Before the opening bell, International Stem Cell Corp. (OTCQB: ISCO) announced the publication of results from a 12-month preclinical, non-human primate study. The data highlights the safety and efficacy of ISCO’s proprietary human parthenogenetic stem cells-derived neural stem cells (ISC-hpNSC®) for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. According to the results of this study, transplantation of the neural cells was both safe and well tolerated by non-human primates, with the animals demonstrating no serious adverse events throughout the 12-month trial.

“The publication of the data in the peer-reviewed and highly-respected journal, Cell Transplantation, brings to conclusion the preclinical stage of ISCO’s Parkinson’s disease program,” Russell Kern, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of ISCO, stated in this morning’s news release. “The data provides further evidence that parthenogenetic neural stem cells can be effective in treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and, along with the previously [submitted] safety data, formed the basis of our application to the Australian regulatory authorities to move this program into the clinic.”

To view the full article and abstract, visit http://dtn.fm/kB2eZ

Review of data stemming from this preclinical study played a key role in ISCO’s authorization from the Therapeutics Goods Administration of Australia to initiate a phase I/IIa clinical trial of its innovative ISC-hpNSC for the treatment of moderate to severe Parkinson’s disease. In December, the company announced this approval and entered into a master clinical research agreement with the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, one of the world’s leading brain research centers, to conduct the impending dose escalation trial. In March, ISCO commenced enrollment for its phase I trial. Preliminary clinical data stemming from this study is expected in the fourth quarter of this year.

According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, an estimated seven to 10 million people worldwide are currently living with Parkinson’s disease, making it the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Currently without a cure, the combined direct and indirect costs stemming from this debilitating condition, including treatment, social security payments and lost income from inability to work, are estimated at $25 billion per year in the United States alone.

In preclinical studies, ISCO’s ISC-hpNSC have shown effective in improving Parkinson’s disease symptoms by increasing the presence of dopaminergic neurons and bolstering dopamine concentration in the brain through neurotrophic support and dopaminergic neuron replacement. In particular, the cells’ ability to replace and protect dopaminergic neurons while restoring neural function is expected to offer significant potential benefit to patients suffering from moderate to severe Parkinson’s disease.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

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Rennova Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNVA), Florida-based provider of technologies and services to the healthcare industry, has successfully faced a number of industry-wide challenges in recent years due to the steadfast focus on strict compliance by its executive team and the resulting potential that approach offers toward expanding provider contracts. It’s an accomplishment based upon a blend of industry knowledge and a sound approach to management and finance.

• Thomas Mika (Chairman) – With an MBA from Harvard and an undergraduate degree in Microbiology, Mr. Mika has held a number of executive positions in the healthcare and other technology industries, and has an extensive background in building healthcare and software companies. He is Chairman, President, and Acting CFO of healthcare data analytics company CollabRx, which merged with Rennova in November 2015. Earlier he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Tegal Corporation, becoming Chairman of the Board the following year. At Tegal he had served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and was on the Board of Directors, managing the activities that led to the company’s IPO in 1995.
• Seamus Lagan (President, Chief Executive Officer, Director) – Mr. Lagan’s expertise includes over two decades in the restructuring, development, and management of both public and private companies. His guidance has been critical to the growth of Rennova Health, as well as to the company’s achieving an impressive NASDAQ listing. Mr. Lagan was initially approached to help in the development of new business opportunities for the company, and his efforts have supported the structuring of the company’s business plan as well as the securing of vital funding. Mr. Lagan has also served as the CEO of two principal subsidiaries of Medytox Solutions.
• Jason Adams (Chief Financial Officer) – Mr. Adams has held senior financial executive positions with Alico and Source Interlink Companies, and was the Chief Financial Officer of West Central Behavioral Health, a provider of mental health services to communities in New Hampshire.
• Sri Bharat Madireddy, PhD (COO of Medytox Diagnostics, CEO of Rennova owned Laboratories) – Dr. Madireddy serves Rennova as Technical Supervisor and Director LC-MSMS for Toxicology operations. He is Board Certified in Clinical Chemistry by the American Association of Bioanalysts, and has extensive experience in analytical chemistry and toxicology.

For more information, visit www.RennovaHealth.com

Yesterday, the 5th Annual SeeThruEquity Conference took place at Convene in New York City, connecting more than 30 presenting companies with microcap-focused investors, sponsors and industry professionals. The conference featured 30-minute presentations from each of the presenting companies, as well as opportunities for prospective investors to meet one-on-one with the companies’ management teams. In total, SeeThruEquity has hosted 20 investor conferences, attracting more than 4,400 investors and arranging over 1,800 one-on-one meetings.

