Moxian, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOXC) is expanding into Shanghai and Guangzhou in 2017 from its existing direct sales offices in Beijing and Shenzhen. It is targeting further growth in the expanding online-to-offline (O2O) market in China from merchant paid subscriptions and the increase in online sales, predominantly from women.

The January 10, 2017, Crystal Equity Research Report (http://nnw.fm/NupY5) on Moxian projects that the company will generate revenues of $2.3 million by fiscal year end 2018.

Moxian has its own online mobile platform in China’s growing O2O market, Moxian+. It offers both a consumer app, Moxian+ User, and a business app, Moxian+ Merchant. It is targeting merchant fees for participating on the app, as well as attracting consumers through its User app to reach social networks and to order online. It is designed to permit consumers to order everything from food to furniture online. Additionally, they can then purchase offline from merchants.

The company estimates that 10% of the merchants who sign up for the Moxian 1.0 platform will eventually be paying subscribers. Moxian also expects online advertising will be another revenue stream.

China’s O2O market is projected to reach greater than $90 billion by 2018, according to the iResearch Consulting Group (http://nnw.fm/S7P5i).

Women play a key role in the growth of O2O in China, ordering food, making reservations and making travel purchases online, according to Tencent Penguin Intelligence. Its report, ‘2015-16 Report on the Year’s Internet Trends In China’ (http://nnw.fm/OEz1Q), found that women were much more likely than men to go online and use social networks and O2O to purchase food, dining, travel, and real estate.

E-commerce platform Baidu Nuomi conducted a study which found that 46% of internet users in China were women, yet women disproportionately account for more than 60% of O2O revenue, according to the report cited by Crystal Equity. Female online shoppers in China totaled 180 million at the end of 2015, Baidu Nuomi said.

It also found that users of O2O are well educated (80% had a bachelor’s degree) and young (between the ages of 20-40). Moxian’s expansion into Shanghai and Guangzhou is aimed at reaching this demographic. Both cities, considered Tier One, are cosmopolitan. After the firm’s soft launch in Shenzhen, it is now entering the two cities. Moxian is expanding its existing direct sales offices in Beijing and Shenzhen while opening the other two.

Shanghai is China’s largest city, with a population of 24.2 million in 2015. Its service industries, such as restaurants, real estate, hotels, entertainment, technology and financial services, are flourishing. Guangzhou has a population of 12.46 million and is one of the wealthiest cities in China. Its residents are well educated, with at least 19% of its population having reached university level.

For more information, visit www.Moxian.com

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, or HSDD, is a common female sexual dysfunction where the woman feels a decrease in sexual desire and an increase in personal distress from this lack of desire. It’s a disorder affecting approximately one in 10 women, and it often leads to relationship issues. According to ‘Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: A Review of Epidemiology, Biopsychology, Diagnosis, and Treatment’ (http://dtn.fm/H565a), HSDD is present in just under 9% of women aged 18 to 44, over 12% of women aged 45 to 64, and over 7% of women aged over 65.

The report continues to explain that more than half of women suffering from HSDD do not seek help from their doctors or physicians. This has been largely attributed to fear and embarrassment. Despite there being a tool called ‘The Decreased Sexual Desire Screener’, available in general practices, HSDD still remains underdetected and undertreated. However, there are also new drugs being developed for the treatment of HSDD.

In 2015, a drug called Addyi (flibanserin) was approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) as the first centrally acting daily medication for HSDD. Recently, Palatin Technologies, Inc. (NYSE MKT: PTN) announced Phase 3 development of Bremelanotide. Based on the biopharmaceutical company’s findings, Bremelanotide is thought to have several distinct advantages over Addyi.

Bremelanotide has a different form of administration than Addyi. Bremelanotide can be taken as needed with an onset of efficacy in approximately 30 minutes, effective for a period of eight to 10 hours. In addition to this, the drug is not expected to have a boxed warning, unlike Addyi, which has the potential of causing hypertension and syncope in certain settings.

