The average American owns multiple devices powered by lithium-ion batteries, and this should come as no surprise. Everything from smartphones and laptops to power tools and electric vehicles take advantage of the lightweight, high energy density power sources, creating a sizable and rapidly expanding global market. According to a report by Taiyou Research (http://dtn.fm/Wvn3T), the global market for lithium-ion batteries is expected to exceed $30 billion by 2020, capitalizing on continued advancements in key performance characteristics and increased market penetration. With all this in mind, it would be easy to think that companies across the country would be jumping into the stored energy space at a breakneck pace, but that’s simply not the case. In fact, up until recently, there were no lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities in the United States, but one company had the foresight to correct this surprising omission.

In March, Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: OGES) announced the start of operations at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Palm Bay, Florida. The major milestone marked the completion of the company’s near two-year transition from a primarily research and development company into a full-fledged battery manufacturing company. Following commencement of manufacturing, Oakridge hit the ground running, racking up an existing pipeline of orders totaling $24 million and exceeding its revenue guidance for the first quarter of 2016.

“This is a very exciting time to be part of Oakridge,” Steve Barber, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Oakridge, stated in a recent news release. “We have, for the first time in company history (which dates back to the 1980’s), generated significant commercial revenues in Q1, 2016, and in doing so have exceeded our guidance of $250,000 in expected Q1 revenues.”

To date, Oakridge has been successful in attracting clients from a number of market sectors, focusing primarily on military, civilian and medical applications. In January, the company designed a high performance custom battery for Maritime Tactical Systems, Inc., which designs and produces the Man-Portable Tactical Autonomous Systems (MANTAS) for use in naval fleet protection, mine warfare and a number of other challenging applications. In a field trial for a major defense contractor, Oakridge’s lithium-ion battery exceeded expectations by expanding the effective range of the MANTAS and eliminating a number of safety concerns. Oakridge also announced plans to supply its stored energy solutions to Minnesota-based Freedom Trucking to power its fully electric interstate truck propulsion system.

Despite the many advantages of lithium-ion batteries over traditional lead acid batteries, lackluster quality control and inadequate research and development has played a role in slowing the adoption of the technology. This issue was highlighted in April of this year, when the UN aviation agency banned cargo shipments of lithium-ion batteries due to fire risk. This move could have a positive impact for Oakridge moving forward, as the company continues to pursue additional market share in the U.S., which represents over 35 percent of global demand for lithium-ion batteries, according to Barber.

With a balance sheet featuring no short or long term debt, a healthy and growing stream of customer orders and a superior product that boasts up to a 30 percent increase in battery life cycle through its proprietary chemistry and technology, Oakridge is strategically positioned to experience significant and sustainable top-line growth throughout the remainder of 2016 and beyond.

For more information, visit www.oakridgeglobalenergy.com

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Earlier today, Moxian, Inc. (OTCQB: MOXC) announced its adoption of a number of Oracle Corporation’s (NYSE: ORCL) high-performance database solutions to serve as the foundation for its latest payment and transaction platform, as well as its big data analytics system. Leveraging Oracle Exadata Database Machine, Oracle Database, Oracle Database Appliance and Oracle ZFS Storage solutions, Moxian aims to develop a more clear-cut picture of its target customers while allowing its merchant clients to achieve true precision marketing.

“Moxian is committed to providing high quality services to end-users and the company’s merchant clients,” James Tan, chief executive officer of Moxian, stated in this morning’s news release. “Oracle’s solutions meet Moxian’s needs with their rich features and best-in-class performance, scalability, stability and reliability.”

Since its founding in 2013 in Shenzhen, China, Moxian has grown into a leading online-to-offline (O2O) integrated platform operator, offering social media platform solutions specially designed to suit the needs of small and midsized businesses by integrating entertainment, commerce, shopping and customer loyalty rewards programs. Recent growth has increased demand for a stable, powerful and scalable IT system, such as the one Moxian is currently implementing with Oracle solutions, in order to eliminate the performance bottleneck that can go hand-in-hand with the management of massive data.

“Oracle is excited to partner with Moxian to build up its latest payment and transaction platform based on a solid IT architecture,” Calvin Dang, general manager of Oracle China’s south region, stated in this morning’s news release. “Moxian has demonstrated its full trust in Oracle by adopting a variety of our solutions, and we look forward to our future cooperation with the company.”

