Abner Labs Appoints New Board of Directors

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – February 4, 2022) – Abner Labs announces the appointment of a new Board of Directors.

“The appointment of a new Board of Directors delivers access to industry expertise, knowledge, capabilities and relationships (and commitment and conviction) to accelerate the Company’s acquisition and commercialization of the ibetmobile technology and advance its capital raising process,” said Dr David Bate, Chairman.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The following individuals have been appointed to the Board of Directors:

Dr David Bate
Mr Rael Ginsburg
Mr Luca Schläpfer
Mr Nicolas Cloete-Hopkins

Mr Andrew Male has resigned from the Board of Directors. The Company thanks Mr Male for his contributions over the past year. Mr Male remains a valued shareholder of the Company.

Dr Bate has been elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The Board expects to add two independent directors later in the year.

Dr David Bate

Dr Bate has over 25 years’ experience as an investment banker, lawyer, entrepreneur, executive, educator, director or investor. His credentials span gambling, sports, entertainment, media, ICT and financial technology across corporate finance, M&A, capital markets, debt finance and private equity.

Dr Bate is an entrepreneur who founded Brookwood Capital, Velocia Investment Management and Abner Technology Group, among other companies. He serves on the Board of Directors of several listed and unlisted companies. He was previously Head of Corporate Finance for ABN AMRO for Sub-Saharan Africa and worked for RBC in Singapore. He also worked for a New York law firm in Tokyo and remains associated with a law firm in South Africa.

Dr Bate is a Member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, among other professional associations. He holds seven university qualifications including a Doctorate of Public Administration (DPA) from the University of South Africa, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science (MSc) from Institut des Hautes Etudes Economiques et Commerciales in France and a Master of Public Administration (MPA), Juris Doctor (JD) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Victoria.

Mr Rael Ginsburg

Mr Ginsburg has over 25 years’ experience as a software engineer, developer, entrepreneur or investor. He is a pioneer of the online gambling industry with a proven track record of delivering online platforms and support to some of the industry’s leading companies.

Mr Ginsburg is the founder of Iceburg Capital and developed peer to peer poker platforms and fantasy football platforms for leading industry clients including gambling companies such as The Stars Group and Eazibet.

Mr Ginsburg was a co-founder of BetWize that offered online and mobile games, including casino games, poker, sports betting and scratch tickets, before its multi-million USD sale to a subsidiary of William Hill Plc.

Mr Ginsburg was previously Head of Poker for Microgaming Poker Network with responsibility for developing and delivering casino and poker products, analyzing performance, managing systems and improving products, among other duties. He has consulted widely to many of the online gambling community’s leading companies, particularly in their early years of development.

Mr Luca Schläpfer

Mr Schläpfer has over 10 years’ experience as an executive, entrepreneur and investor in financial services, digital platforms and entertainment sectors.

Mr Schläpfer is currently the Head of Offer & Development Group, Life Business, for AXA Switzerland with responsibility for new product development, including digital platforms. He was previously Head of Product Management, Collective Foundation Business, for AXA Switzerland with prior experience as a Managing Director and partner in Rexas Treuhand GmbH, a fiduciary services company for high net worth individuals and family offices in Switzerland.

Mr Schläpfer is a serial entrepreneur and investor in several companies in the digital entertainment and fast-moving consumer goods industries. He holds a Master of Arts (MA) from Zurich University.

Mr Nicolas Cloete-Hopkins

Mr Cloete-Hopkins has over 23 years’ experience as a systems engineer, project manager and systems thinking specialist.

He is a Senior Lecturer at Transnet Centre for Systems Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment at the University of the Witwatersrand and a widely published academic author.

Mr Cloete-Hopkins was previously a Divisional Director of Mott MacDonald in South Africa with prior work for Tube Lines and Booz Allen Hamilton in the United Kingdom. He is a founder of and advisor to several start-up companies.

Mr Cloete-Hopkins is a PhD candidate at the University of the Witwatersrand. He holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Systems Engineering Management from University College London and a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) from the University of Cape Town.

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ABOUT THE COMPANY

Abner Innovation Laboratories Limited (“Abner Labs”) is a British Columbia, Canada, company formed to acquire Abner Technology Group Limited (“Abner Group”), owner of the ibetmobile sports viewing and betting technology platform. This proprietary, artificial intelligence (“AI”) driven smart technology makes watching and wagering on live sports on any online device as easy as playing video games.

For more information about ibetmobile and Abner Labs, please visit: www.abner-labs.com

FURTHER INFORMATION

Ms Tatiana Munro-Cameron
Vice President, Engagement
Abner Innovation Laboratories Limited
+(27) 78 251 8307
tatiana.munro-cameron@abner-labs.com

Mr Keenan Gentry
Vice President, Corporate Development
Abner Innovation Laboratories Limited
+(1) 416 770 3342
keenan.gentry@abner-labs.com

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain “forward looking information” and “forward looking statements” (collectively referred to as “forward looking statements”). These forward looking statements relate to future events or the Company’s future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward looking statements. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “continues”, “forecasts”, “projects”, “predicts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “believes” or variations of or the negatives of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Particularly, information regarding the Company’s expectations of future results, targets, performance achievements, prospects or opportunities is forward looking information.

Forward looking statements in this news release include but may not be limited to statements about: the acquisition of Abner Labs; the acquisition and commercialization of the ibetmobile sports betting platform; and the expected appointment of two additional independent directors. Forward looking statements are based on management’s assumptions as at the date the forward looking statements and include but are not limited to assumptions regarding: the Company’s ability to complete: the acquisition of Abner Labs; the acquisition and commercialization of the ibetmobile sports betting platform; and the appointment of two additional independent directors.

Though management believes that its assumptions are reasonable in the circumstances, forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from all or any of the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward looking statements.

Risk factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ from the forward looking statements in this news release include, but may not be limited to: the inability of the Company to fulfill the conditions or obtain the necessary regulatory approvals to complete the acquisition of Abner Labs and/or the ibetmobile sports betting platform; adverse or unexpected changes to regulatory regimes related to the sports betting industry; and general market and economic risks.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward looking statements other than as required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/112791