Whether we like it or not, social media has had a major impact on how businesses interact with their customers online. It is a great avenue for businesses to get their messages out and enhance awareness of their brands. It also has a huge potential of backfiring if any possible customer complaints voiced via social platforms are not handled properly. In addition, a lot of companies are still not responsive enough on social media and rarely reply to potential customer inquiries through the channel. As a result, many businesses fail to tap the full potential of social media when it comes to understanding and consolidating their client base. That’s where social customer relationship management (CRM) programs such as the one developed for the Chinese market by Moxian, Inc. (OTCQB: MOXC) come in.

The traditional customer relationship management platform typically focuses on managing and collecting static data about customers based on phone or email interactions between company and customers. The collected information often includes contact history, past purchase data and customer demographics. With Social CRM systems, an additional layer of information is added, extracted from the social networks where a customer shares information. A Social CRM allows companies to develop a more complete profile of their customers by tracking info such as revenue and social influence. By monitoring information that the consumer shares publicly outside of the direct communication with the company, any business will be able to combine the data it already has about current or prospective customers with new info around their intentions and sentiments. This will allow companies to take action faster, project customer needs in advance and develop a customized response to each consumer group.

It was with this personalized approach in mind that Moxian set off in 2010 to create a new way of combining social media with business intelligence and entertainment. The Chinese company’s proprietary Social CRM system is at the foundation of its multi-channel social commerce platform, and was developed in such a way to help consumers and merchants interact, further allowing merchants to run targeted advertising and promotions that can then generate personalized reports.

Targeting the giant Chinese online-to-offline market, Moxian’s platform for small and medium-sized enterprises consists of two primary mobile apps: Moxian+ Business App for merchants and Moxian+ User App for shoppers, both of which are available for free download for both iOS and Android users.

The company’s business app has built in Social CRM and offers merchants a wide range of options, from setting up a store on the Moxian platform to pushing promotions through the platform and obtaining customized reports for their stores. The user app serves to introduce consumers to the platform and includes social networking capabilities, a game center and a redemption center. The app comprises Moxian’s proprietary virtual currency, MO-Points and MO-Coin, which can be earned by playing games and then used to redeem prizes from merchants or Moxian. This mechanic ultimately helps to drive registered consumers to the merchants and allows companies to advertise their services, run marketing campaigns and learn about their customers and their habits through the Moxian platform.

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

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The consumer market for wearable technology is in a period of rapid growth. According to Statista (http://nnw.fm/vYNE4), sales of wearables exceeded $2 billion in 2015, and forecasts call for sales of more than $4 billion in 2017. This growth is, of course, being led by some heavy hitters in the tech industry. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) launched its Apple Watch to much fanfare in April 2015, and, according to Juniper Research (http://nnw.fm/5TAqW), the company had successfully secured 52 percent market share in the burgeoning smartwatch space by the end of that calendar year. In recent months, however, sales have begun to slow. According to a report from market research firm IDC, Apple Watch sales have already dropped 55 percent since the product’s launch, likely due to anticipated hardware updates in the coming months.

Apple is far from alone in its efforts to bring innovation to the wearable technology space. Google (NASDAQ: GOOG; GOOGL) also entered the market with its innovative Google Glass prototype smart glasses back in 2013. Although the company announced intentions to discontinue sales of the product in January 2015, it would be shortsighted to refer to the project as an outright failure. Shortly after Google’s announcement last year, AugmentedReality.org predicted that sales of smart glasses would reach $1 billion in shipments by 2020 and surpass shipments of mobile phones within the next decade (http://nnw.fm/t0bH4). Meanwhile, Google has remained committed to leading future developments in the space, filing an application with the FCC for a new version of Google Glass in December 2015 (http://nnw.fm/6wqDj).