Moxian’s operations target both the domestic and international markets, particularly those of China and Singapore. In China, the company is now using Oracle Exadata Database Machine in a private cloud environment in its data center to enable more flexible database computing and maximize database performance on the cloud platform. In Singapore, Moxian’s data center is leveraging the Oracle Database Appliance to improve data performance and reduce overall investment costs. In both cases, implementation of Oracle’s cutting-edge technology offers Moxian significant performance advantages while opening the door for ultra-large table queries of billions of records in as little as one minute.

In addition to product and technology support, Oracle’s professional team and partners also offered on-site support service in order to maximize the performance of Moxian’s infrastructure moving forward. The tech giant also provided Moxian with comprehensive planning and training, which allowed the company’s team to quickly become familiarized with the system knowledge, skills and tools necessary to maintain and build upon its new IT architecture.

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

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Before the opening bell, Agora Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AGHI) offered an update to shareholders regarding the upcoming release of its FRAME social media management software, as well as the completion of its accounting audit. According to the update, the company’s developers are currently addressing minor issues discovered in FRAME’s beta release. When completed, FRAME will enable businesses to greatly improve the efficiency with which they use social media networks by combining multiple platforms into a single, centralized dashboard. Agora plans to market its social media management software to businesses, public relations firms and investor relations agencies in search of a more effective way to engage customers and measure the success of social media campaigns.

“We’re anxious to introduce our game-changing FRAME technology to the market upon final polish of the product,” Daniel Terziev, chief executive officer of Agora subsidiary Geegle Media, stated in this morning’s news release. “As we prepare for this corporate milestone, we are building on strong momentum triggered by the development of a product that will revolutionize the way brands interact via social media, and one that provides long-term value for our shareholders.”

Originally announced in February, FRAME could make a major splash in the relatively new social media management market following its release. Although competitor software has already been well-received by consumers, a quick look at existing industry reviews highlights considerable room for improvement in both performance and usability. Agora aims to address this performance gap through the ongoing refinement of FRAME’s intuitive dashboard, which allows users to log into and post content across multiple social networking sites from an integrated interface.

“Imagine FRAME as a single door that leads to many rooms. Each room represents a website that we log into several times each day,” explained Terziev. “Rather than signing in several times, logging once into FRAME is sufficient to bring together all your social media accounts, making a far more organized and engaging social media experience.”

In addition to its update on the impending release of FRAME, Agora also announced that it is rapidly approaching the completion of its accounting audit, with reports expected to be filed in as little as one week. This audit, which is being completed by independent accounting firm BF Borgers, marks a major milestone in Agora’s efforts to become a fully reporting entity. The company’s management team expects these efforts to have a positive impact on Agora’s operations and decision-making capabilities moving forward.

For more information, visit www.agoraholdingsinc.com

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Content Checked Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: CNCK), the parent company behind the family of nutrition expert and tailored database-driven dietary apps, continues to see its products resonate with consumers, and subsequently draw attention from responsive local media. In late April (http://dtn.fm/xU27C), the MORE Show on Las Vegas Fox Network affiliate KVVU, showcased Content Checked’s SugarChecked app on its 9am spot.

Apparently, FOX5 Las Vegas is trouncing the competition in the mornings, with a large portion of the roughly 2 million plus people who live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, focused on the innovative work done by Content Checked. The SugarChecked app was designed to help diabetics and/or anyone looking to curb their sugar intake, with researched breakdowns of packaged products available on grocery store shelves made available at their fingertips at the point-of-purchase.

Powered by a rich and constantly updated database of product information obtained directly from food manufacturers themselves, the Company’s fast, reliable and efficient mobile apps represent the cutting-edge in personally-targeted data technology. Users simply configure one of the apps, such as SugarChecked, around their specific needs and the app conveniently guides their purchasing, so users are able to maintain a clean and healthy diet without spending hours deciphering food labels. With a database spanning more than 70 percent of all conventional U.S. products, Content Checked has effectively engineered a series of novel and useful tools generating a buzz. FOX5’s showcase of SugarChecked’s unique features and how it can empower users to shop for groceries that meet their dietary requirements, helps spread the word to CNCK’s demographic.

To view the Company’s full financials, visit the following link: http://dtn.fm/sIJ7M

For more information, visit www.contentchecked.com

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If, like Robert Frost, you want to take the road less traveled, then visit Monaker Group, Inc.’s (OTCQB: MKGI) website at www.monakergroup.com. There, you’ll find the path to a luxury escorted vacation in some of the most exotic locales through Maupintour Extraordinary Vacations. Maupintour, a portal for vacationers, is owned by Monaker Group and is just one of the ways that the company is setting out to make life easier for travelers. Travelers can use its comprehensive online platforms to make informed decisions about vacations.