SeeThruEquity’s quarterly investor conferences deliver considerable value to presenting companies, including an opportunity to speak to a high quality audience of institutional and sophisticated high-net worth investors. The independent research firm also initiates complimentary research coverage on all presenting companies, giving investors a more detailed look at the companies’ positions in their respective markets.

Presenting companies at yesterday’s conference included:

3TL Technologies Corp. (OTCQB: TTMZF), Advanced Medical Isotope Corp. (OTC: ADMD), Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: AMBS), Apivio Systems, Inc. (OTC: APVVF), Avant Diagnostics, Inc. (OTCQB: AVDX), BIO-key International, Inc. (OTCQB: BKYI), Blue Sphere Corp. (OTCQB: BLSP), Calmare Therapeutics Inc. (OTCQB: CTTC), Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLRB), Chineseinvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX), COPsync, Inc. (NASDAQ: COYN), DelMar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQX: DMPI), Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: ENDV), General Employment Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE MKT: JOB), HealthWarehouse.com, Inc. (OTCQB: HEWA), HydroPhi Technologies Group, Inc. (OTC: HPTG), IEG Holdings Corp. (OTCQX: IEGH), International Western Petroleum, Inc. (OTCQB: INWP), NanoViricides, Inc. (NYSE MKT: NNVC), O2Micro International Ltd. (NASDAQ: OIIM), PAR Technology Corp. (NYSE: PAR), PCM, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCMI), Pivot Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: PVOTF), Predictive Technology Group, Inc. (OTC: PRED), Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO), Progressive Care, Inc. (OTC: RXMD), Rhino Resource Partners LP (OTCQB: RHNO), RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ: RIBT), Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: STAF), TapImmune, Inc. (OTCQB: TPIV), Yangtze River Development Ltd. (OTC: YERR)

The conference also included a panel on Regulation A+, the newly-revamped regulation that allows private companies to raise up to $50 million through unaccredited investor equity crowdfunding as an alternative to venture capital firms or other institutional capital providers. The panel was moderated by Brian Balbirnie and Michael Colon of Issuer Direct Corporation (NYSE MKT: ISDR), parent company of global news distribution service Accesswire.

For more information, visit www.seethruequity.com

Giggles N’ Hugs (OTCQB: GIGL) is the company behind three award-winning family restaurants based in Los Angeles. The company’s restaurants feature a one-of-a-kind concept in which adults can relax and children can act exactly their age. GIGL offers a range of activities for children at affordable prices, including parties, and is open seven days a week. It uses a variety of children’s entertainers and has won a number of awards. In addition, the company has regular promotions and a membership program with perks, special kids events, and a lot more. It’s unique, healthy menu and upscale atmosphere has attracted a celebrity clientele.

The company has a market cap of $4.03 million with an attractive investors plan. Some of the highlights Giggles N’ Hugs offers to investors include a niche demographic, multiple revenue drivers, increasing financial performance, and mall operator cooperation. GIGL continues to gather interest from a number of external sources in different countries that want to expand the concept in the Unites States and globally, which is one of the many reasons why Giggles N’ Hugs is attending June’s LD Micro Conference Main Event, where it will be presenting.

Founded in 2006, LD Micro is an independent resource in the microcap space. Over the past 10 years, it has grown from a small newsletter to an event with over 200 companies attending. The opportunity to attend is great for companies looking for investors, as the event attracts brokers, bankers, and visitors looking to make an investment.

Aside from attending the event, GIGL will be presenting on June 9, 2016. This means GIGL will be in the spotlight in front of over 1,000 investors. In addition to this, GIGL will be providing one-on-one meetings with its management team throughout the entire day.

In a recent news release, Joey Parsi, CEO of Giggles N’ Hugs, had this to say: “We’re excited to present at the LD Micro Conference main event. With our Century City location just a few minutes away from the conference site, this is a great opportunity for us to meet with bankers, brokers, analysts and investors right here in our backyard.”

Learn more by visiting www.gigglesnhugs.com

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For months, Content Checked Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: CNCK) has been securing coverage in high-profile media outlets in an effort to get the word out about its family of dietary apps. The increasingly-recognizable brand has already garnered attention from Forbes, USA Today, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, Los Angeles Business Journal, Yahoo, and a number of other widely-viewed publications. In early May, Content Checked built on this progress when Tory Tedrow, CNSC, a registered dietician and member of the CNCK team, authored an article titled ‘Should You Try a Plant-Based Diet?’ for WhoSay, a celebrity-powered media firm with well over half a million social media followers.