Alongside Apple and Google, other global tech leaders have thrown their hats into the wearables ring with varying degrees of success. Samsung (OTC: SSNLF), in particular, has illustrated some of the difficulties presented to established firms in targeting the wearables crowd. Despite being one of the first major tech companies to enter the wearables market, Samsung held just over eight percent of the market in 2015, according to IDC (http://nnw.fm/Uep27). The research firm expects this figure to fall to just 2.8 percent by 2019.

For investors looking to capitalize on the growth of the wearables market without being exposed to the greater tech industry, pure plays also exist. Fitbit (NYSE: FIT) is one example of a pure wearables play with a sizable share of the burgeoning market. Fitbit’s revenues have been on the rise in recent quarters, and sales more than doubled during 2015. According to an article on The Motley Fool (http://nnw.fm/Od59n), the wearables specialist is currently on track to grow an additional 35 percent this year. Still, investing in the future of Fitbit isn’t exactly cheap. The company’s PPS is currently hovering at around $14.80.

GTX Corp. (OTC: GTXO) is a more approachable option for investors seeking to diversify their portfolios in order to cash in on the forecast wearables boom. A self-described ‘pioneer in IoT wearable technology’, GTXO offers comprehensive end-to-end solutions that include location-based hardware, middleware, apps and related professional services. The company’s flagship product is the award-winning GPS SmartSole, which aims to improve the lives of the roughly six million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia, as well as their caregivers. By embedding a GPS tracking device into a comfortable insole, GTXO’s GPS SmartSole provides peace of mind to family members without the need for separate tracking devices and the obtrusiveness and stigma that are often associated with them.

Earlier this month, GTX Corp. released its financial results for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2016, which included promising growth. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 36 percent over the previous year, while subscriber revenue increased 133 percent year-over-year. In total, GTXO boasts active subscribers in more than 35 countries around the globe. The company intends to build on these results by adding new customers and subscribers, as well as through a new initiative designed to monetize its numerous intellectual property assets. In line with these initiatives, GTXO recently entered into two new master distribution agreements that will allow the company to scale distribution in certain vertical markets without significantly increasing operational expenses. Key to these efforts will be GTX Corp.’s ability to secure the capital required to keep up with market growth, as alluded to by CEO Patrick Bertagna in a recent news release.

“Lack of sufficient capital for inventory, human resources and infrastructure has been a challenge since our launch last year. It has limited our ability to order appropriate inventory thereby limiting our ability to grow as quickly as we would like,” he stated. “We believe that our increased margins and revenues, along with the new monetization IP campaign, will begin to ease our capital shortage problem. Having said that, we remain focused on building brand and product awareness on a global scale, growing our channels of distribution and increasing sales, subscription revenues and margins in all our product categories.”

For more information, visit www.GTXCorp.com

Before the opening bell, Laguna Blends, Inc. (CSE: LAG) (OTC: LAGBF) (FRANKFURT: LB6A.F) announced a first tranche closing related to its non-brokered private placement. The first tranche closing included the issuance of 1,627,200 units at a price of $0.25 per unit for gross proceeds of $406,800. Each of these units includes one common share, as well as a purchase warrant entitling the holder to acquire an additional common share of Laguna’s stock at a price of $0.40, valid until August 25, 2017. Securities issued as part of the first tranche will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the original date of issuance. The Canadian Securities Exchange has granted Laguna an extension for the filing of final material related to the private placement to October 7, 2016. The company expects to close the final tranche on or before this date.

In recent weeks, Laguna has remained focused on expanding the reach of its affiliate marketing network across North America. In addition to its innovative beverage products capitalizing on the nutritional health benefits derived from hemp – including Caffe and Pro369 – the company recently entered an exclusive distribution agreement with ISO International, LLC to market, promote and distribute seven cannabidiol (CBD) skin care products developed by Cannaceuticals of California, USA (“Canna”). Through this agreement, Laguna will look to bolster the marketability of its affiliate marketing network with a line of proven skin care products while gaining access to the global skin care industry, which is estimated at $121 billion.