Maupintour was founded in 1951 by Tom Maupin and, according to the Maupintour website (http://dtn.fm/Cr4Rd), was the first travel company ‘to send tourists into the Soviet Union after World War II’. These tours garnered extensive media coverage at the time, which helped to establish Maupintour as an adventurous company willing to travel off the beaten track, a reputation it retains to this day. ‘Maupintour travelers have the highest repeat rate in the industry, with some taking as many as 60 vacations with Maupintour’.

Since one picture is worth a thousand words, a key element in Monaker Group’s online offerings are images of vacation destinations. A visitor to the NextTrip.com portal is invited to embark on a Voyage to Vietnam, an Ecuadorian Adventure, a trip to Amsterdam or, perhaps, to enjoy Eternally Italy. One of Monaker’s digital assets is an extensive media library. The company has discovered that would-be travelers are increasingly using video content to make decisions about vacations.

The company’s travel platforms offer a variety of features, including enhanced video, language conversion, and dynamic booking capabilities, all working together to assist the excited adventurer as he or she plans that next trip. Monaker’s platforms are ‘a combination of proprietary and licensed technology, connecting and searching both large travel suppliers and alternative lodging inventories for the benefit of travelers’.

NextTrip.com provides access to travel video and support from full service travel divisions, as well as key partnerships with multiple cruise and tour groups within the United States. NextTrip uses network original programs with travel footage to create valuable and relevant content for its viewers. Later this year, a mobile app for the platform is expected to be launched.

Travelers on the road to success include founder, chairman and CEO of Monaker Group, William Kerby. Kerby has over 26 years’ experience in the travel and media industries, which was preceded by 10 years in the financial services industry. He founded one of the largest video creation companies focused on the North American real estate industry. He also started the R&R Television Network, now viewed by 34 million households, and founded TravelByUs, a NASDAQ small cap company that completed a number of accretive acquisitions, including seven international tour operations and 24 travel agencies. Kerby is also the founder of Leisure Canada, which operated 210 agencies and international tour operations in Great Britain, France, South Africa and the South Pacific.

Chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Monaker Group is Omar Jimenez. Jimenez is an executive with over 33 years of travel and multi-industry experience in building, strengthening and leading national and multinational, public and private companies in various degrees of corporate maturity, including start-up, stable, high growth and turnaround status.

James Marmorstone is acting president. His background is in the hospitality and real estate industries. Curtis Krauskopf is chief technology officer. Jim Nieters is director of engineering & IT. Jeff Idso, with a decade of Alternative Lodging experience, is VP business development. Other directors are Pat LaVecchia, formerly group head of global private corporate equity placements at Credit Suisse First Boston; Doug Checkeris, formerly CEO of Mediacom North America; and Don Monaco, a former Accenture Partner and principal owner of Monaco Air Duluth, an aviation services business.

For more information, visit www.monakergroup.com

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As boards place greater pressure on C-levels to produce value by transforming what they know into action, the right data and analytics operating model is vital to success and growth. After all, if you’re going to compete in a digital economy, you’d better arm yourself with the tools of the trade and produce like never before – or at least just a bit better, faster and more efficiently than the closest competitor. Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTC: ALYI) knows this first-hand, and, in so doing, builds shareholder value by investing in creative ways to manage digital commerce and the information and payments therein.

Alternet focuses on vertical markets in today’s digital commerce environment and transforms today’s pervasively outdated electronic payments infrastructure to create advanced predictive data analytics applications for the consumer, telecommunications and financial market sectors. Within these markets, Alternet is boosting the speed with which the future of money affects the demand for these services worldwide.

A recent Google study claims that the world currently generates more information in three days than it did from the dawn of civilization to 2003! If this doesn’t send chills up the spines of CIOs and CDOs, they’re either sound asleep or working on ways to both structure and use this information to their companies’ advantages in efficient and sustainable ways. Alternet Systems’ partnerships are advancing these endeavors worldwide and outlining paths for growth for its shareholders, as well as the businesses Alternet is engaging.

ALYI’s payment technology solutions deliver products to financial organizations that need solutions for managing a wide range of payments channels. Alternet delivers products and applications development engines that extend beyond the capabilities of processing across all capture devices (e.g. mobile phones, tablets) for delivering channel-specific abilities.

The company’s financial technology solutions provide digital currency payment solutions, banking solutions and digital payment services, while its data analytics offerings change how leading organizations use their data within their marketing research operations. The company looks to introduce a digital currency bank with government regulations and foreign exchange capabilities and provide micro payment services to the retail industry’s emerging markets.

