RNS Number : 4105I

Blenheim Natural Resources PLC

21 March 2018

Blenheim Natural Resources Plc / EPIC: BNR / Market: AIM

21 March 2018

Blenheim Natural Resources Plc

("Blenheim" or the "Company")

BrandShield Ltd ('BrandShield') Launches ICO

Blenheim Natural Resources Plc, the AIM-quoted investing company, is pleased to announce that BrandShield, in which the Company holds an 8.95% interest, has launched MyShield, the world's first anti-scam blockchain platform/community through the Token Pre-Sale Launch of its Independent Coin Offering ('ICO').

· MyShield is the world's first decentralised platform/community that will alert community participants whenever they encounter a fraudulent website, an online counterfeit sale or other types of online scams

· Initially targeting the cryptocurrency arena MyShield will be rolled out across e-commerce in 2019 - it has been developed by BrandShield which focuses on artificial intelligence ("AI") powered online brand protection and cyber intelligence systems that revolutionise the way organisations fight fraud

· MyShield has published its 'White Paper' and launched the private pre-sale for its ICO which drives the MyShield community

· The MyShield token will be an ERC-20 based token - symbol SHLD

· MyShield will issue a finite number of 1 billion MyShield tokens of which 400m will be sold to third parties and the rest retained by BrandShield - 500m tokens will be used as a fund for future operations and to distribute to its founders (including Blenheim), team and shareholders and 100m for the Reporting Bounty, Marketing and bug reporting bounties and Guarantee Fund within the MyShield community

· At the final stage of the ICO the tokens will be priced at US$0.20 - at earlier stages tokens will be sold at varying discounts.

· The MyShield tokens distributed to the founders (including Blenheim) will be vested over a period of 1 year, with 5% of them (10 million tokens) distributed on the day of the token generation event ('TGE') timetabled for the end of Q2/early Q3 2018

· CEO of MyShield has commenced the global roadshow for the ICO in Hong Kong and will be attending the Blockchain Expo 2018 to be held in London on 18-19 April www.blockchain-expo.com

Blenheim Executive Chairman Charlie Wood said, "The launch of MyShield represents a truly significant milestone in the development of BrandShield and its valuation potential. Utilising its AI, machine learning, blockchain and big data technology analysis of online risk, BrandShield has developed the world's first anti-scam platform and community, which it believes will revolutionise companies' ability to manage on-line risk and fraud, which is growing exponentially. The experience garnered from its existing business, which already provides fraud protection services to multiple global brands, as well as its expansion into the crypto currency arena, means that BrandShield is ideally positioned to provide a much-needed global solution.

"MyShield as a platform adds significant value to BrandShield in terms of funds raised in the ICO and value of the tokens. We believe there is huge potential for MyShield to become one of the leading crypto-currencies as it solves one of the internet's biggest problems through a self-regulating platform/eco system that ensures integrity via the participants. MyShield will initially bring increased trust to the crypto-currency industry allowing more users to enter the market and as the market evolves, this will defuse to the whole ecommerce and online eco-system.

"With increasing interest, we expect to see significant value accretion in MyShield as a community and platform, as well as a clear rise in value of cash and tokens on BrandShield's balance sheet, raised via the ICO with no dilution to existing BrandShield shareholders. Additionally, BrandShield's value is significantly enhanced as first provider on the MyShield platform, and the increased profile and access to data has also driven clients to BrandShield's existing business.

"Having an 8.9% shareholding in BrandShield and now with the launch of the ICO for MyShield we are delighted to be part of a business that has real market demand."

MyShield

MyShield is the world's first decentralised anti-scam platform, that will alert users whenever they reach a fraudulent website, an online counterfeit sale, or other types of online scams. Its purpose is to bring trust to the e-commerce and online market, in which counterfeits and piracy are estimated to reach US$2.81 trillion in 2020. It is a self-regulating entity powered by participants, blockchain and AI, with the MyShield cryptocurrency providing the reward system and operational currency.

Initially, MyShield will focus on the cryptocurrency industry, which at present is flooded with cases of phishing, brandjacking and fraud. The MyShield platform will provide users alerts against scams and crypto-transaction validations. The model is based on two sources of intelligence - reports on potential scams by users of MyShield shared with the community, and providers of AI powered cyber-intelligence which is the original cornerstone business of BrandShield that already service multiple global brands. The information from both sources will be recorded on the MyShield blockchain, which will be launched on an existing blockchain and will be used as the source for the alerts and validations.

The MyShield decentralised platform includes bounties created by MyShield and by companies, organisations and users in order to incentivise members of the community to report potential scam. The Shield token, is a "Token of Trust", providing users with a guarantee for their transactions made via online websites being marked as trusted by MyShield, after a community consensus is reached.

The MyShield platform will bring together different stakeholders into one ecosystem - these stakeholders include users, companies, AI-powered cyber intelligence providers, guarantee providers and enforcement services providers. The MyShield platform will leverage the robust technology of BrandShield, for monitoring the Internet and analysing the potential risk of different online threats.

BrandShield:

BrandShield's technology, which is already being used by top global brands including VISA, Credit-Suisse, New-Balance and Radisson Hotels to protect from online scams, will be the first provider of AI powered cyber intelligence to the MyShield platform. The company has significant experience of the rapidly growing crypto arena through its involvement with ShapeShift, eToro, WePower, Jet8 and Current.

