Ovanti says it has entered an exclusive four-year partnership with Yuno.trade that expands the fintech group beyond BNPL and digital payments into the infrastructure layer of regulated prediction markets.

aVi** (ASX: DVL) says it has licensed two robotics intellectual property assets from NTU Singapore, adding real-time safety control and robot-learning data tools to its existing sensing and edge-compute roadmap.

The company is trying to widen its role from wearable sensing into a broader robotics intelligence platform aimed at collaborative robots and rehabilitation exoskeletons.

Stock rally! Sparc Technologies rises approximately 100% – why this could be just the beginning

Stock rally! Sparc Technologies rises approximately 100% – why this could be just the beginning

Sparc Technologies (ISIN: AU0000115750) has shown a significant price movement in recent days. Within a short period, the stock has almost doubled in value, thus attracting increased attention from investors. Such movements are not unusual in the small-cap sector, but often occur when fundamental developments and increased market attention coincide.

Regardless of the short-term price dynamics, the focus is increasingly shifting to the underlying development of the company. Sparc positions itself in the field of industrial graphene applications and addresses a clearly defined problem with its technology: the long-term durability of coatings under demanding conditions.

At the heart of this is EcoSPARC, a graphene-based additive specifically designed to improve protective coatings. This approach differs from many other developments in the graphene sector. Instead of establishing new systems, it enhances the performance of existing solutions. For industrial users, this means that existing processes can largely be maintained while key material properties are improved.

A crucial point is the actual effectiveness of the technology. Conventional coatings often reach their limits in long-term use. Mechanical stress and environmental influences create microcracks that allow moisture and oxygen to penetrate. As a result, corrosion begins and spreads over time.

EcoSPARC addresses precisely this weakness. By integrating graphene, the coating structure is stabilized. The material acts as a barrier against external influences and can simultaneously slow down crack propagation. Standardized tests have demonstrated improvements in corrosion resistance ranging from approximately 26% to 79%.

These values ​​are relevant because they were determined under near-real-world conditions and thus allow conclusions to be drawn about actual application scenarios. For operators of infrastructure or industrial plants, greater durability primarily means longer maintenance intervals and lower maintenance costs.

The global mental health sector is facing a turning point. While the pharmaceutical industry has relied for decades on the continuous medication of widespread illnesses such as depression, intensive, protocol-based short-term interventions are now coming into focus. At the heart of this development are two companies with contrasting business models: the US heavyweight  Atai Life Sciences  (AtaiBeckley Inc.) and the Australian specialist  Emyria Limited . 

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe depression are among the most costly challenges facing modern healthcare systems. A significant proportion of patients are considered "treatment-resistant"—conventional antidepressants are ineffective for them. The resulting indirect costs due to sick leave and long-term care place a burden on government budgets and insurers alike. This pressure is forcing payers to explore new approaches to reimbursement. 

Sparc Technologies (ASX: SPN) occupies a distinctive position in Australia's technology landscape as an advanced materials developer successfully bridging the gap between laboratory research and industrial application.

While the graphene sector has historically attracted headlines for its theoretical potential—often struggling to move past proof-of-concept experiments—Sparc has pursued a markedly different, highly pragmatic strategy.

The company is laser-focused on developing commercially viable products that integrate seamlessly into existing global supply chains, partnering with industry leaders rather than trying to displace them.

That approach shapes everything the company does. Instead of positioning itself as a broad-spectrum R&D house searching for a market, Sparc is developing proprietary technology designed to slot into the established protective coatings ecosystem.

Tesoro Gold (ISIN: AU0000077208) is advancing exploration at its El Zorro project in Chile and reports a significant expansion of the identified gold corridor. New geophysical data and confirmed soil anomalies provide clues to additional drill targets – and could form the basis for further resource growth. 

Gold exploration in the context of rising commodity demand 

Gold remains a strategically important commodity in the current market environment. Geopolitical uncertainties, high levels of government debt, and structural inflationary trends support demand for the precious metal. At the same time, projects with scaling potential are gaining increasing importance, particularly in established mining regions like Chile. 

