Before the opening bell, Laguna Blends, Inc. (OTC: LAGBF) announced the commencement of beta testing for its Laguna World (www.LagunaWorld.com) virtual 3D community with independent affiliates. Moving forward, the company will be gathering affiliate input in order to ensure that Laguna offers the best possible marketing and communications tools.

“Laguna Blends is very excited to launch the first phase of Laguna World,” Stuart Gray, president and chief executive officer of Laguna, stated in this morning’s news release. “By receiving feedback from direct sales / network marketing experts, Laguna World will be able to provide the best possible service to our independent affiliates.”

Following the launch of its beta testing program, Laguna becomes the first network marketing company to leverage virtual, 3D technology to aid in the training and recruitment of affiliates. The simple interactive platform is also expected to play a key role in driving future sales as the company’s affiliate base benefits from opportunity meetings, training and customer support from within the Laguna World marketing network. In an effort to better capitalize on these benefits, Laguna introduced Charles Carleton as head consultant to Laguna World.

Carleton brings more than 20 years of experience to the Laguna team, having worked with a number of major technology firms, such as Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Allied Signal and Honeywell (NYSE: HON). Originally from Ottawa, Canada, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in experimental physics from York University in Toronto. Carleton has worked with both large corporations and small start-ups, during which time he’s developed a solid technical background and good overall business acumen that have enabled him to work across all of the departments that compose a successful business. Notably, one of his own software businesses partnered with instant messenger service Skype and contributed to the design of its original platform and API.

“During the first phase of Laguna World, the Company will receive valuable feedback and technical data,” Carleton stated in the news release. “Laguna is the network marketing leader with innovative technology and will continually strive to innovate and implement new technologies. Network marketing companies have not kept up-to-date with technology, therefore positioning Laguna as an incredible business opportunity.”

Last week, Laguna offered an update on the rapid growth of its affiliate program. Since launching its business on March 7, 2016, the company has attracted more than 700 independent affiliates from all corners of the United States and Canada. Currently, Laguna’s growing affiliate base has access to two innovative functional beverage products targeting the tremendous benefits of hemp. The first, Caffe, is an instant hot coffee beverage infused with both whey and hemp protein. The second, Pro369, is a single serving, instant hemp protein that is water-soluble and can be mixed in most beverages for an added boost of ginseng, as well as omegas 3, 6 and 9.

For more information, visit www.lagunablends.com

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Effective as of April 7, 2016, Gene Frederick was elected to eXp World Holdings, Inc.’s (OTCQB: EXPI) board of directors in order to fill a vacancy created by the board of directors increasing the number of directors from three to four, pursuant to the company’s bylaws. Frederick has extensive management experience in residential real estate. Prior to his appointment to the company’s board, Frederick served over the past decade in various management capacities at Keller Williams. Among his many accomplishments during his tenure there, Frederick was the top recruiter for Keller Williams in four of the last 11 years, including 2005, 2006, 2012 and 2013.

Frederick served with Keller Williams most recently out of Austin, Texas, as team leader, where he grew the office from 320 agents to over 600 agents. Prior to that, Frederick was regional director of Keller Williams Virginia from 2007-2009. Frederick hired on with Keller Williams in Dallas as one of the first 10 agents at the Dallas Preston Road Market Center, where he and his wife, Susan Frederick, became team leaders and grew the office from 100 agents to 533 between 1999 and 2006. Frederick has previously been recognized as one of the Top 20 agents in the State of Texas.

Earlier in his career, Frederick served as controller for Texas Instruments in 1984 before leaving the corporate world for real estate. He has been a successful entrepreneur, having sold two small companies that were acquired by Coldwell Banker.

eXp World Holdings believes that Gene Frederick is qualified to serve on its board of directors because of his extensive experience in residential real estate and his leadership ability, particularly in managing growth.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://investors.exprealty.com

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Web-based social networking services make it possible to connect people who share interests and activities across political, economic, and geographic borders. Through e-mail and instant messaging, online communities are created where a gift economy and reciprocal altruism are encouraged through cooperation. Moxian, Inc. (OTCQB: MOXC) has a multi-channel social commerce platform, which includes a variety of tools such as its proprietary social customer relationship management system, which generates knowledgeable data for merchants. This way, consumers and businesses are able to connect and interact with one another to achieve the concept of “online lifestyle, offline fun.”

