A leading international family entertainment and media company, Agora Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AGHI) delivers innovative experiences to TV, studio entertainment, consumer products, interactive media, and media networks. Through wholly-owned subsidiary GeegLe Media, the holding company aims to fill the needs of social media, TV, data storage applications, and other software solutions.

GeegLe Media, which operates under its domain name, Geegle.TV, created its own Video on Demand platform, which combines radio, news, sports, and kids content. The subsidiary announced in July 2015 that its new services include new custom channels for various users. The first customizable channel is for freelancers and content producers to market themselves. The second is for real estate brokers to create their own channels to expand marketing capabilities. Using GeegLe Media’s customized real estate channel, clients can tour residential and commercial investment properties right from their homes.

That same month, Geegle.TV built a software capable of filtering third party content, such as YouTube videos, for higher quality. This software integration allows the company to curate content from the world’s largest video selection. Agora Holdings also announced its partnership with high schools throughout Ontario in developing a video creation platform for students. Through this platform, students can create and upload videos to share with people in their school networks, which utilizes their already advanced computer skills in a positive way.

In September, 1000salads, a division of GeegLe Media that offers nutritional information, announced plans to add an e-commerce store in which consumers can purchase healthy foods and products. Agora Holdings is also working on releasing its Real TV project later this year. This platform is designed for real estate professionals to market their properties through customer interaction. Clients can use editing and voiceover tools to customize video content to reach a wider audience. The real estate industry relies heavily on advertising, making this platform highly favorable to investors.

GeegLe Media completed its TECH workflow system in November, which simplifies assignments while increasing efficiency in the workplace. Companies can receive, accept, and assign orders without the hassles of paperwork. Plus, these companies can better manage productivity, accountability and performance.

Agora Holdings intends on bringing the “best entertainment and online experiences” to the world. The company will continue expanding its brand while creating and improving its products. By creating relevant products that capitalize on industry trends, Agora Holdings aims to maximize revenue for its shareholders and investors.

For more information, visit www.agoraholdingsinc.com

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Most people are surprised to find out that two types of herpes viruses — the one that causes cold sores and the one that causes chickenpox — can cause a condition called herpetic eye disease. Unlike a separate virus that causes genital herpes, herpetic eye disease is not sexually transmitted.

The recent presentation by the CEO of NanoViricides, Inc. (NYSE MKT: NNVC), Eugene Seymour MD, MPH, at Biotech Showcase 2016 illustrated how the company is currently moving full speed ahead with human trials for its lead virucidal herpes (of the eye/cornea) keratitis (inflammation of the cornea) treatment, HerpeCide™. Human clinical trials are currently on-track to begin late this year or in early 2017, and commercially-available HerpeCide would be a most welcome addition to the healthcare system’s existing biomedical arsenal, as ocular herpetic disease in general is a serious challenge for both optometrists and patients.

Herpes keratitis is the leading cause of infectious blindness in the Western world and ultimately requires a corneal transplant when it has progressed to the stage of blindness. Corneal transplant is a difficult procedure that can often fail and the procedure can cost as much as $24,400 on average, according to actuarial intelligence giant Milliman. The major herpes viruses that cause ocular disease (simplex and zoster) quite often bring about immunologic reactions in the host that outlive any active infection as well, meaning that the latent demand for a real solution is considerably larger than the baseline market metrics would indicate.

One of the viruses that causes herpetic eye disease is called the varicella-zoster virus. It is the same virus that causes chickenpox and shingles. When this virus affects the eye, it is called herpes zoster ophthalmicus.

Herpes keratitis is a viral infection of the eye caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two major types of the virus. Type I is the most common and primarily infects the face, causing the familiar “cold sore” or “fever blister.” Type II is the sexually transmitted form of herpes, infecting the genitals.

The combined estimated market size for NanoViricides’s antiviral eye drops designed to fight conjunctivitis/keratitis, its HerpeCide™ indication for shingles, as well as ocular and genital herpes (note that HSV-1 has also been linked to Alzheimer’s), and its DengueCide™ indication to combat Dengue arboviruses (West Nile, Yellow Fever, Japanese B Encephalitis), are in the neighborhood of $17 billion.

While both Type I and Type II herpes can spread to the eye and cause infection, Type I is by far the most frequent cause of eye infections. Infection can be transferred to the eye by touching an active lesion (a cold sore or blister) and then your eye.