Bremelanotide is also not believed to interact with alcohol, or have any contraindications. On the other hand, patients taking Addyi are advised to abstain from alcohol and the drug is not to be used with strong CYP3A4 or in patients with hepatic impairments, as this could increase the risk of hypertension and syncope.

The Phase 2B clinical trials involved 327 female patients, some taking Bremelanotide and others a placebo, at home, for a 20-week period. All patients suffered from some form of female sexual dysfunction. The results showed a 50% increase in Satisfying Sexual Events (SSEs) with Bremelanotide, compared to a 12% increase with placebo. Other factors that improved included an improvement in overall sexual function and a decrease in personal distress from the sexual dysfunction.

Currently, PTN’s Bremelanotide is in Phase 3 development as a treatment for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women. The pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials were initiated in December 2014 and January 2015, respectively, with the efficacy portion completed back in August 2016. The topline data for the drug is expected to be available in the fourth quarter of 2016. If the data is positive, the data will support an NDA filing in 2H2017 and potential NDA approval in 2H2018.

For more information, visit www.Palatin.com

Technology-driven travel company Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI) this morning announced the appointment of Robert Post, president and CEO of Cloud5 Communications and executive chairman of The Knowland Group, to its board of directors. Following this addition, the company’s board now includes six members, four of whom are serving independently.

“Bob’s appointment adds a tremendous wealth of senior-level experience, knowledge and accomplishments to our board,” Bill Kerby, chairman and CEO of Monaker Group, stated in this morning’s news release. “We expect Bob to provide valuable guidance and insights as the company enters a pivotal period in its growth and development. This includes our near-term launch of the industry’s first-ever ‘real-time’ alternative lodging reservation system, which also offers mainstream travel products and services all on a single site.”

All told, Post brings more than two decades of experience in the travel and hospitality sectors to the Monaker team. In addition to his time with Cloud5, the largest provider of cloud-based telecommunications and high speed internet services to some of the hospitality industry’s most recognizable brands, Post previously served as chairman and CEO of TravelCLICK, a leading provider of hotel e-commerce solutions with operations spanning 140 countries. Under his guidance, TravelCLICK grew from $35 million in annual revenue to more than $200 million, achieving high double-digit profitability. Post also served as the CFO and VP of business development of OpenTable.com, which was eventually acquired by the Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN) for $2.6 billion.

For Monaker Group, the appointment of Robert Post as an independent addition to its board of directors is in line with previously announced intentions for a Nasdaq uplisting. Per Nasdaq listing requirements, the company will be required to maintain a majority of independent directors on its board in order to qualify for uplisting in the future.

Post’s appointment marks the second such announcement from Monaker Group during the first month of 2017. On January 5, the company announced the appointment of Simon Orange, the founding partner and chairman of CorpAcq, to its board. At the time of that appointment, CEO Bill Kerby noted that, while the addition of Orange to Monaker Group’s board of directors satisfied the listing requirements for an independent majority, the company planned to continue its “search and evaluation process to bring on additional board members” in an effort to strengthen its leadership and the composition of its board committees.

For more information, visit www.MonakerGroup.com

Premier financial information company ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) this morning announced that CEO Warren Wang will be presenting at NobleCon13 on Tuesday, January 31, 2017, at 2:30 PM Eastern Time. The conference, which is currently underway at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Florida, is hosted by Noble Capital Markets and focuses on emerging growth companies with less than $2 billion in market capitalization.

For interested investors who are unable to attend NobleCon13, CIIX plans to make a high-definition video webcast of its presentation, as well as a copy of the presentation materials, available on its website at www.ChineseInvestors.com. The CIIX presentation will also be available as part of the complete catalog of NobleCon13 presentations at www.NobleConference.com.