Laguna’s ongoing growth initiatives are being guided by an experienced management team that was recently expanded to include Bryan Loree as chief financial officer, corporate secretary and director. Through this appointment, which was announced early this month, Loree replaced Stuart Gray, the company’s founder and CEO, who was previously serving as acting CFO, adding roughly 10 years of accounting, finance and management experience to the Laguna team.

For more information, visit www.lagunablends.com

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eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI) is offering Americans a 21st century new deal with its Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage™. Back in the 1930s, Americans were, as they have been in recent times, picking up the pieces after a series of devastating economic events, but if we thought the Great Recession was bad, it’s because most of us haven’t been around long enough to remember the Great Depression. Writing in the Wall Street Journal (http://nnw.fm/Diys5), well-known financial commentator and hedge fund director Roger Lowenstein opined that ‘the world didn’t experience anything close to a global depression during the recent crisis. Peak to trough, global GDP fell 15%, world-wide, from 1929 to 1932; it fell less than 1% from 2008 to 2009.’

As part of recovery efforts back then, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched his New Deal, under which the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was created. The FHA was a big deal for housing since it gave rise to the vibrant housing market now estimated by the National Association of Home Builders to contribute about 15 percent of GDP (http://nnw.fm/8GTa4). The FHA set standards for construction and underwriting of mortgage loans. Its most important contribution, however, was its provision of insurance for loans for home building made by banks and other private lenders.

The FHA has become the largest insurer of mortgage loans in the world, insuring over 34 million properties since its inception in 1934. It now falls under the aegis of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. After its creation, home ownership increased. It was 44 percent in post-Depression 1940, but is now 62.9 percent, according to a July 2016 press release from the Census Bureau (http://nnw.fm/0vHQq)… and it keeps rising.

Last week, housing data for July 2016 (http://nnw.fm/oX6sp) released by the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) showed that ‘private-owned housing starts in July were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,211,000… (which) is 5.6 percent above the July 2015 rate of 1,147,000.’ Private-owned houses completed ‘were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,026,000… 3.2 percent above the July 2015 rate of 994,000.’

eXp World Holdings is offering brokers, agents and prospective home owners a new deal in these still uncertain times. Its Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage, operated by wholly-owned subsidiary eXp Realty, offers brokers and agents a full service national real estate brokerage platform with all the services offered by a traditional brick-and-mortar brokerage… but without the associated costs. It provides a novel 3-D environment in which agents and brokers can source training, educational, coaching and mentoring resources, as well as transaction and technical support.

An updated research report from Fundamental Research (http://nnw.fm/Nmzm0) issued last week details that ‘Since our previous report in May 2016, the company has expanded its membership count by 31%, from 1,204 to 1,580. The platform only had 665 real estate brokers and agents as members as of June 30, 2015.’

For buyers, things have never been easier. From the comfort of their armchairs, they can find the right agent and, through him or her, the right house. eXp Realty is currently operating in 41 states across the U.S., as well as the District of Columbia and Alberta, Canada. This new deal from eXp World Holdings looks like the real deal.

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

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In a recent news release, Dominovas Energy Corp. (OTCQB: DNRG) announced that it is currently in the process of finalizing plans to deliver its proprietary RUBICON™ solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology to the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. Deployment of the proposed ‘showcase’ unit, which was originally announced in May, will be a first step toward the company’s ultimate goal of delivering its one-of-a-kind, multi-megawatt system to the region.

Dominovas Energy chairman and CEO Neal Allen met with officials from the University of Johannesburg late last week regarding the impending deployment of the company’s demonstration unit. In addition to determining the actual site and deployment strategy for the ‘showcase’ unit, the meetings included discussions regarding the development of a collaborative venture between the University of Johannesburg and Dominovas Energy designed to advance the study of fuel cell technology in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. Establishment of the Institute of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology is expected to provide “a welcome boost to the development of a new research frontier — for the vision of a future clean power supply for South Africa and the whole of Africa,” according to Professor Tien Chien Jen, director of the University of Johannesburg’s manufacturing research center.