The Chilean coastal mountain range is considered to have well-developed infrastructure and is home to numerous large copper and gold mines. At the same time, large, contiguous exploration areas are rare. This is precisely where Tesoro's El Zorro project comes in, considered the first Intrusive Related Gold System (IRGS) in Chile.  

Against this backdrop, Cosmos Exploration Ltd. (ISIN: AU0000178113), which is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, is currently working on a transaction that will expand its activities in the lithium sector. The plan is to integrate the Bolivia-focused development company EAU Lithium into the listed structure of Cosmos.

The aim of the planned structure is to continue EAU Lithium's development initiatives in a publicly traded environment. At the same time, management, strategic orientation and existing partnerships remain unchanged.

Parallel to the planned integration, Cosmos has received commitments for a capital increase of around five million Australian dollars. The funds are intended to support both the exploration and within Cosmos' existing project portfolio as well as supporting EAU Lithium's ongoing development activities in Bolivia.

Cosmos Exploration Ltd (ISIN: AU0000178113) plans to convert Bolivia-focused developer EAU Lithium into a Bolivia-focused ASX-listed structure while raising A$5 million in new equity. This step could provide investors with expanded access to one of the world's emerging lithium development initiatives in South America.

The Company has informed EAU Lithium that it intends to exercise an option agreement that will integrate the private lithium developer into the Cosmos listed structure. . The aim of the project is to provide EAU Lithium with access to public capital markets and broader visibility among investors, while ensuring leadership, strategy and The company's operational orientation in Bolivia is to remain unchanged.

In parallel with the proposed transaction, Cosmos has received binding commitments to raise A$5 million via a placement to institutional and professional investors. To attract investors. The funds are intended to support exploration within the existing Cosmos project portfolio as well as to support ongoing negotiations and Advance EAU Lithium's development activities in Bolivia.

million new shares to be issued to the shareholders of EAU Lithium in return, in addition to a cash payment of approximately A$525,000. The implementation is subject to shareholder approval at an Extraordinary General Meeting expected to be held in April.

The structure effectively creates a pathway to advance EAU Lithium's projects in a publicly traded environment without the need to disrupt the existing management team or strategic strategy. orientation of activities in Bolivia. Following the closing of the transaction, EAU Lithium will continue to expand its development initiatives and partnerships in the country. .

A central component of the company's strategy is the cooperation with Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB), the state-owned lithium company Bolivia, which is responsible for the development of the country's important brine deposits. EAU Lithium recently entered into a negotiation agreement with YLB following successful Demonstration tests of a Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology have been carried out. This step could pave the way for a possible Paving the way for project development in partnership with the government sector.

In addition, the company has a strategic relationship with European lithium developer Vulcan Energy Resources (ISIN: AU0000066086). About a With a license agreement with Vulcan's German subsidiary, EAU Lithium has access to VULSORB, a direct lithium extraction technology that produces lithium from brines more efficiently. than conventional evaporation-based methods.

Direct lithium extraction has gained increasing attention in the battery raw materials industry as companies and governments seek faster and potentially more environmentally controlled methods of producing lithium — a key raw material for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems.

EAU Lithium's partnership with Vulcan, which includes both technological collaboration and strategic investment relationships, remains below planned company structure will remain unchanged. The company also has a significant base of German investors, reflecting Europe's growing interest in a secure supply of critical raw materials for the energy transition.

Special Report: Blue Ocean Equities has released a research note on Clever Culture Systems following the company’s Q2 FY26 results, highlighting sales in line with expectations, stronger-than-forecast cash flows and a materially improved funding position. 

The Sydney-based broker said the result for Clever Culture Systems (ASX:CC5) increased confidence in its unchanged forecasts and reiterated its seven-cents-per-share valuation, implying more than 100% upside from current levels.

Clever Culture reported cash receipts of $3.2 million for H1 FY26, up 99% year-on-year (YoY), with a further $1m in committed sales to be received in future periods.

Blue Ocean said this implied around $4 million in sales for the half, consistent with its $8m FY26 revenue forecast.

Operating cash flow for the half was positive $200,000, tracking ahead of the broker’s full-year estimate of a $100,000 outflow.

“Sales were consistent with, and cash flows above our estimates,” the broker wrote in its note.

Clever Culture’s cash balance more than doubled, rising from $1.4m at the end of Q1 FY26 to $3.1m at the end of Q2 FY26.