In the article, Tedrow offers a few compelling reasons to consider switching to a plant-based diet. Unlike a vegetarian or vegan diet, she explains in the article, all foods are allowed on a plant-based diet, but the majority of foods should come from plant sources, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and beans. Tedrow highlights potential cost-savings, health benefits and an inherent safeguard against overeating as primary advantages of these nutrient-dense, filling diets.

To view the full article, visit http://dtn.fm/UG19d

In addition to providing dietary tips, Tedrow’s WhoSay article also provides valuable exposure to Content Checked and its family of health apps.

Content Checked has also found success in securing partnerships with related apps and companies in order to increase its brand awareness. Last month, the company announced a cross-promotional partnership with ATLETO, a new social sports app that connects everyday athletes. Through this partnership, ATLETO will support Content Checked via promotional posts across its social media channels, further elevating the company’s brand within the athletic community. Content Checked entered into a similar partnership in April with Leaner Creamer, the only all-natural powdered coffee creamer that promotes weight loss and appetite suppression.

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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Before the opening bell, OurPet’s Company (OTCQX: OPCO) announced its sponsorship of the 65th Annual BetterInvesting National Convention in Chantilly, Virginia. As part of this sponsorship, Dr. Steven Tsengas, chief executive officer of OPCO, and Scott Mendes, the company’s chief financial officer, were given the opportunity to present OurPet’s Company’s corporate story to a group of 450 independent investor club representatives.

“Not every good investment opportunity is inherently right in front of you,” Dr. Tsengas stated in front of a packed audience during his May 21 presentation. “Sometimes you need to explore and search for wise investment opportunities to balance your portfolio; and if you look hard enough, you’ll find well-performing ‘gems’ like OurPet’s Company.”

To view OPCO’s full presentation from the BetterInvesting Convention, visit http://dtn.fm/C5Dja

As one of the few non-retail pure pet plays available to investors, OPCO has been successful in attracting a sizable and diverse investor base. In recent months, the company has leaned on a strong intellectual property portfolio covering roughly 75 percent of all sales to increase its presence in the growing pet industry while further expanding awareness in the investment community. OPCO’s most recent financial results reiterate this progress, as the company reported double-digit year-over-year increases in both net revenue and net income for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

“We just want to get the OurPet’s story out to the investor community,” Scott Mendes stated in this morning’s news release. “Hopefully this presentation and others will help expand our investor base, which is currently comprised of over 600 investors.”

Building on the results of a strong first quarter that included both financial growth and the introduction of the innovative Intelligent Pet Care™ product line at the Global Pet Expo, OurPet’s Company is currently preparing to make a splash in the international pet industry. In an interview with DreamTeamNetwork, Dr. Tsengas stated that OPCO has recently been placing emphasis on increasing recognition of its OurPets® and Pet Zone® brands in South Korea, China and Japan, and the products have already “gained very strong following” in the Asian nations. Tsengas went on to indicate that international sales could be “one of the big positive surprises in 2016,” despite the strength of the U.S. dollar.

OPCO currently leverages a dual-branding strategy, marketing products under the OurPets brand to pet specialty channels and products under the Pet Zone brand to food, drug and mass retail channels. The company has also found success through e-commerce channels, with sales through e-commerce giant Amazon up by 16 percent in 2015, as compared to the previous year. In total, nearly 20 percent of OPCO’s sales are categorized as internet sales.

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

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Before the opening bell, Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI) offered shareholders an update on its progress in the first half of 2016. Although the company recorded strong revenue growth from Maupintour during the first four months of the calendar year, Monaker’s primary focus has remained on the impending launch of its alternative lodging and timeshare booking platforms under the NextTrip.com banner. To date, the company has already contracted approximately 1.1 million alternative lodging rental units for the NextTrip Resorts platform, and it expects to add roughly 300,000 additional units in the coming months.

“During the first five months of 2016, Monaker has built the foundation for significant growth within one of the fastest growing travel sectors,” Bill Kerby, chairman and chief executive officer of Monaker, stated in this morning’s news release. “We look forward to strong revenue acceleration for the balance of the year, tied to the launch of our state-of-the-art alternative lodging and timeshare booking platforms later this month under our NextTrip.com brand.”