Type I herpes is very contagious and is commonly transmitted by skin contact with someone who has the virus. Almost everyone — about 90 percent of the population — is exposed to Type I herpes, usually during childhood.

After the original infection, the virus lies in a dormant state, living in nerve cells of the skin or eye. Reactivation can be triggered in a number of ways, including: stress; sun exposure; fever; trauma to the body (such as injury or surgery); menstruation; and certain medications.

Once herpes simplex is present in the eye, it typically infects the eyelids, conjunctiva (the thin, filmy, mucous membrane that covers the inside of the eyelids and the white part of the eye) and cornea (the clear, front window of the eye). It may also infect the inside of the eye; however, this is much less common. The symptoms of herpes keratitis may include pain, redness, blurred vision, tearing, discharge and sensitivity to light.

If the infection is superficial, involving only the cornea’s outer layer (called the epithelium), it will usually heal without scarring. However, it if involves the deeper layers of cornea (which can happen after time), the infection may lead to scarring of the cornea, loss of vision and sometimes even blindness. Left untreated, herpes keratitis can severely damage your eye.

NanoViricides recently entered into an agreement with the University of Pittsburgh for the testing of its nanoviricides® drug candidates in standard animal models of ocular virus infections. Dr. Eric Romanowski, research director, will perform the research in the Charles T. Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory. Dr. Romanowski has extensive experience in ocular virus infections and anti-viral agents discovery.

These animal studies will evaluate the efficacy and potency of the company’s nanoviricides anti-viral agents in ocular viral infections. The goal of these studies is to help select clinical drug development candidates for treatment of ocular herpes keratitis in humans.

“We are very pleased to have the Campbell Laboratory join our efforts in developing a drug against Herpes Keratitis,” Eugene Seymour, MD, MPH, CEO of NanoViricides, stated in a recent news release, adding, “This is a renowned lab in the field of ocular infections with substantial experience in antiviral drugs development. We plan to perform IND-enabling efficacy studies of our anti-viral agents at the Campbell Labs.”

The Charles T. Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory is part of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Eye Center (UPMC Eye Center). The UPMC Eye Center in the Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has one of the top basic and clinical research programs in the country. UPMC Eye Center’s research focuses on infectious disease, ocular immunology, molecular genetics and molecular biology of retinal disease, glaucoma and advanced diagnostic imaging technology development.

For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.nanoviricides.com

Marijuana is now the nation’s fastest-growing industry. The legal marijuana industry brought in $2.4 billion in 2014, so it’s certainly no longer any sort of laughing matter. That figure represents an increase of a whopping 74 percent in one year’s time, and it is estimated that the total legal market could be worth $11 billion as soon as 2019. CSA Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: CSAX) was created in 2009 by CEO Dan Williams to meet the growing needs and peculiarities of the evolving medical cannabis industry from legal, regulatory compliance, and security perspectives.

CSA was instrumental in the development of Colorado’s legal cannabis market. The company worked on the rule-making committee in the Department of Revenue and helped to formulate the security regulations for medical marijuana in the state.

Currently, CSA is recognized as a leader in security and compliance services for the legal cannabis industry. The company provides high quality and dependable solutions that are adaptable to meet the constantly changing security and compliance challenges in the industry. CSA offers a full range of high quality services to help clients’ businesses achieve sustainable growth. Thus, CSA is able to assist cannabis entrepreneurs grow and succeed in this young and dynamic marketplace.

From its inception, CSA has specialized in engineering custom security systems specifically designed to ensure full compliance with all federal, state, and local laws. The company provides effective security solutions to cannabis businesses, including alarms, door access systems, video surveillance, security system design, and state licensing consulting.

CSA now services over 130 clients in 400-plus facilities in 14 legal marijuana states, all achieving a 100 percent licensing approval rating, and it is currently consulting with new clients in Alaska, Illinois, and Nevada. With an increasing number of states implementing regulated dispensary models, CSA is able to leverage its expertise in complying with different state’s security codes, standards, and guidelines to provide clients with innovative and cost-effective security solutions.

More than 1.5 million shoppers purchased legal marijuana from a dispensary, either medical or recreational, in 2014. Five states now boast marijuana markets that are larger than $100 million, and in Colorado and Washington — the first states to open retail marijuana shops in the U.S. — consumers bought $370 million worth of marijuana products last year.

