Marketing Co. Offers AI Retail Tech Powered by Qualcomm Platform

VSBLTY Groupe Technologies Corp. (VSBY:CSE; VSBGF:OTC; 5VS:FSE) announced it is launching a retail solutions suite with enhanced computer vision solutions powered by the Qualcomm QRB5165 System-on-Chip (SoC) platform.

The Canadian retail and technology marketing company is using the platform and its own suite of computer vision software to create "solutions that will soon answer many of retail's common challenges," co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Jay Hutton said.

"Consumers get frustrated by not being able to see inventory levels or product packaging by looking through the glass," Hutton told Streetwise Reports, referring to the use of opaque display technology by competitors, such as Cooler Screens. "The brilliance of the VSBLTY technology is that the glass can be 100% transparent while cycling through interactive content to achieve an advertising and promotion outcome."

Qualcomm provided investment capital in the six-figure range for expedited development of the platform, Hutton said.

According to Qualcomm, the QRB5165 platform "brings the latest IoT [internet of things] technologies in a highly integrated chipset that powers the next generation of high-compute, AI [artificial intelligence]-enabled, low-power robots and drones for the consumer, enterprise, defense, industrial and professional service sectors that can be connected by 5G."

VSBLTY's Proactive Digital Display transforms retail and public spaces, as well as place-based media networks, with software-as-a-service (SaaS) based audience measurement and security software that uses AI and machine learning. Its technology also integrates with QR codes and mobile apps.

Retailers and brand builders can identify customer habits and even individual customers with VSBLTY's technology, providing tailored multimedia experiences from end to end along the buying journey in brick-and-mortar locations.

Technical Analyst Clive Maund wrote that "there is almost zero downside" to VSBLTY's stock.

"You could make many times your investment, and since the technicals indicate that the chance of this happening is better than 50:50, it is considered to be a worthwhile calculated risk," Maund noted.

In another post, Maund said he was staying long on the stock and rated VSBLTY "even more of a Buy than when we first looked at it."

The Catalyst: An Out-of-This-World Collaboration

VSBLTY's development teams have been optimizing the company's technology for Qualcomm's platform to "enable customer analytics and personalized digital signage," Hutton said. "This has expedited the validation of the QRB5165 platform within demanding edge use cases in retail."

Qualcomm's solutions for computer vision "are particularly well suited for small footprint environments," said Art Miller, vice president of business development and global head of retail Internet of Things for Qualcomm.

"Utilizing Vsblty's retail solution suite can address legacy issues in retail, including inventory management and visibility to sales trajectory," Miller noted.

According to Engineering.com, Qualcomm's technology has its root in a collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), controlling the flight platform for the Ingenuity helicopter that was attached to the Mars Perseverance rover.

Technical Analyst Clive Maund wrote that "there is almost zero downside" to VSBLTY's stock.

"This innovation was no small feat as it required a processor built to withstand the 3-to 22-minute delay of signals sent from Earth to Mars," Jessie MacAlpine wrote for the website.

"With intense radiation exposure, fluctuating and freezing temperatures, and the inherent unpredictability of space, JPL needed significant computing power and autonomous operations to make a functional drone for Mars. JPL and Qualcomm's collaboration on, and advancement of drone technology, will now help these vehicles expand space exploration and improve industries here on Earth."

MacAlpine noted that "commercial, industrial, and enterprise drones will use the Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G Platform and the Qualcomm QRB5165 processor to bring 5G technologies to scale."

VSBLTY's platform includes DataCaptor, which leverages camera and sensor technology through AI tools, enabling real-time analytics and anonymous audience data; and the VisionCaptor Content Management System, which provides a variety of capabilities for bringing proximity-aware, interactive brand messaging to life on any digital screen. These two key technologies are deployed together to create custom brand experiences for users.

VSBLTY Vector is the company's security-focused software, which makes customers' existing video cameras "smarter" with real-time facial recognition and weapon detection.

New Interim Executive Chair for Board

VSBLTY also announced that Amin Shahidi will take over the role of executive chairman of the board on an interim basis, replacing Luiz Barros, who will transition to the role of strategic advisor and undertake a full-time leadership position with an external company.

Shahidi is a five-year member of the board and has extensive retail and security experience, particularly in strategic planning and mergers and acquisitions, from this 35-year career.

He managed the contract negotiations with the lender for Winkel Media and the subsequent reduction of operating costs to achieve a projected 40% reduction in monthly operating costs, bringing Winkel to profitability.

Winkel is an in-store media technology company that is a joint venture of VSBLTY, its Latin American partner Retailigent Media, and Anheuser-Busch InBev. The JV recently closed a record quarter, posting an 85% increase in programmatic media sales from October to December 2023.

"I have been watching the Vsblty team make enormous progress in both the retail and security sectors of their business over the past five years and am happy to play a role, along with the leadership team, which I respect very much, to help drive the business to profitability in 2024," he said.

Ownership and Share Structure

According to Reuters, 2.01% of VSBLTY's stock is held by management and insiders. Director Thomas Hayes has 0.76%; co-founder, CEO, and president Hutton has 0.36%; and CTO Gary Gibson has 0.28%.

Strategic investor Actus Interactive Holdings Inc., within which Hutton has a minority interest, has 2.26%, and about 0.40% is with institutional investor Palos Management Inc.

The rest is with retail investors.

VSBLTY had a market cap of CA$3.66 million, with 48.5 million shares outstanding. It trades in a 52-week period between CA$1.65 and CA$0.08.

Important Disclosures:

1. VSBLTY Groupe Technologies Inc. has a consulting relationship with an affiliate of Streetwise Reports, and pays a monthly consulting fee between US$8,000 and US$20,000.
2. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of VSBLTY Groupe Technologies Inc. 
3. Steve Sobek wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee.
4.  This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company. 

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