To view photos from Allen’s time at the University of Johannesburg, visit http://nnw.fm/YUT2y

“Let there be no doubt, Dominovas Energy is committed 100% to the delivery of its ‘Showcase’ to South Africa,” Dr. Shamiul Islam, executive vice president for fuel cell operations with Dominovas Energy, stated in the news release. “I am excited to see the progress being made as necessary steps are taking place that have set the path for execution and delivery of our system.”

When deployed, Dominovas Energy’s ‘showcase’ unit will be the first SOFC unit to serve baseload capacity anywhere on the African continent. For residents of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the company’s RUBICON™ technology will likely be a game changer in the years to come. According to a report by the International Energy Agency (http://nnw.fm/NQ6y9), more than 95 percent of the estimated 1.2 billion people who did not have access to electricity in 2013 were living in sub-Saharan Africa and developing Asia.

The RUBICON™ is expected to play a key role in providing access to reliable power generation throughout the region. The fuel-flexible power solution is capable of generating electricity from a wide variety of hydrocarbon fuels, including diesel, natural gas, propane, ethanol, methanol and bio-derived fuels. Additionally, the RUBICON™, as a stand-alone system, helps developing areas minimize the need for expensive grid construction and upkeep. This combined versatility is designed to encourage the use of natural resources instead of inefficient coal plants while greatly expanding global access to electricity.

For more information, visit www.dominovasenergy.com

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A story that really grew legs earlier this year, based on the May report from leading independent strategic market research firm Euromonitor (http://nnw.fm/zJB60), clearly illustrates how China’s massive consumer market has rapidly processed the clean food trend that took years to sweep through Western markets. The shift toward healthier alternatives by a large percentage of fast food and casual dining consumers is likely also related to the accessibility of information that has come with ubiquitous internet access all over the planet. The implications of all this for the industry, however, irrespective of the component architecture of causes, is strikingly unambiguous: serious changes toward healthier menu options have become vital.

Fast food giant McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD), which opened doors in China back in 1987 and has grown to over 2,200 locations, as well as Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM), the operator of KFC and Pizza Hut (7,200 locations), are both shedding Chinese footprint. Yum’s market share alone has declined 17 percent since 2012 (MCD lost around 2.7 percent), resulting in strategic divestment of 20 percent of its overall position to a Chinese company, a vector also being pursued by MCD. Consumers want healthier and heartier meals now. This is perhaps the core driver behind the success of outfits like Panera Bread Company (NASDAQ: PNRA) and Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG), as well as 2015 IPO Shake Shack (NYSE: SHAK), which, while not quite as focused on healthier options, definitely speaks to the same consumer sentiment about real food value.

The time has come to seriously start building a portfolio of promising, investor-accessible fast casual and even fast food companies who understand where the industry is headed and have been able to successfully capitalize on the trends, and not just with lackluster, after-the-fact menu alterations the way MCD has done, a decision which has (unsurprisingly) failed to win over increasingly savvy consumers. It makes sense to look at companies who have flipped the script and started from scratch with a new model, operators who understand not just the underlying trends, but the full spectrum of logistical issues as well. Issues like cultivating brand awareness and an identity early on that will have real staying power, or shrewdly setting up the entire model from the get go to really succeed when it comes to securing optimal locations that are heavily trafficked and/or are geographically localized to premium target demos.

Giggles N’ Hugs (OTCQB: GIGL) is one to watch in this arena, with its unique restaurant concept that fuses together high-end organic food and healthy, cutting-edge play/entertainment for children, a model which has already proven itself by becoming extremely successful in Southern California at some of the high end malls the company brilliantly likes to target for maximum traction – both with the general public and a growing retinue of A-list celebs. This is an extremely important kind of passive celebrity branding that costs GIGL nothing, yet (especially for SoCal folks) resonates hugely with target demos.