In 2015, CSA announced the release of their new physical security solutions division, The Cloverton Group. Through this new division, the company can now offer armored transport, armed and unarmed guards, comprehensive background checks, and site risk assessments. The Cloverton Group’s guards dress professionally with Cloverton identification and have a law enforcement or military background. The company’s new fleet of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles have been up-armored with the latest bullet-resistant technology, are GPS tracked, and are equipped with a 4-point camera system that transmits live streaming footage to the command center. This guarantees total traceability from pickup to drop-off. CSA can now offer comprehensive security solutions to the cannabis industry that are second to none.

As a national leading security firm, CSA knows where the risk points exist for cannabis businesses and how to tailor services to ensure maximum loss prevention and legal compliance. The company has positioned itself to become the market leader and a recognizable brand name in the cannabis security industry.

For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.cannasecurity.com

Earlier today, Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: OGES) announced the commencement of operations at its new $40 million, 70,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Palm Bay, Florida. Following this announcement, the state-of-the-art facility will immediately begin commercial production. The launch of its manufacturing facility marks the completion of Oakridge’s 17-month transition from a research and development company into a full-fledged battery manufacturing company. It also represents the most significant step forward in the company’s history.

“We are excited to announce that we have now begun regularly shipping our groundbreaking lithium-ion batteries to the golf cart and motorcycle markets, as well as a number of significant custom and semi-custom markets,” Steve Barber, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Oakridge, stated in this morning’s news release. “This signifies the first time Oakridge is on permanent, routine commercial production footing.”

In recent weeks, Oakridge has successfully leveraged the momentum provided by its significant investments in research and product development to achieve a number of milestones. Through a recent sale of assets, the company added $20 million to its balance sheet, and the $2 million debt payoff that followed eliminated all current company debt. Additionally, Oakridge has received more than $30 million in recent state and local tax credits stemming from its operations in Florida’s Space Coast region. This strong financial position helped the company secure a strategic partnership with Sojitz Machinery Corporation of Tokyo, Japan, through which Sojitz will provide equipment, materials and financing to support Oakridge’s sustained growth.

According to the company’s latest guidance, it’s on pace to achieve $250,000 in revenues during the first quarter of 2016, and with an existing pipeline of orders totaling roughly $24 million, the company expects to achieve a break even financial position as early as the second quarter of 2016. Oakridge’s recent expansion of its product portfolio, which has included the introduction of its Pro Series golf car battery systems and its Liberty Series motorcycle batteries, is expected to play a key role in the company’s efforts to increase its share of the domestic lithium ion battery space moving forward.

“With the domestic U.S. market representing over 35% of global demand, we are uniquely capable of leveraging our position as the only domestic manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries,” concluded Barber.

Oakridge management will conduct a conference call to discuss the company’s recent progress today at 2:00 p.m. EDT. To participate in the call, investors should dial +1-712-775-7035, referencing conference ID 684304#.

For more information, visit www.oakridgeglobalenergy.com

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The year of 2015 was a rough ride for gold, with the shiny metal navigating an unsupportive macro environment. A stronger dollar, a slump in oil prices and the climb in U.S. equities led to a more than 11 percent fall in gold’s value last year. With the Federal Reserve finally ending an era of near-zero interest rates with the December lift-off, gold sank to six-year lows. A steep fall in prices also led to multibillion-dollar write-downs by gold miners.

However, 2016 has started on a positive note for gold. The yellow metal has been the bright spot among precious metals, with prices shooting up roughly 17 percent year to date, making it the most attractive safe haven asset at present.

A slew of factors have contributed to the recent rally in gold prices, including concerns over the global economy, dollar weakness, volatility in equities and the introduction of negative interest rates by several of the world’s central banks (including Japan), which have spurred safe haven demand for gold.

While Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: ABX) is the industry standard in gold, smaller companies such as Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) should be given a look as well. Star Mountain, a minerals exploration company, pursues the acquisition and consolidation of mining claims, producing mines, mineral leases, and historic mines in the United States. The company explores for gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, silica, and zircon deposits and holds interests in the Balmat Mine located in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York.

