• Planting Hope has been selected to join 1871's nationally recognized Foodtech Innovation Lab program as a Late Stage partner alongside Farmer's Fridge and HumanCo
• Planting Hope has engaged global intellectual property (IP) valuation firm Metis Partners to conduct an in-depth third-party valuation of the Company's deep bench of IP
• Planting Hope will host a webinar in September to review strategic milestones, the Company's IP Strategy, and the outcome of the Metis Partners IP Valuation

CHICAGO, IL and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 9, 2023 / The Planting Hope Company Inc. (TSXV:MYLK)(OTCQB:MYLKF)(FRA:J94) ("Planting Hope" or the "Company"), a foodtech company focused on leveraging cutting-edge ingredient, formulation, and packaging technology to develop breakthrough sustainable food and beverage solutions, is proud to announce that it has been selected as a Late Stage Partner by 1871 for its Foodtech Innovation Lab. Based in Chicago, IL, 1871 is the #1 ranked private business incubator in the world and an internationally recognized technology hub.

"Planting Hope is unlocking the nutrition in the world's most sustainable crops to create breakthrough products that are delicious, nutritious, and planet-friendly, and that fill key needs for consumers and deliver better operational solutions for Foodservice partners. These are the products that Generation Z is demanding and Generation Alpha will grow up with," said Julia Stamberger, CEO and Co-founder, Planting Hope.

"We are proud to have our food technology leadership recognized by 1871 through our selection as a Late Stage Partner for the nationally recognized Foodtech Innovation Lab, and to be aligned with other food innovation leaders, including Farmer's Fridge and HumanCo, and with World Business Chicago," Ms. Stamberger continued.

The FoodTech Innovation Lab program will showcase Planting Hope's thought leadership and build relationships with curated strategic partners to support and enhance the Company's reach and growth. Planting Hope will also participate in the Chicago Venture Summit Future of Climate Tech on October 5, 2023, presented by World Business Chicago.

Intellectual Property Valuation
Planting Hope has engaged Metis Partners to conduct a thorough third-party valuation of its intellectual property (IP) assets.

"One of our key strengths as a company is innovation, encompassed in our IP Strategy which incorporates IP development and protection that spans proprietary ingredients, forward-leaning packaging, defined production processes, trade secret formulations, trademarks, and branding. Combined with our culture of continuous improvement, our IP strategy delivers breakthrough planet-friendly products with high quality, taste, and performance," said Ms. Stamberger.

"IP Strategy is a core focus of our company culture, given the competitive and economic moat it provides our company and products. We believe the capital markets have not yet recognized the depth of the significant IP platform we have built, and a third-party valuation will assist to support visibility on the value of our IP as a vital and leverageable asset," Ms. Stamberger continued.

Metis Partners' process includes identifying both an IP Score reflecting IP quality, as well as an IP valuation range. Depending on the strength of its IP Score, the Company could earn a coveted spot on the Metis Partners IP100 list. The Metis Partners IP100 is an annual ranking of companies based on a rating of their IP asset strength and track record in exploiting IP and is recognized as the leading global intellectual property league table. Per Metis Partners, businesses featured on the IP100 are considered to be the most effective at commercializing their IP assets.

The Metis Partners IP scoring process involves an assessment of IP-specific data linked to the following IP asset classes: brands, software, patents, trade secrets, and critical databases. The IP100 research team uses its proprietary process to calculate an IP Score and subsequent ranking for each company.

Planting Hope's IP Score and IP Valuation will be discussed at a webinar in the second week of September. Those interested in receiving an invitation should email webinar@plantinghopecompany.com; details about the webinar including date and time will be released in early September.

About 1871
1871 is Chicago's technology hub and the #1 ranked private business incubator in the world. It exists to inspire, equip, and support early stage, growth scalers and innovators in building extraordinary businesses. 1871 is home to ~450 technology startups, ~300 growth stage companies, and ~1,500 members, and is supported by an entire ecosystem focused on accelerating their growth and creating jobs in the Chicagoland area. The member experience includes virtual and in person access to workshops, events, mentorship, and more. The nonprofit organization has 350 mentors available to its members, alongside access to more than 100 partner corporations, universities, education programs, accelerators, venture funds and others. Since its inception in 2012, more than 650 alumni companies are currently still active, have created over 11,000 jobs, and have raised more than $1.65 billion in follow-on capital.