For more information, visit www.alternetsystems.com

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Laguna Blends, Inc. (OTC: LAGBF), a network marketing company, focuses its efforts on the valuable properties of hemp. With the rise in consumer interests leaning toward healthy living, the company offers products that provide wellness benefits, including Caffe, a hemp-infused coffee beverage, and Pro369, a hemp protein powder. Not only does Laguna Blends emphasize the healthy plant, it also provides an opportunity for others to participate in this growing market.

Since the wellness industry is a $3.4 trillion market, Laguna Blends has created a chance for affiliates to take part and sell the company’s hemp products. This allows affiliates to work from home or anywhere in the world while selling clean and healthy goods. Laguna Blends even gives these entrepreneurs access to innovative technology that trains and prepares them for a life of success. For example, affiliates can participate in Laguna’s 3D training platform, Laguna World, which guides and educates with the purpose of driving sales and even recruitment. The company strongly believes that this technology is a “game changer in the Direct Selling/Network Marketing industry.” Users get the best advice from corporate executives while being fully immersed in an interactive platform. Laguna Blends gives entrepreneurs the tools needed to create a strong, successful business with confidence and knowledge.

Having a solid foundation and launching ground before starting a business is key. Entrepreneurs who enter the business world should know their industry and how it works. Laguna Blends makes people comfortable selling healthy products by knowing they are properly trained, all while establishing their own businesses. Furthermore, these members build their own revenue stream while contributing to Laguna Blends as a whole. Knowing how to drive sales and recruit more affiliates creates the potential for major growth overall.

Laguna Blends CEO and founder Stuart Gray recently stated that the company has seen tremendous growth while continuing to attract interested people from all over Canada and the United States. He maintained that Laguna Blends’ innovative technology is “what makes [the company] unique” throughout the network marketing industry, and he looks forward to seeing its accelerated success.

For more information, visit www.lagunablends.com

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There is scant doubt that International Stem Cell Corporation’s (OTCQB: ISCO) attention and energy have been focused on creating advances in the field of regenerative medicine. On the contrary, ISCO continues to break new ground in settings where cells are being considered for use or are already being used in research and therapy. ISCO’s development and application of parthenogenesis, an impressive new stem cell technology, is a clear case in point.

Parthenogenesis is a stem cell development process that tackles the problem of immune-rejection. The process uses unfertilized human eggs to create a new class of specialized, pluripotent human stem cells better known as human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs). ISCO’s research and development team has been using these stem cells to make important breakthroughs in the treatment of several diseases, especially in instances where cellular replacement has been shown to be clinically effective but there are no practical sources of safe, ethical cells with which to treat patients. HpSCs are ideal in such situations, because they have been designed so that they can be immune-matched to millions of people. They also have many of the advantages typically linked to embryonic stem cells without most of the ethical issues. Furthermore, a small fraction of hpSC lines can provide more than enough immune-matched cells for a large fraction of the world’s population.

ISCO’s scientists have been assessing the use of hpSCs for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other therapeutic indications, based on the company’s stem cell technology platform. For instance, they are striving to bring a stroke program into clinical trial using ISC-hpNSC and also developing a therapy for osteoarthritis that uses the applicable patient’s own cells. All of these initiatives are multi-year research and development efforts.

To garner income now, ISCO operates two successful business units, Lifeline Cell Technology and Lifeline Skin Care. For years, ISCO has been developing these wholly-owned subsidiaries so that they, in turn, can develop therapeutic products from its own intellectual property. Through Lifeline Skin Care and Lifeline Cell Technology, ISCO has been generating income from the sale of products that were designed using the company’s scientific discoveries. These products embody practical, short-term applications of ISCO’s larger human cell research capabilities.

At its cosmeceutical business, Lifeline Skin Care, ISCO’s employees have been developing, manufacturing and marketing cosmetic skin care products using a proprietary extract derived from the company’s pluripotent stem cells. At its research products business, Lifeline Cell Technology, the team has been creating, manufacturing and marketing human cell culture products, including frozen human “primary” cells and the reagents needed to grow, maintain and differentiate them.