Companies have begun to merge business technologies and solutions, such as cloud computing, with social networking concepts. Instead of connecting individuals based on social interests, companies are developing interactive communities that connect individuals based on shared business needs or experiences. Developed in Shenzhen, China, Moxian integrates social media, entertainment and business intelligence. The company’s products and services enable merchants to run targeted advertising campaigns and promotions, and aim to enhance the interaction between users and merchant clients by using consumer behavior data compiled from the Moxian database of user activities. The company has two primary core products: Moxian+ User App and Moxian+ Business App.

Over the past few years, the niche social network has steadily grown in popularity, thanks to better levels of user interaction and engagement. In 2012, a survey by Reuters and research firm Ipsos found that one in three users were getting bored with Facebook (NASDAQ: FB), and, in 2014, the GlobalWebIndex found that this figured had risen to almost 50 percent. The niche social network offers a specialized space that’s designed to appeal to a very specific market with a clearly defined set of needs.

Moxian+ User App serves as an app driven for consumer users to use the platform, consisting of the company’s proprietary virtual currency (MO-Coin and MO-Points), social networking, redemption center and game center. Users can earn MO-Coins by playing games, and then use those coins to redeem prizes sponsored by Moxian and client merchants. This model not only drives registered consumers to Moxian and merchants, but also provides merchants the opportunity to advertise, run marketing campaigns, and learn about their customers through the platform.

Moxian+ Business App is an independent app with built-in social customer relationship management tools designed to address the unique needs of merchants. Merchants are able to set up a store on the Moxian platform through this business app, push promotions via a variety of methods offered on the platform and look at generated reports customized to their own shop.

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

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Yesterday, Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI) announced that it has contracted Primero Systems, a globally-recognized technology solutions provider, to complete final partner integrations and upgrades for its flagship travel website, NextTrip.com. For more than two decades, Primero Systems has earned the trust and respect of clients across multiple industries by developing award-winning enterprise platforms and customized technology solutions.

“I’m pleased to be working with Gary and the Primero team again on another travel platform. In our last project, Primero delivered us a high-quality work product, on time and on budget, giving us industry acclaims,” Bill Kerby, chairman and chief executive officer of Monaker, stated in yesterday’s news release. “I know Gary will take our NextTrip platform, transform it, and deliver a site that will showcase our alternative lodging, ground products and travel services in an eloquent, real-time booking solution.”

Originally launched in early February, NextTrip.com is a fully comprehensive booking engine designed for use by both travel consumers and travel agents. The platform integrates a number of Monaker’s acquired technologies to allow users to book hotels, resorts, vacation rental homes, unused timeshare inventory, airlines, land tours and rental cars, all in the same place. As the first booking solution to include conventional lodging, alternative lodging and unused timeshare and resort inventory in a single platform, Monaker aims to capture a sizable portion of the alternative lodging market, which was recently valued at $100 billion in an article on The Street.

“We are thrilled to be working as trusted partners with the Monaker Group on their NextTrip platform,” added Gary Saner, founder and CEO of Primero. “Primero’s reputation rests on our ability to deliver mission-critical and enterprise-grade solutions to the marketplace, and we are eager to support Monaker with their technology initiatives.”

Moving forward, Monaker expects the NextTrip ‘alternative lodging’ platform to serve as the primary booking utility in the travel industry. As of launch, the company already had access to 600 airlines, 100 rental car services and more than 600,000 hotels. Additionally, Monaker estimated that NextTrip would feature more than 400,000 available units of alternative lodging inventory as of the end of February, with that figure set to double by as soon as fall of this year. With key partnerships and established travel brands used as cornerstones of its comprehensive booking platform, Monaker is on a mission to establish NextTrip as the ‘one stop’ vacation center for travelers from around the globe.

“Our site brings together significant inventory and channel partners with distribution in both the B2B and B2C markets,” Kerby stated in a recent news release. “We anticipate and have planned for quick adoption of our proprietary platform by thousands of travelers and should see a significant revenue ramp during 2016.”

For more information, visit www.monakergroup.com

Halitron, Inc. (OTC: HAON) is a Connecticut-based equity investment holding company with a second location in California. Founded in 2003 and formerly operating as Teknik Digital Arts (a digital video gaming trademark and license business), the company took on the name Halitron, Inc. in August 2014.