Gold moved substantially higher in the past few months, rallying from $1,045 to well above $1,250. Gold stocks and silver stocks rallied as well, and many investors and traders claim that the decline in gold that started in 2011 is now over. The answer to the question whether this is the case or not has critical implications for precious metals investors, as the above impacts one’s decision to either invest in the precious metals market or wait to do so at much lower prices.

Gold has always been a solid and stable addition to your portfolio. Companies like Star Mountain Resources search out and acquire precious metal producing properties with proven reserves and production.

For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com

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Earlier today, Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: OGES) offered revenue guidance for the first quarter of fiscal year 2016. This guidance marks a major milestone in Oakridge’s history, as it includes the company’s first ever commercial revenues. For the fiscal quarter ended March 31, Oakridge forecasts total revenues of $250,000. While this forecast will amount to a net loss for the quarter, the company is extremely optimistic about its prospects for financial growth following its full commercial production ramp up, which it completed at the end of 2015. Following its current trajectory, Oakridge estimates that it could attain a break even financial position as soon as the second quarter of 2016, capitalizing on its growing presence in the rapidly expanding lithium ion battery space.

“We started 2016 as a new year with a full commercial production and customer focus,” Steve Barber, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Oakridge, stated in this morning’s news release. “We are excited to announce that we have now begun routinely shipping our ground breaking lithium ion batteries to the golf car market, the motorcycle market, and a number of very significant custom or semi-custom markets. These results are nothing short of game-changing for the Company, which has never previously, in all its past history, shipped commercial product of any kind.”

From July 2014 to December 2015, Oakridge embarked upon and completed a full transition of its existing operations, moving from a research and development company to a fully-fledged ‘Made in the USA’ lithium ion battery manufacturing company. In total, Oakridge has spent in excess of $40 million in research, product development and corporate restructuring since mid-2013.

In recent weeks, the company has made tremendous strides in the domestic lithium ion battery market. In addition to providing a customized battery system that successfully powered Maritime Tactical Systems, Inc.’s Man-Portable Tactical Autonomous Systems in a field trial for a major defense contractor, Oakridge has announced agreements to supply its battery systems to Freedom Trucking to power its fully electric interstate truck propulsion system, demonstrated its Pro-Series Lithium Ion Golf Car battery systems at the Orlando PGA Merchandise Show and introduced its Liberty Series lithium ion motorcycle batteries at the 75th anniversary of the iconic Daytona Beach Bikefest.

Currently, Oakridge employs 57 full-time employees, as well as six part-time employees, from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Palm Bay, Florida. On April 4, the company plans to increase its employment figures and production capacity through the introduction of a second shift. Oakridge is also finalizing orders for significant new manufacturing equipment designed to increase the company’s ability to keep pace with recent spikes in customer demand.

“We now are in the gratifying position, based on all the hard planning work we have done, of having a growing range of excellent customers and a solid backlog of orders,” continued Barber. “We will have further exciting news as we move into Q2 as the Company is now on a very significant growth curve in the lithium battery space from this point onwards and we will not be looking back.”

For more information, visit www.oakridgeglobalenergy.com

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Late last week, 2050 Motors, Inc. (OTCQB: ETFM) announced the successful launch of its preorder marketing campaign for the all carbon fiber e-Go electric vehicle. Within one hour of the launch of the campaign on March 17, the company had already received more than 25 preorders, and additional preorders continued to come in throughout the first day. 2050 Motors is offering special introductory incentives to customers who participate in this launch event, with options including a 10-year unlimited mileage warranty on the e-Go’s battery pack and participation in a free lottery of two carbon fiber e-Go cars. At the conclusion of the two week preorder event, participants will receive a priority number and additional details about their standing on the preorder list.

“We are very happy with the initial results since 2050 Motors only advertised this campaign in Las Vegas, which meant that this was only offered to localized customers in Nevada, parts of California and Utah,” Michael Hu, president and chief executive officer of 2050 Motors, stated in the news release. “We were surprised that some of these pre-order customers included multiple orders from an automobile dealership and an order from the owner of an NBA basketball team.”

Before releasing the e-Go, 2050 Motors will need to attain U.S. Department of Transportation approval, complete all requirements regarding the importation of the e-Go into the United States and complete crash testing in accordance with U.S. testing standards. The e-Go previously passed preliminary crash testing in accordance with European, Japanese and Chinese test standards at the China Automotive Technology & Research Center Institute. 2050 Motors expects the marketing and customer data attained from its ongoing regional preorder launch program to play an instrumental role in its nationwide campaign, which it plans to commence later this year.