BrandShield is MyShield's first AI powered cyber intelligence provider, with its AI and big data analysis of online risks, being the core source of cyber intelligence to provide the MyShield users with alerts against scams. Its AI powered online brand protection and cyber intelligence system revolutionises the way organisations fight scams of different types including fraud (including types of phishing and brandjacking), counterfeits, trademark infringements, piracy and more. As mentioned, it is already utilised by leading companies from industries, including banking, financial, cryptocurrency, insurance, software, IT, gaming, fashion, pharmaceuticals, sports, consumer goods, travel, automotive, non-for-profits, and more.

BrandShield's artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data technology, performs an advanced and automated metrics driven analysis of online risks. It's robust, patented technology finds scams such as fraud, counterfeits, trademark infringements, and brand abuse across multiple platforms including website, marketplaces, social-media, mobile apps, and PPC advertisements.

The BrandShield unique system:

• Analyses content and metrics

• Uses sophisticated algorithms to automatically prioritize the level of risk

• Uses machine learning to improve results based on actions

• Implements ground-breaking pattern recognition that finds major scammers

• Includes proactive enforcement tools

The BrandShield system, is a subscription based online software as a service solution (SaaS). BrandShield also provides companies and organisations that subscribe to the SaaS, optional enforcement and takedown services. The deep analysis capabilities enable a sophisticated metrics-based enforcement strategy that provides BrandShield's experienced professional team with the ability to focus enforcement efforts on the most damaging threats to the brand and on major abusers.

The system includes the following modules today:

· Websites module - monitors for scams over the web including content, logos, infringing domain names in all ccTLDs and gTLDs, and more.

· Marketplaces module - an automated, algorithm-based solution to monitor against counterfeit sales on marketplaces such as eBay, Ali-Express, Tao-Bao, etc.

· Mobile Apps module - scans major app stores and finds abusive apps.

· PPC Ads module - scans and monitors ads on Google and Bing to identify scammers that divert traffic to competitors or counterfeit websites.

· Social Media Module - scans major social media platforms to find scam activities and counterfeit sales.

Special note concerning the Market Abuse Regulation

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 ("MAR"). Market soundings, as defined in MAR, were taken in respect of the Subscription, with the result that certain persons became aware of inside information, as permitted by MAR. That inside information is set out in this announcement. Therefore, those persons that received inside information in a market sounding are no longer in possession of inside information relating to the Company and its securities.

**Ends**

For further information please visit www.blenheimnaturalresources.com or contact:

Charlie Wood Blenheim Natural Resources Plc +44 (0)207 236 1177





Neil Baldwin/Andrew Emmott Spark Advisory Partners Limited (Nominated Adviser) +44(0)203 368 3554





Nick Emerson Frank Buhagiar/Gaby Jenner SI Capital Ltd (Broker) St Brides Partners Ltd +44 (0)1483 413500 +44 (0)207 236 1177

Notes to Editors:

Blenheim Natural Resources Plc is an investing company, quoted on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, with a strategy focused on identifying and investing in opportunities in mineral exploration and mining, as well as technology associated with the natural resources sector. The Company has an experienced Board of Directors with a proven pedigree in the acquisition, development & sale of projects and creating value for shareholders. The investment mandate covers unquoted and quoted businesses, as well as direct project investment.

The Company currently has investments in a number of companies which provide exposure to commodities which are relevant to the rapidly growing technology metal sector, including lithium, cobalt and nickel, as well as strategic positions in a geoscience consultancy and a leading international company in the online brand protection, anti-counterfeiting and anti-fraud sector which has developed the one of the most comprehensive systems using AI powered cyber intelligence systems and is developing its proprietary blockchain-based platform for anti-fraud purposes.

BrandShield Ltd:

BrandShield is an artificial intelligence ("AI") powered online brand protection and cyber intelligence system that revolutionises the way organisations fight scams of different types including fraud (including types of phishing and brandjacking), counterfeits, trademark infringements, piracy and more. BrandShield already has a number of multi-national clients from sectors including banking, financial, cryptocurrency, insurance, software, IT, gaming, fashion, pharmaceuticals, sports, consumer goods, travel, automotive, not-for-profits, and more.

BrandShield's AI, machine learning, and big data technology, performs an advanced and automated metrics-driven analysis of online risks. Its robust, patented technology finds scams such as fraud, counterfeits, trademark infringements, and brand abuse across multiple platforms including website, marketplaces, social-media, mobile apps.

Following its financing late last year BrandShield has expanded its anti-fraud product offering "MyShield" to include companies in crypto currency arena and those pursuing ICOs such as ShapeShift, the leading instant digital asset exchange, eToro, the world's leading social trading network, WePower, a blockchain-based green energy trading platform and Jet8, a leading decentralised mobile engagement network connecting influencers, audiences and brands through the value of social currency.

MyShield

MyShield is the world's first decentralised blockchain platform/community that will alert community participants whenever they reach a fraudulent website, an online counterfeit sale, and other types of online scams. Initially targeting the cryptocurrency arena but to be rolled out across e-commerce in 2019.