’s ALUULA powered kites and wings. In 2022, Ocean Rodeo equipment claimed 2 World Titles. The enhanced marketing efforts, combined with tournament wins, resulted in ALUULA signing 5 additional premium windsport brands as customers in late 2022.
- Other income (expense) decreased year-over-year by $532,434 primarily due to the 2021 balance including a onetime gain on the sale of patents of $622,545.
Execution of fiscal year 2022 strategic objectives:
- ALUULA and Ocean Rodeo combined reported revenues in the windsport segment of $8,297,811, an increase of 20.6% over the prior year.
- ALUULA expanded its customer base across additional verticals including aerospace, airships, outdoor and sailing.
- A new production facility and manufacturing machine (the “Fusion Pod”) was commissioned. This Fusion Pod increased process automation, doubled production capacity, and improved the quality of output materials.
- ALUULA successfully implemented enhanced quality control checks and procedures to ensure materials shipped to customers meets quality controls standards.
- ALUULA completed the acquisition of Ocean Rodeo on October 31, 2022, which will serve as a design hub for ALUULA and the windsport market.
ALUULA CEO Richard Myerscough commented, “We are pleased to announce our financial results for 2022 for ALUULA and Ocean Rodeo. This was a pivotal year for the Company, with strong revenue growth in the windsport segment and new customer wins across all segments. With a leading position in the windsport market, the Company is now actively engaged with a wide range of well-established brands in aerospace, outdoor equipment, sailing, and athletics. We look forward to concluding the transaction with BSP and using our public company profile to grow our business.”
Transaction Structure
The Company entered into a definitive agreement with ALUULA dated December 20, 2022, to acquire 100% of the outstanding shares of ALUULA in exchange for BSP shares (the “Transaction”) by way of three-cornered amalgamation, pursuant to which a wholly owned subsidiary of BSP will amalgamate with ALUULA, and the combined company will continue as a wholly-owned subsidiary of BSP.
To effect the Transaction, the holders of issued common shares in ALUULA will receive an aggregate of 175,000,000 common shares of BSP at a deemed issue price of $0.12 per share for total consideration of $21,000,000. All outstanding ALUULA stock options and shareholder loans in the amount of $1,983,002 will be converted into ALUULA shares prior to being exchanged for BSP shares.
The filing process is underway and the Company plans to update the market on the timing of completion of the Proposed Transaction shortly.
Closing is conditional upon, among other things, receipt of all required regulatory, corporate, and third-party approvals, including TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange“) approval, completion of the Concurrent Financing, and, if required by the Exchange, filing of a sponsorship report with the Exchange.
Financing
In connection with Proposed Transaction, BSP proposes to conduct a concurrent private placement offering of subscription receipts to raise proceeds of at least $1,500,000, at a price per subscription receipt to be determined in the context of the market (the “Concurrent Financing“). The terms of the Concurrent Financing will be announced in a subsequent news release.
About ALUULA
ALUULA is a founder-owned and operated company located in Victoria, British Columbia. ALUULA was created with a vision to find solutions for real world challenges not being met by traditional composite manufacturers. Its goal is to create the next generation of lighter, stronger soft composites for a broad range of large vertical markets. Commercialization within the wind sport markets (Kiteboarding, Wing Foiling and Windsurfing) began in 2020, demonstrating clear benefits in performance, durability, and weight reduction. The initial success in this arena has led to rapid market acceptance in a variety of industry segments over the past two years and earned ALUULA composites a reputation as the leader in new material development within the wind sport sector. In parallel, the company has been co-developing “application specific” composites with well-known industry leaders in Aerospace, Sailing, Outdoor Packs & Tents, and other industrial applications.
Using a patented and proprietary approach to increase fiber strength at the molecular level, ALUULA core weaves and outer facing films are fused without the use of heavy glues. This remarkable process allows ALUULA to achieve strength to weight ratio materials that have been previously unachievable. The company continues to add patented innovation to its product offerings and specialized core competencies to its growing team.