Today, Halitron operates under an acquisition roll-up business model that targets two types of acquisitions. On the one hand, the company focuses on acquiring profitable companies at a multiples of EBITDA ranging from two to four times. For Halitron, it is important that these companies have a strategic fit operationally, i.e., that their products and/or services benefit the collective group of businesses. On the other hand, Halitron also focuses on acquiring bankrupt, distressed or insolvent companies at inexpensive prices and “rolling” their assets into its infrastructure. Once acquired, the collective group of companies leverage the low-cost and well-organized infrastructure that Halitron already has in place.

Along with Teknik Digital Arts, Halitron’s portfolio of active holdings includes:

• ArchivalPhotoPages.com, an online merchant of archival scrapbooking supplies;
• ArchivalMuseumSupplies.com, an online merchant of archival museum supplies;
• PiecesinPlaces.com, an online merchant of office organization products;
• Newtown Digital Group (NDG Holdings, Inc.), a digital marketing services company; and
• PRD Holdings, Inc., a manufacturing asset based in Mexico

Upon acquiring NDG Holdings, Inc., Halitron also obtained the base infrastructure for future acquisitions of sales, marketing and manufacturing companies. The company now has two bases: the location in Newtown, Connecticut, houses the company’s sales, marketing and finance divisions, while the location in San Diego, California, serves as the distribution point for products primarily made in and around Tijuana, Mexico.

Up to now, NDG Holdings has been a service-oriented company that provides digital marketing services, e.g. website development, email blasts, search engine optimization and pay-per-click management. Over time, Halitron’s management expects to leverage NDG’s infrastructure and talent in order to become more vertically integrated. By acquiring sales-, marketing- and manufacturing-based businesses which will improve its gross margins, Halitron’s management also means to gain the flexibility to compete more effectively and to invest more in the business.

For more information, visit www.halitroninc.com

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Ecosciences, Inc. provides bio-remediation services for sewers, sludge ponds, septic tanks, lagoons, farms, car washes, portable sanitation facilities, grease tanks, lakes and ponds. The company’s suite of tablet-based products effectively oxygenate wastewater, remove hydrogen sulfide odors, prevent corrosion and initiate the aerobic biological breakdown of various types of organic sludge. By utilizing the power of oxygen to efficiently treat wastewater systems, Ecosciences aims to minimize the need for expensive dosing equipment and hazardous chemicals while simultaneously reducing the costs of treating and removing organic solid wastes.

The company, through wholly-owned subsidiary Eco-logical Concepts, Inc., currently produces and sells a variety of bio-remediation products. Tank-Eze Wastewater Tablets are solid, sustained release tablets that provide active oxygen, nutrients, buffers and safe aerobic microorganisms that can be used in pump and lift stations, septic tank systems and other waste-water treatment systems. Trap-Eze Grease Trap Tablets can be used by a variety of food service industry customers to effectively clean and deodorize grease traps. Wash-Eze Car Wash Tablets reduce the noxious odors, spotting and other problems associated with the use of reclaimed water to wash vehicles. Ecosciences also markets Sept-Eze, an oxygen-enriched septic tank treatment solution.

In February 2016, Ecosciences unveiled a new acquisition-based growth strategy designed to augment its current business of wholesale and retail sales of its bio-remediation products. Through this strategy, the company plans to seek out acquisition candidates across various segments of the bio-remediation and janitorial industry in an effort to increase its existing customer base and accelerate future growth. As of its latest update, Ecosciences has commenced preliminary discussions with three potential acquisition targets, but it has not yet entered into any definitive agreements.

Through the use of distribution agreements, the company also remains focused on expanding the marketability of its existing product line. Ecosciences recently entered into a master distribution agreement with a janitorial supply firm based in the Dominican Republic that is expected to drive future growth in the Caribbean nation. The company also announced a distribution agreement with Everglades Supply Co. through which Everglades was granted the right to resell Ecosciences’s products in the Northeastern Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, as well as South Florida and the Middle East.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://ecosciences.company

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It seems that lithium-ion batteries are everywhere, and the battery chemistry is the fastest growing and most promising on the market today. Lithium-ion batteries have numerous advantages: their high energy density opens the possibility of higher capacities, they do not need prolonged priming when new, they have relatively low self-discharge (less than half of nickel-based batteries), they are low maintenance and specialty cells can provide very high current to applications (a boon in cases such as power tools). Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: OGES) has an innovative ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ product line that includes multiple lithium-ion technologies and form factors that are optimized to address three high-demand target markets – including stationary and grid storage; motive applications, such as electric and hybrid electric fleet vehicles; and specialty applications, such as military, aerospace, marine, medical and telecom backup.