Some 15 percent of all ads last year featured high profile celebs (http://nnw.fm/o99xD), and whilst most companies must navigate the choppy waters of picking the right kind of celebrity that parallelizes their brand, secure endorsements via huge payouts, or gift celebrities their products in mere hopes that they will thereby gain attention – GIGL simply has to do what it does best: open the doors every morning to one of the finest organic casual dining, “Gymboree” playspace experiences available anywhere on earth. And it just so happens to be the perfect place for birthday parties, which GIGL does masterfully, with themed and specially catered parties that have live entertainers and actors/staff dressed up as the kid’s favorite cartoon star, comic book super hero, or other, similar thematic constructs.

Fast casual is the sector sweet spot, too, as this entire clean food trend comes to a boil globally, with the segment showing a 10.4 percent sales uptick last year compared to 2014 (http://nnw.fm/A6lpr). Even the largest consumer foodservice market on Earth, China, saw sales grow 9.5 percent year over year to $617 billion. The GIGL story is really something to look at, with tightly-knit partnerships between the company and some of the world’s largest mall operators helping to ensure its longer-term franchise success, as well as a brilliantly executed and highly unique model. By the way, this is a model that can work anywhere on the planet. This versatility is something for investors playing the long game to think about with GIGL, especially considering the baseline receptivity in Asian markets to this kind of family-centric dining concept.

Learn more by visiting www.gigglesnhugs.com

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Even with fuel prices dropping significantly over the last couple of years, which has prompted some industry commentators to predict a slowdown on the electric vehicle market, overall sales reported in the first quarter of 2016 were 42% higher year-on-year (http://nnw.fm/Yp7DU). The Q1 increase is indeed not as high as the figures reported in Q4 2015, which was particularly strong for electric vehicle sales in anticipation of reduced incentives on several markets this year. Nonetheless, plug-in sales in the first quarter totaled an impressive 180,500 units worldwide, with China alone responsible for a considerable portion of the growth, as year-on-year sales in the Asian nation doubled compared to last year.

China remains a significant market for electric vehicles, not only in terms of sales, but also in terms of manufacturing. One of the most revolutionary electric cars on the market at the moment, the e-Go EV sold by 2050 Motors, Inc. (OTCQB: ETFM), is in fact the product of a Chinese company, being engineered and designed by Jiangsu Aoxin New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. What sets the e-Go EV apart from other electric vehicles is that it is the only such car with a carbon fiber body and parts installed on an aluminum racing car frame and suspension. The entire manufacturing process is done with the help of robotic machines, which lowers both the time and cost of fabrication. The result is an electric car that weighs thousands of pounds less than other similar vehicles on the market, at only 1,450 lbs., and with a carbon fiber body that is five times stronger than steel.

2050 Motors, which has exclusive rights to assemble and distribute the e-Go, says this is the most efficient and affordable electric vehicle ever built, with over three times the battery life of other cars in its class. The vehicle’s battery warranty is eight years with unlimited mileage, the same as Tesla’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) Model S. The company also plans to launch a carbon fiber luxury sedan, the Ibis EV, in the near future.

This might be very soon, as the company recently secured an equity purchase agreement of $10 million for the construction of an assembly plant in Las Vegas. The deal was sealed with Southridge Partners II, LP, a Connecticut-based holding firm specializing in advisory services and direct investment. The facility will be built specifically for the assembly of carbon fiber electric vehicles, including the body and parts being manufactured and shipped from the Jiangsu factory. 2050 Motors is close to completing negotiations with the City of Las Vegas regarding the project, which is expected to bring a great number of high paying jobs to the city.

Additionally, the company is in talks with the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance for the creation of a foreign trade zone for the assembly factory, which would allow it to bring the car bodies and parts from China without formal customs processing or customs duties until the assembled products leave the trade zone.