ALUULA’s wholly owned subsidiary, Ocean Rodeo, has been a fixture in the wind sport community for over 20 years. Founded in 2001, Ocean Rodeo holds over 50 patents or patent applications related to the design of watersports equipment, with a well-known history of innovation and market disruption. It was this culture of innovation that led to a partnership with scientist and serial entrepreneur, Peter Berrang, to fundamentally change the way in which material used for kites, wings and sails is manufactured. This partnership flourished and now ALUULA materials are being incorporated by leading wind sport brands around the world. These brands and their customers are benefitting from the lighter, stronger and stiffer qualities of the ALUULA Gold™ material over traditional dacrons used in the industry. Attending its first trade show, out of over 500 entries, ALULLA Composites won the Textrend Best Product, soft equipment category at the 2020 ISPO trade show in Munich, Germany.
For further information about ALUULA see www.ALUULA.com.
For further information on Ocean Rodeo see www.oceanrodeo.ca.
ALUULA is proud to have been awarded BEST PRODUCT of the soft equipment category at 2021/22 ISPO for our ALUULA Gold™ composite.
For further information about the Company, please contact:
Mr. Peter Gustavson, CEO, Chairman & Director
Email: [email protected]
Ms. Briony Bayer, CFO, Corporate Secretary & Director
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 250-412-1292
Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, closing the financing, Exchange acceptance and if applicable pursuant to Exchange Requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.
Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.
The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.
The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management’s view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the closing of the Transaction and the anticipated benefits of the Transaction, including the proposed business of the Company after completion of the Transaction. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, including with respect to the closing of the Transaction, the timing and receipt of all applicable regulatory, corporate and third party approvals, the anticipated benefits from the Transaction and the satisfaction of other conditions to Closing, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statement will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that is incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
The securities described herein have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/155700
Fintech
Stockify goes fully Digital, offers Mutual Funds and Dematerialization of shares

In a strategic move to expand its offerings and provide a comprehensive suite of financial services, Stockify, a leading platform for Unlisted and pre-IPO shares in India, has announced plans to venture into the Mutual Fund space.
This development comes as part of Stockify’s mission to assist High-Net Individuals (HNIs) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in accessing various investment opportunities in India via the pre-IPO route and maximizing their wealth. The company is also set to facilitate the Dematerialization of Shares. (Conversion of Physical Share to DEMAT account.)
Founded by Piyush Jhunjhunwala (CA, CPA) and Co-Founded by Rahul Khatuwala (CA) both seasoned finance professionals with decades of experience in global conglomerates.
Stockify has already carved a niche for itself in the Indian Financial landscape. The platform primarily focuses on providing access to Blue-Chip Stocks before their listing on the Indian Stock Market (via the Pre IPO Route) enabling early investors to potentially achieve significant returns. While expressing the company’s intent behind expanding its services, Jhunjhunwala said, “Mutual Funds are the backbone of the Indian Equity market, and we believe it is important that NRI and retail investors in India can greatly benefit from our new offering and this will help them in creating long-term wealth.”
The recent announcement of Stockify entering the Mutual Funds market follows the company’s successful acquisition of a Mutual Fund license in the first quarter of 2023. Alongside Mutual Funds, Stockify intends to offer an array of other financial products, like Start-up Funding, fixed investment products like Bonds and Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) and Insurance-Linked Investments, in the coming months. Notably, Stockify plans to make all its products and services 100% accessible online, aligning with the Digital India vision of our beloved Prime Minster Mr. Narendra Modi.
Currently, Stockify boasts 70 Unlisted/pre-IPO companies on its platform, with in-depth research conducted on all of them as stated by Jhunjhunwala. It offers a simple online process where transactions can be completed online, and shares get transferred to the clients DEMAT account on the same day.
Stockify’s global presence was recently showcased at the Dubai Fintech Summit (DFS). The two-day event brought together over 5,000 C-suite leaders, 1,000-plus investors, and 150 speakers from around the world. Stockify was selected as one of the proud exhibitors at the summit, solidifying its position as one of the world’s largest providers of pre-IPO and Unlisted Stocks in India.
With its ambitious expansion plans and commitment to innovation, Stockify is set to continue revolutionizing the way investors access and engage with financial opportunities in India and beyond.
Fintech
VerifyVASP Wins Hong Kong’s IFTA Fintech and Innovation Awards 2022/23: Regulatory Technology Award

VerifyVASP was awarded the Institute of Financial Technologists of Asia (IFTA) Fintech and Innovation Awards 2022/23 for Regulatory Technology. The awards exhibit the extraordinary achievements made by companies and individuals in the finance and technology industries.