According to data from EV Obsession (http://dtn.fm/Uu42h), demand for electric vehicles in the U.S. is on the rise. In January 2016, plug-in electric car sales in the U.S. were up 15 percent over the comparable period of the previous year. While the electric market is led by automotive giants such as Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), General Motors (NYSE: GM), Nissan (OTC: NSANY) and Ford (NYSE: F) – which, combined, accounted for roughly 70 percent of all electric vehicle sales in January – rapid innovation within the market ensures an approachable barrier of entry for newcomers offering pioneering new models and features, such as 2050 Motors with the all carbon fiber e-Go.

For more information, visit www.2050motors.com

2050 Motors, Inc. (OTCQB: ETFM) is a development stage public company formed to import, market and sell electric cars manufactured in China. Through a partnership with China-based Jiangsu Aoxin New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd, the company maintains United States distribution rights for a new electric automobile leveraging a revolutionary approach to the ever-evolving world of electric vehicles. Upon commercialization, the e-Go EV, which is currently in its final stage of development and ready for mass production, will be the only production line electric car constructed with a carbon fiber body and parts manufactured through a groundbreaking process that significantly reduces fabrication time and, as a result, cost.

In February, 2050 Motors gave investors an update on the status of the e-Go EV, announcing that the vehicle had commenced crash testing in China. In the tests, which were conducted in accordance with European, Japanese and Chinese test standards, the e-Go EV passed with impressive results, absorbing the full force of the collision and returning to its original shape. These results will serve as a solid foundation when, later this year, 2050 Motors proceeds with the U.S. Department of Transportation crash test program, which is required before the e-Go can be sold in the United States.

“This means that the carbon fiber body absorbed the full force of the collision and returned to its original shape,” Michael Hu, president and chief executive officer of 2050 Motors, stated in a news release regarding the crash test results. “I believe that no other automobile for the consumer market has ever displayed such a frontal crash resilience and shock absorbance of energy.”

While the company plans to initially sell and distribute e-Go vehicles manufactured in China, it has also announced a strategy to commence manufacturing in a new facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the future. In a January press release, 2050 Motors estimated that its long-term expansion plans could create more than 3,000 jobs over the next few years. If these plans come to fruition, the company could find itself in direct competition with leading electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), whose high capacity ‘Gigafactory’ is currently under construction outside Sparks, Nevada, as well as automotive giant General Motors (NYSE: GM), which currently markets the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt.

“2050 Motors cannot allow Tesla to corner the commuter market in the same way they cornered the high-end market four years ago,” Hu continued. “It’s not 2050 Motors’ intention to competitively out sell the e-Go against the Model 3 from Tesla or the Chevy Bolt because of their already existing name recognition. However, it’s also true that 2050 Motors does not need to sell a significant number of vehicles for the company to become profitable.”

In preparation for the commercial launch of the e-Go EV, 2050 Motors began accepting deposits for the carbon fiber body electric automobile on March 17. The company is offering significant incentives to individuals who preorder the e-Go, including opportunities to win free automobiles or to trade in their e-Go vehicles for the highly-anticipated Ibis four door carbon fiber luxury sedan if and when it becomes available to the U.S. market.

For more information, visit www.2050motors.com

Social media advertising is expected to grow 30 percent or more this year as measurability improves and the number of important platforms and types of units widen, challenging marketers when it comes to deciding where to allocate their advertising dollars. Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) still commands social media ad budgets for most marketers, but as Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat prove their worth, they are grabbing a bigger share. The key for marketers is to look at social media holistically and determine which platforms and types of units best meet individual goals. Virtually untapped markets like China and India present an alluring growth opportunity for companies such as Moxian, Inc. (OTCQB: MOXC), which provides social marketing and promotion platforms designed to help merchants accelerate and advertise their business growth through social media.

China is projected to have upward of 525 million social media users by 2017, according to Statista.com, up from just 176 million in 2009. Facebook – which is banned in China – for comparison purposes, has 1.23 billion monthly active users and is worth more than $300 billion. China is home to the world’s largest population, with 1.4 billion citizens, followed by India, with 1.3 billion. As a result, the market for users and merchants looking to utilize an effective social media marketing campaign is effectively limitless.