For more information, visit www.2050motors.com

Yesterday, Fundamental Research Corp., an independent research firm specializing in the small-cap and microcap sectors, announced the release of an updated analysis on eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI). The new analysis, which includes upward revisions from Fundamental Research Corp.’s original report released in April of this year, highlights EXPI’s strong fiscal performance in the second quarter of 2016, healthy balance sheet and recent independent additions to its board of directors as reasons prospective investors may want to take a second look at the company.

“We are raising our revenue forecast for 2016 from $40.50 million to $48.94 million, and for 2017 from $72.00 million to $82.50 million,” reads the Fundamental Research Corp. report. “We are also raising our long-term forecasts. In our previous models, we had assumed growth to 10,000 members by 2020. We are now extending our models based on the assumption that membership will increase to 15,000 by 2022.”

To view the full report, visit http://nnw.fm/QC5eP

Taking a quick look at EXPI’s progress toward expanding its presence in the North American real estate market in recent months, Fundamental Research Corp.’s decision to revise its previous growth forecasts comes as no surprise. Since the original report in April, EXPI has successfully commenced real estate brokerage operations in seven new states and the District of Columbia. In total, the company’s Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage® is currently operational in 41 states; Alberta, Canada; and Washington, D.C. Alongside its entry into new jurisdictions, eXp Realty, the real estate brokerage division of EXPI, has had tremendous success in recruiting real estate professionals to its growing family of agents and brokers. In a news release from earlier this month, the company reported more than 1,580 agents across all of its markets, up from just 864 at the beginning of 2016.

The rapid growth of its real estate brokerage division has also spurred strong fiscal results for EXPI in recent months. On August 15, the company released its second quarter results, which included revenues of more than $13.2 million, a year-over-year increase of 137 percent. This coincided with a 111 percent year-over-year increase to eXp Realty’s agent count. EXPI’s cash position was also strengthened during the second quarter, with cash and cash equivalents up 207 percent from June 2015. Glenn Sanford, chairman and chief executive officer of EXPI, summed up these results in a recent news release.

“eXp Realty continues to experience accelerated growth in agent count and in revenues as a result of our commitment to agent ownership, agent support, and agent engagement,” he stated.

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

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Now that Laguna Blends (CSE: LAG) (OTC: LAGBF) (FRANKFURT: LB6A.F) has signed a distribution agreement with ISO International, LLC to promote and distribute seven CannaCeuticals (“Canna”) cannabidiol (CBD) skin care products, the Canadian-based network marketing company is taking its winning ways into the billion dollar aesthetics industry. Canna is a Swiss brand of skincare products based on cosmeceutical-grade CBD. Under the deal, Laguna Blends will pay a one-time license fee of USD 100,000 and commit to purchasing USD 1.5 million worth of product at wholesale prices over the first two years of the agreement.

The company will harness the extensive reach of its affiliate-marketing network to market the Canna skincare line in the U.S., and, after regulatory approval is obtained, plans to market the line in Canada, Asia, Europe and Mexico.

Clinical trials conducted early last year on CBD7 serum, the active ingredient in the Canna skincare line, yielded positive results. The regenerative microencapsulated time-released therapy ‘blurs the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in 7 – 14 days’ and ‘significantly improves the texture of skin’, the report, undertaken by BioScreen® Testing Services, Inc., concluded.

The product under test, one ounce Facial Serum CBD, ‘provided the following statistically significant improvements after 14 days of… use’. There was a ‘12.74% improvement in skin texture’; ‘80.95% of subjects demonstrated an improvement in skin texture’; there was a ‘7.40% improvement in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles of the mouth area’; and ‘80.95% of subjects demonstrated an improvement in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles of the mouth area’. These were encouraging outcomes, which have not gone unnoticed. The widely-circulated May 2016 issue of Elle Magazine, with Beyoncé Knowles on the cover, featured CannaCeuticals CBD7 in its ‘Tips and Trends’ section.