The IFTA Awards, themed “Game Changers: The Rise of Next Gen Fintech”, celebrates ground-breaking ideas and technologies that are shaping the future of finance. The distinguished Guest of Honour presenting the IFTA awards was the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury for Financial Services in the Hong Kong SAR, Mr. Joseph Ho-Lim Chan.
VerifyVASP has established itself as a comprehensive Travel Rule solution provider catering to Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASPs) worldwide. Its commitment to facilitating full compliance with Travel Rule regulations across multiple jurisdictions has earned it this prestigious recognition.
This accolade comes at an opportune time, as VerifyVASP supports the Hong Kong Virtual Asset Trading Platforms (VATPs) in adhering to the regulatory framework set forth by the Hong Kong Securities & Futures Commission, which came into effect on 1 June 2023. VATPs are granted a grace period till 1 January 2024 to ensure compliance with Travel Rule requirements.
The IFTA Fintech and Innovation Award underscores VerifyVASP’s capabilities, including:
- Facilitation of counterparty due diligence: VerifyVASP assists VASPs in counterparty due diligence before the first transaction, to stringent standards akin to that observed in correspondent banking. This is achieved through VerifyVASP’s own rigorous due diligence process, encompassing over 100 VASPs.
- Immediate and secure transmission: Leveraging a scalable architecture, VerifyVASP ensures immediate and secure transmission of required information, alongside verification of such information. To date, the platform has processed over 5 million transfers.
- Adherence to international data protection laws: VerifyVASP complies with international data protection law thanks to its decentralised, end to end encrypted architecture. This dedication to data security and privacy sets it apart in the industry.
- Asset agnostic: VerifyVASP’s capabilities extend to accommodating any type of virtual asset, having processed over 400 cryptocurrency variants on its platform.
- Integration of third-party screening solutions: VerifyVASP seamlessly integrates third-party solutions, allowing for efficient screening of originators or beneficiaries before blockchain transactions.
SOURCE VerifyVASP Pte Ltd
Fintech
Nagad’s Digital Bank on cards, Sadaf to lead the side

Nagad, Bangladesh’s leading Mobile Financial Service (MFS) provider, is gearing up to establish the much-anticipated digital bank, as it is going to secure a licence from the Bangladesh Bank within a couple of months.
Sadaf Roksana, a co-founder and executive director of Nagad Ltd., has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading her company’s transformative venture that will bring greater convenience to the lives of millions of Bangladeshis, reducing their reliance on traditional brick-and-mortar banks.
The MFS provider earlier applied to secure a digital bank licence following the central bank’s call for applications through its website. The Bangladesh Bank also formulated necessary guidelines to widen and accelerate financial inclusion, which will also create jobs for young IT workers.
The world’s fastest mobile money carrier is going to venture into the digital banking era at a time when the financial landscape across the globe is fast evolving towards digitalisation, driven by technological advancements and changing consumer preferences.
Taking on the new assignment, Sadaf, a seasoned financial executive with a remarkable track record in the fintech industry, is poised to steer Nagad’s digital bank towards success. Once Nagad gets the digital bank licence, it will provide its consumers with innovative and convenient banking solutions.
“We are very excited that we are going to introduce digital banking services to the people of Bangladesh within a couple of months,” Sadaf said, adding, “This endeavour aligns perfectly with our vision of enhancing financial inclusion and ensuring easy access to all financial services also at affordable prices.”
Nagad is already well-equipped to launch a digital bank. It will start serving customers soon after getting the licence, Sadaf assured.
Under its digital banking platform, Nagad will introduce many new services, such as single-digit and collateral-free loans for small informal businesses and farmers who now are to take loans from moneylenders even at 40% interest rate per day, she pointed out.
“Thus, we will encourage them to come under financial inclusion, thus putting their money into the formal channel,” she expressed her optimism.
To assess one’s creditworthiness, Nagad has created an AI-based credit rating system that will analyse all transactions-related data available on public domains using one’s NID and mobile number, Sadaf Roksana added.
As Nagad goes ahead with its plans, all eyes will be on Sadaf Roksana and her team as they will embark on this exciting journey towards a more digitised and inclusive financial future for the country.
SOURCE Nagad Limited
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