For local organizations seeking exposure, paid social media advertising can actually be helpful. Facebook’s paid program, for example, allows users to run promoted posts with pay schedules based on ads per impression (how many users see the ad) or per click (how many users click on the ad), letting the user set the goal for the campaign. It also allows targeting by age, gender, location and interests.

Moxian offers targeted advertising campaigns that enhance interaction between users and merchants by using consumer behavior data compiled from the company’s database of user activities. The company has two core products: Moxian+ User App and Moxian+ Business App. The Moxian+ User App is designed for consumers to collect loyalty points from issuing merchants and to play games and win universal MO-Coins, which can be used globally with any merchant in the Moxian ecosystem. Moxian+ User App also provides consumers with a set of social networking features to set up personalized multimedia profiles; look for friends, interest groups, clans and topics; and share and chat with their social circles.

The Moxian+ Business App provides merchants the tools needed to covert customers into members and fans; issue loyalty points and redeem rewards; respond to customer inquiries through instant messaging; conduct targeted marketing campaign to members of the Moxian community in the form of ads and games; list products in a lightweight online shop; and process orders. The app also provides business reports and analytical insights for merchants.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Moxian.com

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Built in Los Angeles recently posted the article ‘Scan For Your Dietary Restrictions With This Fast-Growing LA App’. The piece came to fruition following Content Checked Holdings, Inc.’s (OTCQB: CNCK) outreach to business and tech media with the company’s recent partnership and financial updates.

As a result, Kris Finstad, CEO of Content Checked, scored an interview with Built in LA to discuss the genesis of the company’s app and its continued growth in Los Angeles. The article captured the full story and focused on Finstad’s inspiration to develop this technology.

Built in LA is a growing online community that creates and curates exclusive content on local companies and startups, hosts monthly events and publishes data on the tech sector of Los Angeles – the perfect audience for ContentChecked. Built in LA enjoys a readership of nearly 50K unique visitors a month.

Sometimes, the inspiration for a great startup can come during a dark time. After suffering from two major strokes in 2010, Norway native Kris Finstad was forced to spend his days at home. The unfortunate situation did, however, allow him to spend more time with his nine-year-old daughter while she and her friends were home from school. One of the friends frequently visiting the family’s home had a long list of allergies that her parents had delivered to Finstad. As hard as he tried to avoid the extensive list of ingredients, he eventually made an error, and the girl was rushed to the emergency room.

Frustrated and confused, he searched for his mistake and was unable to find the ingredient that triggered the intense reaction. The doctors eventually revealed that is was an additive that was labeled something entirely different. Finstad contacted the girl’s father and proposed the idea of an app that would thoroughly scan food labels to prevent situations like this in the future.

The girl’s father, a CTO at a large Norwegian cellular phone provider, and her mother, one of Finstad’s neurologists, encouraged him to work on a schematic of what he envisioned as a form of therapy for his recovery. A short while later, Finstad returned with a detailed proposal of the app that would become ContentChecked.

“He came back and said, ‘I’ve quit my job now, how would you like to proceed?’” Finstad said. “It took me by surprise and I tried to reason with him but thought, what the hell, let’s do it.”

The two built the company over the next year and launched the Norwegian version of ContentChecked in 2012. The company now offers applications (ContentChecked, SugarChecked, MigraineChecked) that allow users to scan food items and check if a product fits into their dietary restrictions. ContentChecked shows users if products they are scanning contain any of their allergens, SugarChecked helps users stick to a sugar-free diet, and MigraineChecked warns users of potential triggers in food that may cause discomfort.

The following year, after the app had caught on in their home country, the duo decided to take on the U.S. market, relocating the company to Los Angeles. The company continued its growth and went public in April 2015, but their quick success did not come without a few speed bumps. Early on, the company only aggregated public ingredient data and quickly found that the error margin was around 85 percent. They decided to make their own database by contacting the FDA and food producers, creating one of the most extensive food databases in the world.

The company’s apps currently have 2.6 million combined users between the U.S. and Norway, 66 percent of which use the app at least five times a week. The second version of the app, which Finstad calls a ‘game changer’, will feature a shopping list and a recipe list filled with allergy/sugar/migraine friendly meals.

To view the entire article, visit http://dtn.fm/z6o9H

For more information, visit www.contentchecked.com

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