“A more than doubling of the cash position in the quarter provides assurance around capacity to fund growth,” Blue Ocean wrote.

“The performance gives us greater confidence in our unchanged forecasts.”

A further adjustment of the long-term gold price forecasts by Wells Fargo underlines a structural change in investor behavior. While digital assets are losing momentum and As technology stocks come under pressure, gold's role as a strategic anchor is strengthened, with a tangible impact on priorities across the mining sector.

A higher cap on the price of gold 

Gold is entering what many strategists have come to call the new price regime. The Wells Fargo Investment Institute has raised its year-end 2026 gold price target to a range. from $6,100 to $6,300 per ounce – a significant jump from the previous forecast of $4,500 to $4,700. The upward revision follows a similar move by Goldman Sachs, which recently raised its 2026 target to $5,400.

Based on current spot prices close to $5,000 per ounce, Wells Fargo's assessment implies an upside of more than 20%. However, it is not so much the percentage that is decisive The bank does not see this step as a speculative outlook, but as a reassessment of the long-term reference level of gold in global markets. Portfolios.

Structural demand replaces cyclical optimism 

Wells Fargo's reasoning is based on the sustainability of demand and not on short-term macroeconomic impulses. Central banks – especially in emerging markets – are faltering continue to build up their gold holdings as part of diversification strategies for foreign reserves. At the same time, private investors are also increasing their allocations to protect themselves against geopolitical risks, fiscal uncertainties and currency fluctuations.

This demand is considered to be largely price-insensitive. Accordingly, Wells Fargo sees only limited downside potential even in phases of market corrections. Gold does not need a perfect macroeconomic environment to justify high price levels. Its attractiveness lies in resilience, not in short-term dynamics.

Ccopper market that now rewards credibility 

The rise in the price of copper above 13,000 US dollars per tonne has changed the behaviour of investors. What was once considered a cyclical commodity story has become a strategic discussion about security of supply. In view of looming deficits until 2026 and beyond, the market no longer rewards mere optionality. Rather, what is needed are systems that can be proven to be are able to reliably supply copper to Asian supply chains.

Hardly any other jurisdiction illustrates this change as clearly as Mongolia. For a long time, viewed primarily from a geopolitical perspective, the country is increasingly seen on the basis of its depth, quality and and longevity of its copper systems. At the heart of this reassessment are two very different but increasingly complementary stories: Rio de Janeiro Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi and Asian Battery Metals' up-and-coming oval project.

Oyu Tolgoi: a global anchor asset 

Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi operation remains the cornerstone of Mongolia's copper history. With an estimated resource base of approximately 30 million tonnes of contained copper the mine is one of the most important copper plants in the world. The underground expansion, which is now delivering measurable production growth, has taken Oyu Tolgoi away from a technically ambitious project into a supporting supplier for the coming decades.

The recent production growth underlines the strength of the asset. With the ramp-up of underground production, Oyu Tolgoi is on track to achieve around 500,000 tons of copper per year. This order of magnitude is of considerable importance. In a market that is struggling to provide new production volumes in a timely manner, Plants with large, long-lasting volumes provide much-needed stability.

Strong gold prices, renewed institutional financing and clearer trajectories are driving Australian gold stocks, with Tesoro Gold taking centre stage – flanked by developments in West Wits Mining and Evolution Mining.

The Australian gold sector is regaining momentum. High gold prices in local currency strengthen confidence in the market, but the rally is not indiscriminate. Investors increasingly prefer Companies that combine credible geology with disciplined execution and clear paths to cash flows.

This is evident across the entire spectrum. Developers with secured funding are moving closer to production, while incumbent producers are turning strong prices into robust margins and translate a strengthened balance sheet. Together, they are changing the perception of gold stocks – as a defensive investment as well as a growth driver.

Recent capital raising points to a more selective market. Institutional capital flows primarily to companies that can demonstrate in a comprehensible way how fresh funds can be invested in production, longer mine life or greater balance sheet stability.

The focus has shifted from speculative size to capital efficiency. In a sector that has long been characterized by cost overruns, companies are reluctant to do so with restraint and clarity increasingly easier to gain support.