Following its launch, Monaker’s next generation booking platform will target vacationers, property owners and large travel distributors with a number of cutting-edge features designed to give consumers access to comprehensive vacation alternatives at the best possible prices. Leaning on the power of Monaker’s proprietary ALR Booking Engine, NextTrip will enable consumers to comprehensively search vacation travel destinations for a variety of vacation essentials, including lodging products, air tickets, rental cars, tour activities and restaurants. In an effort to broaden distribution, Monaker will also look to supply ALR products to its channel partners, effectively driving revenue acceleration by capitalizing on its partners’ existing distribution networks.

Throughout the development of the NextTrip platforms, Monaker has remained committed to introducing new and marketable features that have been overlooked by major players in the travel sector. For example, the company’s platforms will include real-time booking, eliminating the typical wait for a formal response from the property owner to confirm bookings. Earlier this year, Monaker reaffirmed its commitment to innovation in the space when it engaged Primero Systems, a globally-recognized technology solutions provider, to complete the next-generation architecture and partner integrations and build out the flagship website for NextTrip.com.

As the roughly $1.3 trillion global travel industry continues to experience a period of consolidation, with industry giants such as Expedia (NASDAQ: EXPE) and Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN) rapidly acquiring promising upstarts in the space, Monaker’s growing presence in the burgeoning alternative lodging sector, reinforced by a sizable property inventory and growing user base, strategically positions the company for strong growth moving forward. Look for Monaker to capitalize on this position as it approaches the official launch of its alternative lodging and timeshare booking platforms later this month.

For more information, visit www.monakergroup.com

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A recent white paper (http://dtn.fm/Psz16) from Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) illustrates dramatically how smartphones and other mobile devices have replaced dogs as man’s (and woman’s) best friend. It estimates that about 563 million mobile devices and connections were added, globally, in 2015. Worldwide, there are now close to 8 billion devices and connections on the planet, a number that surpasses the world population (http://dtn.fm/YP6Iu) of 7.3 billion for the first time. Smartphones, of course, were the most widely employed mobile device. However, in 2015, 97 million wearable devices were in use. Mobile devices are, of necessity, wireless and so require dedicated power supplies that are long lasting, durable and light, characteristics possessed by lithium-ion batteries. That is why Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: OGES), with its Lithium Ion Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, is in the flood of the tide to power these off-the-grid devices.

The company now holds some 120 patents, including those related to the thin-film lithium-ion technology developed by Dr. John B. Bates, Ph.D., while he was employed at the United States Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The company’s $40 million, 70,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Palm Bay, Florida, which commenced operations earlier this year, has the largest capacity for lithium large and small format batteries in the country, according to CEO Steve Barber in an interview (http://dtn.fm/pA8jY) with New to the Street. That means it has the know-how to manufacture the small form factors required for smartphones and tablets.

Currently, Oakridge has four product lines. Its Pro Series is already being fitted in golf carts and was a huge success when it was first introduced at the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) show in Orlando, Florida, in January 2015. At this year’s PGA show, Oakridge received orders of more than $250,000 and follow on commitments of some $20,575,000, which mark an inflection point in the company’s trajectory. In line with its strategy, the company has transformed itself from a ‘science project’ research outfit to a viable commercial entity with cutting-edge scientific capabilities.

The Patriot Series batteries are meant for professional, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other remote control (RC) vehicles. The line is cost-competitive with foreign lead-acid batteries and, like all Oakridge products, is made in the USA. These small prismatic cells can also be used for other consumer products such as power tools, portable communications and other small, lightweight applications. Oakridge offers power storage units with its Freedom Series. These batteries can be used by households and businesses alike to reduce or eliminate reliance on the grid. They can also, obviously, be used as backup units, for example, in hospitals where uninterruptible power is of vital necessity. Oakridge’s Liberty Series are starter batteries and can be deployed in ‘everything that needs to start that has a battery’ such as motorcycles, cars, trucks, boats, jet skis, and snowmobiles.

Beneficial ownership of about 90 percent of Oakridge is in the hands of seven families: two in Australia, one in Japan, two in Switzerland and two in Germany. Consequently, shareholder and management interests are as aligned as they could ever be. CEO Steve Barber, who is the Chief Investment Officer of Oakridge’s major shareholder, the private equity family fund Precept Fund Management SPC, wears two hats. He is also Executive Chairman and CEO of Oakridge.

For more information, visit www.oakridgeglobalenergy.com

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In a recent interview with DreamTeamNetwork, Dr. Steven Tsengas, chairman and chief executive officer of OurPet’s Company (OTCQX: OPCO), gave some insight into OPCO’s strong start to 2016, as well as its prospects for additional growth moving forward. The primary focus of the interview is OPCO’s record financial results for the first quarter of 2016, which included a double-digit increase in both net revenue and net income from the comparable period of the previous year. When asked about the driving force behind the company’s strong performance, Dr. Tsengas pointed toward OPCO’s continued commitment to innovation in the pet industry.