The medical aesthetics market was estimated at $7.5 billion in 2015 by Markets and Markets (http://nnw.fm/9bzjH). Over the next five years, it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.8%, reaching $12.6 billion in 2020. The skincare market is even larger. At the launch of the distribution deal for the Canna line, Laguna’s CEO Stuart Gray observed:

“We are excited to announce the closing of this transaction, which firmly roots Laguna in the $121 billion global skin care industry. The pairing of our rapidly growing affiliate network with a revolutionary and clinically proven product line creates a powerful opportunity of growth and expansion.”

The Canna brand supplements Laguna Blends’ products based on the nutritional health benefits derived from hemp. Laguna Blends is a network marketing company, sometimes referred to as a multi-layer marketing company, which generates retail sales through independent affiliates. In April 2016, the company announced the commencement of beta testing for its Laguna World virtual 3D community with independent affiliates. Laguna World, an interactive platform, will enable affiliates to train, recruit and sell from home and so reduce unproductive hours spent on traveling. Laguna believes this innovative virtual world technology ‘is a game changer in the Direct Selling / Network Marketing Industry.’

Laguna’s flagship product is Caffe Protein Coffee which ‘is loaded in proteins: both whey and hemp.’ Another product is Pro369, which combines HempOmega®, hemp protein and ginseng and comes in four delicious flavors: Vanilla Caramel, Tropical Fruit, Mixed Berry and Chocolate Banana. Earlier this month, the company announced the renewal of the agreement retaining Emmanual Arceneaux, a player in the Canadian Football League, as a brand ambassador for Pro369.

For more information, visit www.lagunablends.com

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Before the opening bell, Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI) announced completion of the design, architecture and buildout of its Application Program Interface (“API”) and the corresponding launch of its Monaker Booking Engine (“MBE”). This announcement marks a key milestone in the company’s efforts to develop a sustainable foothold in the rapidly growing alternative lodging space, as the completed API and MBE will allow Monaker to work toward partnering with large, established online travel agencies, tour operators, airlines and cruise originators to offer its sizable inventory in a real-time booking format. This real-time booking format is key to the company’s future growth, as the vast majority of alternative lodging firms still rely on the less convenient request/response approach to booking, which slows down the rental process.

“The completion of the MBE and API is an important milestone for the Company and our large inventory can now be distributed to our interested partners in the Alternative Lodging industry,” Bill Kerby, chairman and chief executive officer of Monaker, stated in this morning’s news release. “I’m very pleased with the functionality of the MBE and initial discussions with potential partners has suggested their desire to find a true ‘Plug and Play’ solution. We believe we can now uniquely provide this for the growing travel space.”

With the launch of the MBE, Monaker will look to add several large travel industry partners in the coming months. These partnerships will play a key role in the company’s efforts to expand distribution for its growing inventory of alternative lodging rental units. In a shareholder update issued in early June, Monaker reported an impressive 1.1 million alternative lodging rental units under contract and outlined plans to add more than 200,000 additional timeshare or resort units to its NextTrip Resorts platform by the end of this year.

Monaker has remained committed to developing a better approach to the alternative lodging space. Just last week, the company announced the launch of a premium service for its property owners. Leaning on its deep expertise in inventory acquisition, reservations services, technology and distribution, Monaker suggests that property owners who take advantage of its premium service could see an increase of nearly 50 percent in booking revenues while reducing the time required to manage their properties by 10 hours per week. Additionally, leveraging the company’s proprietary platform architecture and partnerships, premium service listings are positioned on up to 50 major global booking platforms in multiple languages worldwide.

With the completion of its API and MBE and the recent launch of its premium service for property owners, Monaker is differentiating itself in the global vacation rental market, which is expected to reach $169.7 billion by 2019, according to Research and Markets. Kerby reiterated management’s optimism regarding the company’s short-term growth prospects to close out this morning’s news release.

“Our goal of becoming one of the larger players in the Alternative Lodging Rental industry can now occur rapidly and we should be adding several large travel industry partners in the near future,” he concluded.

For more information, visit www.MonakerGroup.com

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