In recent weeks, ChineseInvestors.com has given prospective shareholders plenty of reason for excitement, as the company continues to prepare for its entry into the thriving global cannabidiol (CBD) market. In December, CIIX announced a new wholesale agreement that will enable the company to retail a line of nutritional supplements containing CBD to the Asian market through both online and in-store sales. Shortly after this update, ChineseInvestors.com unveiled the new headquarters of its www.ChineseCBDoil.com operations in Shanghai, China. Upon launch, the new site is expected to be the world’s first CBD health products online store available in the Chinese language, giving CIIX access to an expansive global market.

“China has a consumer base of nearly 2 billion people and this large population affords an outstanding opportunity to be the provider of choice for CBD oil products to them,” Warren Wang, founder and CEO of CIIX, stated in a recent news release. “CIIX is very excited to be the world’s first listed Chinese company promoting CBD health products that will help Chinese people improve their health status.”

Much like the wider legal cannabis industry, the global market for CBD is expected to experience a period of rapid growth in the coming years. While global statistics are difficult to come by in the face of evolving legislation, the U.S. market could give some insight into international demand. Hemp Business Journal, a market research firm focused on the burgeoning U.S. hemp industry, recently forecast that consumer sales of CBD products in the U.S. could climb to $2.1 billion by 2020, representing an increase of 700 percent from 2016.

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

Before the opening bell, CFN Media Group, the leading creative agency and digital media network dedicated to legal cannabis, announced the release of an exclusive interview with Singlepoint, Inc. (OTC: SING) CEO Greg Lambrecht. In the interview, Lambrecht takes a look at the current state of the legal cannabis industry, particularly as it relates to banking, which is an area that Singlepoint is currently targeting through its SingleSeed subsidiary. In addition to providing some insight into the company’s early-mover advantage in the burgeoning market, Lambrecht used the interview to offer prospective investors some additional insight into Singlepoint’s strategy to capitalize on proposed reform to the regulations that are currently impeding the use of banking services for the legal cannabis industry.

To view the full interview, visit http://dtn.fm/Rzx9S

The legal cannabis industry is expected to record tremendous growth in the coming months, driven primarily by California and the three other states that voted to legalize the substance for recreational purposes last November. According to Cowen & Co., the industry could record revenues in excess of $50 billion by 2026, creating a lucrative opportunity for companies operating in the space.

Despite the fact that well over half of all states have now legalized marijuana in some form, the drug remains illegal at the federal level. This inconsistency has caused most commercial banks around the country to keep their distance. Since the last guidelines from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) were released in 2014, less than three percent of the nearly 12,000 federally regulated banks and credit unions have made the decision to serve the cannabis industry.

In recent weeks, lawmakers have initiated a movement to correct this oversight. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, in concert with nine other U.S. senators, recently penned a letter to FinCEN calling for improved guidelines that could help correct the ‘cash-only’ modus operandi that’s currently in play for the vast majority of legal cannabis businesses. Warren noted a variety of potential benefits that could stem from this reform, including more reliable tax records and improved all-around safety for dispensaries and similar operations.

Singlepoint, through its SingleSeed subsidiary, is primed to capitalize on this proposed reform. The company initially recognized the enormous potential for cannabis credit card processing years ago, when it placed cashless ATMs at roughly 200 medical and recreational dispensaries in Colorado and Washington. Unfortunately, regulatory red tape forced Singlepoint to temporarily suspend those operations, but the company’s growing list of interested clients in the space could create a tremendous opportunity if and when lawmakers address the cannabis banking problem.

In preparation for anticipated reform, Singlepoint has already launched SingleSeed.com in an effort to expand its existing customer base in the cannabis industry. The company recently launched a connect-by-text marketing platform for cannabis businesses that allows them to seamlessly communicate with customers in a way that doesn’t run afoul of strict cannabis marketing regulations. These efforts, when combined with Singlepoint’s aggressive acquisition strategy, played a key role in CFN Media Group’s classification of the company as a “compelling opportunity within the cannabis payments space.”

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

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Leading provider of proprietary health care technologies Medical Transcription Billing, Corp. (NASDAQ: MTBC; MTBCP) had a successful 2016, by any definition: it launched a new product, it once again received the recognition it deserves for its unique innovative health care software solutions, and it continued to rapidly expand its client base via strategic acquisitions and organic growth.