“We introduced in 2015 quite a lot of new products,” Dr. Tsengas stated in the interview. “Also, the tremendous investment we made in the waste and odor control products finally started showing results, and we had double-digit growth in the cat waste and odor control products… We have over 160 patents, issued or pending… [and] about 75 percent of our sales are derived from proprietary products. This has given us a tremendous advantage in the marketplace in terms of sales growth, as well as profitability.”

To listen to the full interview, visit http://dtn.fm/5z69S

In addition to a massive 64 percent increase in revenues derived from its waste and odor products category, OPCO recorded strong performance in its remaining product segments. The company achieved growth of 10 percent for its toys and accessories segment in the first quarter, as well as nine percent growth for its bowls and feeders product category.

These results highlight OPCO’s rapidly expanding presence on the domestic stage, but the company is also turning its attention toward international growth. In the first quarter, international sales dipped by just over seven percent due to the strength of the U.S. dollar, but Dr. Tsengas presented a promising outlook for OPCO’s international growth in the coming months.

“It’s kind of interesting. I think one of the big positive surprises in 2016 is going to be international sales,” he stated. “In spite of the appreciation of the American dollar, we’ve been putting a lot of emphasis in… South Korea, China and Japan, and the fruits are about to bare in those particular markets. We’ve gained very strong following for our products… Both the OurPet’s and the PetZone brands are becoming quite well-known in the Far East.”

Following the launch of its newest innovation, the Intelligent Pet Care™ product line, at this year’s Global Pet Expo, OPCO reaffirmed its position at the forefront of the global pet industry. Leveraging Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, the company’s newest product line aims to enhance the connection between humans and pets in a variety of ways while giving pet parent’s the tools necessary to monitor various activities that can be interpreted as indicators of pet health. Reception following the Intelligent Pet Care™ unveiling confirmed the market potential of these cutting-edge products.

“At the Global Pet Expo… we launched the Intelligent Pet Care™ and [garnered] so much interest that we ended up having a special showing and invited magazines, newspapers and all kinds of media,” added Dr. Tsengas.

With a strong start already in the books, OPCO will look to build on its first quarter results while promoting sustainable financial growth for the balance of 2016 and beyond. Dr. Tsengas echoed this optimistic tone to close out the interview.

“The major goal is… to grow at double-digit rates at three- to four-times industry growth, this has been our goal since our founding,” he stated. “Of course, profitability should grow at a faster rate because of economies of scale and absorption… We’re optimistic about 2016. I think we should have a pretty good year.”

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

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Nearly every company today has some form of guidelines when it comes to ethics and behavior in the workplace. Of course, these guidelines vary according to the company. However, most include information about what is expected of an employee, what an employee can expect from the company, how conflicts should be dealt with, the protection of company information, confidentiality, and the opportunities the company has to offer. The reason these ethical guidelines are so important is because they outline the standards that each member of the team should meet. Not only this, they highlight the expectations that the public can have of an organization or company. Star Mountain Resources Inc. (OTC: SMRS) is no exception.

Star Mountain Resources is a small cap mining company focused on the acquisition of mineral properties. As such, the company must adhere to a large number of rules and regulations. But Star Mountain has set itself up to not just follow required guidelines. It has outlined a set of core values, and lives by them in everything it does. The values SMRS has implemented run throughout the company and everyone who works there is expected to support and demonstrate these values in their work.

Star Mountain believes that its core values are what define it as a company, values that include safety, dignity and respect, transparency, environmental responsibility, community, and continuous improvement. SMRS works to ensure that all its employees, directors, and officers abide by a code of ethical conduct that promotes high standards of integrity for the company and allows it to conduct its daily affairs ethically, transparently, and honestly.

This code lays out a set of rules and regulations to ensure that every person and action is evaluated fairly and correctly, informing all parties how to act in cases of conflict of interest. In addition, the code and the company’s core values and ethics are shared on the Star Mountain Resources website.

An example of this approach in action is Star Mountain’s recent acquisition of the Balmat zinc mining operations in St. Lawrence County, New York, from HudBay Mineral. Although this is a big step toward the company’s transformation from junior explorer to active producer, SMRS has aimed to keep all dealings and information about the Balmat mine as open to the public as possible in order to maintain consistency throughout its operations, now and in the future.

For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com

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