In an effort to maintain its forward momentum, ISCO has been using its scientific discoveries to achieve both immediate and future goals. On the one hand, the company has used its discoveries to create products currently being sold by its two successful, revenue-generating subsidiaries. On the other hand, ISCO also intends to use its discoveries to develop breakthrough treatments for a number of worrisome health conditions and diseases.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

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Earlier this month, Giggles N’ Hugs, Inc. (OTCQB: GIGL) filed its Annual Report (10-K) for the financial year ended December 27, 2015 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the report shows that the company is bringing home the bacon. Annual revenue was $3,451,772, which exceeded net sales for 2014 ($3,340,941) by $110,831, or three percent. That’s better than the industry as a whole. A report for the National Restaurant Association (NRA) prepared by Duff & Phelps, titled ‘2015 Restaurant Industry Forecast’ (http://dtn.fm/tuqV5), estimated that ‘in inflation-adjusted terms, industry sales are projected to increase 1.5 percent in 2015.’ However, that expansion in business is not the only relish that Giggles N’ Hugs is serving.

Giggles N’ Hugs is a unique, upscale fast casual with a carte du jour created from only the finest gluten-free organic ingredients. The beef comes from grass-fed cows that haven’t been ‘beefed-up’ with hormones. Naturally, there are always vegetarian options. Breads and pastries are made fresh daily by local artisan bakeries. Only trans-fat free canola oil and extra virgin oil are used, and the company will trick or treat all year round with its very own ‘Mom’s Tricky Treat Sauce’, which hides pureed vegetables in kids’ favorite meals, such as pizza, pastas and macaroni and cheese.

Giggles N’ Hugs owns and operates fine dining establishments with staff on hand to free parents from the fuss of first hand supervision. There are play areas for children 10 years and younger that feature kid-size castles, giant climbers, pirate ships, walk-on dragons, tricycles, swings, bouncies, and an abundant selection of toys. There’s also daily live entertainment and performances that include magic shows, concerts, puppet shows, face painting and arts and crafts.

The company’s founder and CEO, Joey Parsi, started the company in 2007 after he and his wife realized there were no eating places that catered to the special needs of parents with young children. Now, its restaurants are located in the best locations in Los Angeles. There’s one at Westfield Mall in Century City on Santa Monica Boulevard; another at Westfield Topanga Shopping Center in Woodland Hills, Canoga Park; and a third at the Glendale Galleria.

The company has been highly rated by Nickelodeon and by City Search, an online site that allows diners to blog about their experiences and rate restaurants. It has been featured on the TV Guide Channel, Fox Channel 11, Extra TV, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, and in Businessweek, People Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Family, West-Side Today, US Magazine, OK Magazine, and Life and Style Magazine.

A typical Giggles N’ Hugs restaurant is around 6,000 square feet with 2,000 square feet allocated for the play area, 2,500 square feet for the dining area, and 1,500 square feet for the kitchen. The company estimates the build-out cost for a new restaurant at between $700,000 and $900,000. That figure takes into account pre-opening expenses and improvement allowances from landlords.

In the coming months, contingent on available financing, the company will undertake an aggressive multi-pronged marketing campaign. The spearhead of this promotional activity will directly engage local preschools, kindergartens, and elementary schools. Giggles N’ Hugs also plans to advertise on television channels such as Disney and Nickelodeon, as well as in additional print publications, radio, and satellite radio. With so much on its plate, Giggles N’ Hugs could prove to be a meal ticket for investors.

Learn more by visiting www.gigglesnhugs.com

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Momentous Entertainment Group, Inc. is a diversified media company that creates, produces and distributes quality content across various media channels, including feature film, television, radio, the Internet, and various forms of digital media for use in the home or on mobile devices. The company is divided into three divisions: direct marketing, film and recordings.

Within these divisions, MMEG operates through several synergistic channels: Film & Television, which produces unique content ranging from feature films and documentaries to reality television; subsidiary Financial Equity Film Partners, Inc., which utilizes strategic partnerships to facilitate film finance and distribution; subsidiary Music One Corp., formed for live events; Momentous Music, a division leveraging worldwide distribution channels to produce and distribute adult contemporary and faith musical talents; and Direct Marketing & Retail, a division focused on direct response TV to promote consumer merchandise and MMEG’s film and music products.

Acquisitions and mergers are an important strategy as MMEG expands its capabilities and customer base to improve profit-generating revenue. The company’s roll-up strategy includes plans to acquire small cable systems, radio and television stations, and technologies to be used in the development of a portal that will stream MMEG’s radio and television holdings, as well as allow the sale and download of music, video and other IP owned and marketed by the company.

Each of MMEG’s corporate officers brings a unique blend of leadership, vision, experience and creative energy necessary to fulfill these strategies. With more than a century of combined experience in entertainment and marketing, this team has set MMEG on track to achieve its goals and make major contributions to the global entertainment industry.

For more information, visit www.momentousent.com

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