HNO International One Step Closer To Nasdaq Uplisting, Taps Investment Bank

January 22, 2025 at 08:35 AM EST

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By Meg Flippin, Benzinga

Global demand for energy continues to grow, forecast this year to be among the highest levels seen in the past twenty years, as economic growth, increasingly intense heat waves, cryptocurrency mining, electric vehicles and other technology advances require a substantial amount of energy. In 2024, energy demand increased 4%, setting a record, and the same is expected in 2025.

At the same time that demand for energy is growing, so too is the use of alternative energy sources, including hydrogen-based clean energy technologies, which is where HNO International Inc. (OTC: HNOI) comes in. HNO International specializes in the design, integration and development of green hydrogen-based energy technologies, including its Scalable Hydrogen Energy Platform (SHEPTM ), which is a modular hydrogen energy system that the company says efficiently produces, stores and dispenses green hydrogen made from water, and the Compact Hydrogen Refueling Station (CHRSTM ), which is a space-efficient solution designed to deliver high-quality, fuel cell-grade hydrogen to fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles (HICEVs) and other fuel cell applications. The company has over 15 years of experience in green hydrogen production and is focused on growing both organically and through acquisitions.

Nasdaq Uplifting One Step Closer

To meet that goal, HNO International just tapped a Wall Street investment bank to help with its acquisition strategy, capital sourcing and Nasdaq uplisting process or the process of moving from the Over-the-Counter exchange to a Nasdaq listing. HNO International retained the investment banking firm as its placement agent and financial advisor for up to $20 million for capital expenditures and future acquisitions through a Reg-A capital raise. A Reg-A capital raise occurs when a company sells shares to accredited and non-accredited investors without all the requirements of an IPO. It’s known as a mini IPO and is usually used by smaller companies to access more investors to raise capital.

The unnamed investment bank is a full-service broker/dealer, and has been providing services to both public and private companies through IPOs, Pre-IPO Special Vehicles (SPVs), Private Placements, Real Estate Investment Trusts, 1031 Tax Exchange Funds and Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) opportunities since the early 1980s. "The global demands for energy continue to climb at extraordinary rates, prompting the need for additional sources, of which HNO International is set to play a key role,” said the investment bank’s managing director. “We feel our extensive service portfolio is a great match, one that will take HNO International from the small OTC market space to a global reach, through additional financing and the NASDAQ uplist."

Bitcoin Mining Opportunity?

The deal with the investment bank comes at a time when Bitcoin mining is taking off, with the global market projected to reach $8.24 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 12.9% between now and 2034. That may present an opportunity for HNO International, given mining for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies can consume as much energy as all of Argentina. What’s more, the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that electricity demand associated with U.S. cryptocurrency mining operations accounted for 0.6% to 2.3% of U.S. electricity consumption in 2023. That equates to annual demand for three to six million homes in the U.S. The low end of the range is equal to annual electricity usage for states like Utah or West Virginia. With the incoming Trump administration expected to be pro-crypto, that figure may rise even further if the adoption of crypto increases.

Green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable energy sources like solar or wind, can reduce Bitcoin mining energy consumption and lower costs. It can provide Bitcoin miners with clean energy that can be stored and used when renewable energy generation is low. That can then smooth out the fluctuations in the grid and decrease the carbon footprint of the miners.

“The thing about Bitcoin mining, miners tend to run when energy is lowest, but having hydrogen stored makes sure miners are running at an optimal period of time,” said HNO International CEO Donald Owens in a recent interview with Nasdaq.

In preparation for its Nasdaq uplisting, HNO International recently reduced its outstanding share structure to 74 million shares. By doing that, its earnings per share, a key financial metric, automatically improve. Fewer shares trading hands have the potential to drive the stock higher due to the lower supply. Owens said in the interview the goal was to uplist to Nasdaq in late summer 2025.

Setting Itself Apart

While HNO International isn’t the first company to go after green hydrogen, Owens said what sets it apart from its peers is that it is focused on building the infrastructure and creating a franchising model in which hydrogen is accessible locally without the need to liquify the hydrogen and ship it thousands of miles away via trucks, which requires energy.

“Hydrogen is one of the most plentiful fuels on earth, but until it becomes available to people it's useless,” said Owens, noting that as it stands, most companies produce large-scale amounts of hydrogen but then have to liquify it for transport and then de-liquify it once it arrives at its intended location. “Part of the problem is the existing structure is not going to work,” he says.

From tapping an investment bank to gearing up for a Nasdaq uplisting later this year, HNO International says it is making strides in its mission to bring hydrogen energy to the masses. With demand soaring and costs growing, this may be a company worth watching. To learn more about HNO International, click here.

Featured photo by Shutterstock

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