As part of its efforts to gain more clients and acknowledge its most loyal customers, the company launched a unique Client Loyalty Program designed to recognize and reward all health organizations, practices and physicians who have made a significant contribution to its growth. This one-of-a-kind loyalty program, launched a few months ago, awards a specific number of free shares based on each health care institution or practice’s contribution to MTBC growth, whether that means using the company’s products and/or referring other practices. More specifically, health care providers who continue to use MTBC services successfully each receive 100 shares of publicly traded common stock. Those who refer other medical practices receive an additional 1,000 shares. In addition, physicians using MTBC’s services can also nominate one of their staff members to receive 25 additional shares. Participation is open to all clients, including new ones.

The program was well received by the company’s customers, as both an investment opportunity and as recognition of their value to MTBC’s business growth. Since its inception in September 2016, the program has already enabled 50 loyal clients to become MTBC shareholders. The initiative was praised by MTBC President Stephen Snyder, who said his company was the first health care IT provider to offer such a loyalty program and that the overwhelmingly positive feedback it received validates its customers’ confidence in the company, its business model and its overall services.

In addition to the new Client Loyalty Program, Medical Transcription Billing also expanded its client base via strong organic growth, adding a total of 76 new customers last year, 35 of which were added in the last quarter. The company also completed four major acquisitions, designed to contribute to its sustained growth both in terms of number of clients and business coverage. The largest of these four acquisitions and the largest of MTBC’s acquisitions to date was Texas-based MediGain, LLC, a medical billing company.

In the coming year, Medical Transcription Billing plans on developing more initiatives to reward loyal customers. It’s all part of the company’s overall mission to leverage proprietary technology and a global team of professionals to serve a wide range of health care customers, from individual physicians to medium-sized practices, now covering 40+ states. The company offers one of the most comprehensive, fully-integrated suites of revenue cycle solutions, practice management, and electronic health records in the industry. All of the company’s integrated core technologies are also available on mobile devices via the mHealth option. MTBC’s technologies, in particular its Electronic Health Records system, rely heavily on the proprietary ChartsPro™ software, a comprehensive tool designed to improve the productivity of any health care organization, whether it’s a small practice or a large hospital.

For more information, visit www.mtbc.com, and see the company’s fact sheet at http://ir.mtbc.com/events.cfm

VPR Brands, LP (OTC: VPRB), a manufacturer and provider of electronic cigarette and vaping solutions based on both U.S. and Chinese patents, has big plans for the year on the heels of the recent legalization of medical and recreational use of marijuana in several states. Most of the company’s vaping products can be easily used by the legal marijuana industry, presenting VPR Brands with an impressive opportunity for rapid growth. In addition, the company also has plans to further expand its product offerings to include specific cannabis vaping products such as the STINGER vaping stick and an entirely new brand destined to all cannabis packaging, SAFRx.

Founded in 2004, the Miami, Florida-based VPR Brands owns patents for various atomization products and other types or vaping technology, from electronic cigarettes and accessories to medical marijuana vaporizers and more. The company also develops private label manufacturing programs, most notably for e-liquid, with a capacity of more than one million bottles per month. VPR Brands’ private label e-liquid manufacturing program is available for both manufacturers who simply want to tweak their own formulas and those who want to expand their lines. The company constantly expands its flavor line and also offers reverse flavor engineering services. The e-liquid is manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility and undergoes rigorous quality control testing before being delivered to the end customer.

In addition to its private label services, VPR Brands offers vaping technology ranging from vaporizers to electronic cigarettes and related accessories under various established brand names, such as Helium, a line of e-liquids and chillers; HoneyStick™, the first ceramic sub-Ohm oil device available in three different sizes; Krave®, a line of electronic cigarettes with related kits and accessories; Vaporin™, a premium line of e-liquids, vaporizers and electronic cigarettes; and VaporX®, a line of sophisticated, high-quality vaporizers, premium e-liquids, e-cigs, cartridges and accessories.