About Metis Partners
Metis Partners' mission is to build trust in Intellectual Property Valuation. Metis delivers valuations that are robust, reliable, and provide clients with a sophisticated IP narrative that demonstrates how their IP assets will drive business growth. Metis' unique information discovery process, Metisology®, is continually evolving to incorporate technology and innovation, emerging sectors, new business models, and changing market conditions.

About The Planting Hope Company Inc.
Planting Hope is a foodtech company focused on leveraging cutting-edge ingredient, formulation, and packaging technology to develop breakthrough sustainable food and beverage solutions. Planting Hope's IP strategy and culture is centered on unlocking the nutrition in the world's most sustainable crops to create on-trend products that are delicious, nutritious, and planet-friendly. Planting Hope brands and products fill key needs for consumers and deliver better operational solutions for Foodservice partners. These are the products that Generation Z is demanding and Generation Alpha will grow up with.

The Planting Hope brand family includes Hope and Sesame® Sesamemilk, Barista Blend Sesamemilk, and Sesamilk™ creamers, RightRice® Veggie Rice, Mozaics™ Real Veggie Chips, and Veggicopia® Veggie Snacks. Planting Hope products are currently found in more than 15,000 retail doors and 70,000 total distribution points across North America, and are scaling rapidly across Foodservice channels and distributors, spanning cafés, fast-casual restaurants, and managed foodservice operations, as well as ecommerce and alternate channels. Founded by experienced food industry entrepreneurs, Planting Hope is a women-led company.

For more information about Planting Hope please visit plantinghopecompany.com, sign up for Planting Hope news emails HERE and follow on LinkedIn.

An informational webinar on The Planting Hope Company from CEO and Co-founder Julia Stamberger is available HERE.

To follow the brands on Instagram and Facebook, please visit: @hopeandsesameco, @rightrice, @mozaicschips, @veggicopia.

To find Planting Hope products at a store near you in the United States or Canada, please visit the store locator on each brand website. Planting Hope products are also available at plantinghopebrands.com and ecommerce retailers including Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

The 2023 Planting Hope Product Catalog is available here. The Planting Hope Foodservice Catalog, including item codes to order Planting Hope products through DOT Foods, is available here.

Contacts
Company Contact:
Julia Stamberger
CEO and Co-Founder
(773) 492-2243
julia@plantinghopecompany.com

Investor Relations Contact:
Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital
(905) 326-1888 ext. 1
glen@bristolir.com

Media Contact:
Alex Jessup, Jessup PR
(323) 529-3541
alex.jessup@jessuppr.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to hereafter as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will, or may, occur in the future, including statements about the Company's ability to execute on its goals, the timing pertaining to these goals the potential demand for the Company's products, the timing and success of anticipated product launches and distribution of the Company's products, and the Company's business prospects, future trends, plans and strategies. In some cases, forward looking statements are preceded by, followed by, or include words such as "may", "will," "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "continues", or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. In preparing the forward looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, the assumption that demand for the Company's product will be sustained or increase in accordance with management's projections, that the Company's internal research and analysis is indicative of broader market trends and the Company's anticipated future demand for its products, that changes in consumer preferences in the plant-based food industry will continue in accordance with the Company's expectations, that the Company's current business objectives can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected, and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Although the management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company, as well as trends identified by the Company affecting its industry can be found in the Company's annual information form dated December 31, 2022 and the Company's continuous disclosure record available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Such cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements made in this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

Certain disclosure in this release, including the potential issuance of Shares upon conversion of accrued and unpaid interest (the "Interest Conversion"), constitutes forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors outside of the Company's control that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. In preparing the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, the assumption that all conditions precedent (including TSX Venture Exchange approval) to the Interest Conversion will be satisfied in a timely manner; that general economic and business conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; and that the Company will be able to raise additional funds on reasonable terms. Although the management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement herein will prove to be accurate. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE: The Planting Hope Company Inc.