As part of the HoneyStick™ brand, the company recently relaunched its flagship product, the STINGER vaporizer for cannabis concentrates. The fully ceramic unit, with its sleek and elegant design, was showcased as one of the best performing and versatile ceramic vaping pens at the 2017 BIG Industry Show in Los Angeles last week. Present at the show, VPR Brands CEO Kevin Frija and COO Dan Hoff said they expect California to become an even larger market for cannabis-related products this year, following the state’s vote to legalize recreational adult use alongside medicinal use of the substance. Industry analysts expect annual sales of marijuana in California to reach a total of $7.6 billion by 2020.

VPR Brands is also attending the TPE Tobacco Plus Expo in Las Vegas on January 25-26 to showcase its newest product portfolio for 2017. Most of these new products have not yet been released to the public, but initial response has been very encouraging, Frija said, adding that the new portfolio will become available via retail as of the second and third quarters of the year. The company’s management expects a high turnout from the cannabis sector at the show – the first major industry expo to take place in Nevada since the state voted to legalize recreational marijuana use. The legal marijuana market in the state is expected to grow from $121.6 million last year to about $630 million by the year 2020.

For more information, visit www.VPRBrands.com

Founded in 1999, Stealth Technologies (OTCQB: STTH) is focused on developing and marketing products that deliver cost effective, independently validated solutions for large addressable international and domestic markets. The company’s primary target is identity protection and personal safety.

The Stealth Card represents the company’s flagship solution for identity protection. Today there are more than 1.5 billion credit and debit cards in circulation with RFID chips, making it easier than ever for identity thieves to steal sensitive information without contact. The paper-thin Stealth Card offered by Stealth Technologies protects up to 12 RFID credit cards in a wallet without any batteries or charging requirements.

StealthIdentityTheft.com is an expansion of the company’s commitment to provide first-rate identity protection solutions. The proprietary system underlying this identity protection and recovery service was designed in partnership with law enforcement officials. Utilizing the most effective methods of prevention involving a two-step process, StealthIdentityTheft.com is a superior answer to the non-stop identity theft taking place every day.

The international marketplace was infiltrated by Stealth Technologies when the company launched its 911 HELP NOW™ emergency medical alert device. Providing direct access with 911 service at a touch of a button, the device is packed with powerful features including a full year of battery life from standard AAA batteries, compact ergonomic design, 2-way voice and a durable, splash resistant design.

Stealth Mobile is the latest product offering introduced to leverage the Stealth Technologies’ brand and sales channels established by the other products. Similar to the Stealth Card, Stealth Mobile prevents electronic pickpocketing. The product guards NFC transmissions emitted by cell phone devices, which can include personal information, messages and financial data.

Stealth Technologies recognizes the value of the rapid sales growth generated by these technologies and has multiple patents pending to safeguard its investments. With an expanding product suite and ongoing expansion into the identity theft protection marketplace, Stealth Technologies remains committed to its focus on increased growth and profitability.

For more information, visit www.TechnologiesByStealth.com

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Wouldn’t it be convenient to have those few items you picked up from the grocery on the way home from work appear on the end-of-the-month bill from your Telco? As unlikely as it sounds, that’s a scenario that may not be too far off.

Paying for stuff that way is called direct carrier billing (DCB), and Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE), through its subsidiary Digital Provider, has already developed the capability to provide that service. Taking advantage of the smart phone’s ubiquity, Net Element is poised to help the world’s un-banked masses purchase, both online and off.

Data compiled by Mobile Payments Today and the technology company Amdocs (http://nnw.fm/Pgn1A) show the state of play in 2012, the latest year for which an analysis has been done. In 2012, world population stood at 7.14 billion, not much more than the 6.8 billion mobile phone accounts. That latter figure, not surprisingly, far exceeded the 2.15 billion credit card accounts on record, as well as the 3.5 billion persons with bank accounts.

In many developing countries, from Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Vietnam in the east to Brazil and Mexico in the west, mobile penetration far exceeds the number of banked adults, according to data provided by Juniper Research for 2012.

This is good news for a provider of DCB such as Net Element. DCB, also called direct operator billing (DOB) and mobile content billing (MCB), allows a telephone subscriber to put the cost of a purchase on his or her phone bill. It has been around for some time as a way for subscribers to pay for ring tones and digital wallpapers they download, and, according to Mobile Payments Today, is ‘the most popular mobile payment in use today’.

‘While mobile payment options like NFC and cloud-based wallets get all the hype, Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) has received little attention despite its extensive use, immediate viability and great potential’.

DCB is mostly used for digital goods but, obviously, has the potential to be extended to physical ones. From its initial use paying for 1st-generation digital content, DCB is now employed in purchasing 3rd-generation digital content, like apps, music, videos and e-books. Possible immediate future markets include ticketing and small items like books, and, of course, the promise of a variety of point-of-sale applications comes to mind.

DCB has already shown itself to be a powerful modus operandi. Industry watchers Analysys Mason estimate that DCB conversion rates are 5X higher than credit card conversion rates. Consequently, offering a DCB payment option in the app market is very likely to increase revenues for app stores, app publishers and mobile network operators.

Total apps downloaded in 2012 totaled 56 billion, and, according to Juniper Research, this number is projected to grow to 160 billion in 2017. Market estimates for carrier billing’s share of app store transactions totaled $11 billion for 2016, as reported by the Yankee Group. This figure is expected to reach $13 billion in 2017, according to Juniper.

DCB payment is already available on Blackberry World, and at the Nokia and Google Play Stores. The notable exception is iTunes, where DCB payment options are not available. Nevertheless, the fruitfulness of the market is apparent.

Net Element’s subsidiary, Digital Provider, is a direct carrier billing and mobile payments provider that facilitates the payment, aggregation and distribution of secure, modern mobile transactions. Digital Provider works with the largest mobile operators in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and select emerging markets. The company services a wide range of clients, including content providers, social media networks, game developers and merchants, offering a broad array of payment options, including DCB. Digital Provider is positioned as an industry leader in the growing DCB payments market.

For more information, visit www.NetElement.com

First Bitcoin Capital Corp. (OTC: BITCF) has signed a master distributorship for a new type of check-cashing ATM designed for use in medical cannabis dispensaries in California. The Vancouver, B.C.-based company offers a full line of financial services for the medical marijuana industry. The specially-designed ATMs offer check cashing services and are designed specifically for use in medical marijuana dispensaries. The company said it expects these ATMs will increase the customer base in these locations by 18%.

First Bitcoin Capital Corp. is a developer of services related to bitcoin and cryptocurrency. It offers financial solutions for high-risk merchants, including medical marijuana dispensaries. Its financial services are needed to make it easy for clientele to cash checks. The new ATMs are specially designed to serve large and established medical marijuana dispensaries, and they have sophisticated risk analysis algorithms and underwriting procedures.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) believes that approximately 7% of U.S. households are unbanked, referring to a 2015 National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households (http://dtn.fm/ve6Nm). That survey indicated that about nine million households in the U.S. were unbanked. Another 19.9% of households, or 24.5 million, the study showed, were underbanked. This is defined as a household having a checking or savings account, but using financial services outside of the conventional banking system. Members of this group used payday, pawn shop, or auto title loans. Almost 70% said they used ATMs/kiosks to access their bank accounts.

The ATM machines to be distributed by First Bitcoin Capital Corp. will enable consumers to cash payroll, government, and personal checks, as well as money orders. The fully-automated ATMs will process the needs of unbanked customers who may need to cash checks before purchasing. This is seen by the company as an attractive feature for dispensaries, making check cashing convenient for its clientele.

First Bitcoin said it is also developing a system that would allow dispensaries to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as legal payment. First Bitcoin is tailoring its financial services to the unique needs of the medical cannabis industry.

For more information, visit www.BitcoinCapitalCorp.com