Although the market for lithium-ion batteries spans many verticals, in the clean energy sector they are most strongly linked with the electric vehicle (EV) market. To meet market demand and to drive down pricing, EV companies are investing heavily in research and development in the lithium-ion space. Oakridge Global focuses on the design, development and manufacture of high-quality cells, batteries and power systems.

According to Cantech Letter, the lithium-ion battery market was worth $11.7 billion in 2012, and, by the end of this year, the market is expected to double. Within this market, global demand for EV batteries was 5,662MWh in 2013 and is expected to jump to 31,100MWh in 2016.

Oakridge Global is positioned in a fast growing sector and has the production facilities in place to take advantage of a spike in demand. Lithium-ion battery demand is expected to see robust growth from now through 2019. This is due to its increasing demand across various application sectors, such as automotive, wind, electronics, industrial and military. The market is currently driven by its usage in the automotive sector in HEVs, trains and trams.

For more information, visit www.oakridgeglobalenergy.com

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The entry on International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB: ISCO) in the SAGE Encyclopedia tells a bit of the company’s story. At first, the researchers at ISCO were working on finding a stem cell treatment for diabetes, but ‘in the process (they) discovered parthenogenetic stem cells.’ ‘Today, ISCO is focused on using human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) to develop clinical applications to treat diseases of the liver, nervous system and eye.’ ISCO’s hpSCs are similar to human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in that they have the potential to be differentiated into many different cells in the human body. The derivation of hpSCs does not, however, require the use of fertilized eggs or the destruction of viable human embryos and so avoids many of the controversies and ethical quandaries surrounding stem cell research. HpSCs also offer the potential for the creation of immune-matched cells and tissues that are less likely to be rejected following transplantation. Scientists at ISCO have been able to create the first parthenogenetic homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal immune rejection after transplantation.

It may appear as a sign of weakness that ISCO started out looking for a diabetes treatment but is now focusing on Parkinson’s disease and other areas, but that is actually a sign of strength because it signals the company is driven by a management team that is versatile and adaptive. An insightful article in Bioentrepreneur with the eye-catching title ‘Six secrets to success — how to build a sustainable biotech business’ (http://dtn.fm/TuX3j) talks, first, about the importance of ‘having a strong, experienced and stable management team’ and ‘investing in the people at the top rather than the assets, technology or product.’ Its second takeaway is adaptability. ‘One of the main reasons biotech companies fail is because they believe they have the best potential drug and that the world will adapt to accommodate their business… (but) very few companies got their drug right the first time… the majority of the world’s top biotech companies are very different today compared with their formative years.’

International Stem Cell Corporation is certainly adaptive and strong on the first factor as well. Its entry in the SAGE Encyclopedia makes mention of its CEO, Andrey Semechkin, PhD, and his son, Russell Kern, PhD. Dr. Andrey Semechkin is a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and has been deputy director of the Institute of System Analysis since 2004. Professor Semechkin was awarded a Russian Government Award in Science and Technology in 2006. He is the author of several scientific papers. In 2012, for example, ‘Derivation of high-purity definitive endoderm from human parthenogenetic stem cells using an in vitro analog of the primitive streak’ (http://dtn.fm/lqr3J) was published, which discussed the potential of hpSCs as sources for cell-based therapies and their advantage over hESCs on histocompatibilty issues. Semechkin has over 20 years’ experience creating and managing businesses across different industries and scientific sectors.

Mahnaz Ebrahimi is the chief financial officer at ISCO. She has over 25 years’ experience in executive and senior level positions in financial management, accounting and SEC reporting matters, and has worked with numerous publicly traded and privately held biotechnology, life science, and technology companies. Prior to joining ISCO, she served as a consultant to the company as well as to Flux Power Holdings, Polaris Pharmaceutical, and Ocera Therapeutics. From October 2010 to July 2012, Ebrahimi served as director, financial planning and analysis and treasury at eBioscience, where she was instrumental in the successful merger with Affymatrix in June 2012.

Russell Kern, PhD is the executive vice president and chief scientific officer at ISCO. Dr. Kern was trained in medical genetics, stem cell biology and international business administration, and holds an M.S. degree from the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine of Moscow State University. He earned his PhD in Physiology from Anokhin Research Institute of Normal Physiology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Kern is a well-known speaker on stem cell biology, including the use of stem cells for neurology and skin regeneration. He has publications in the field of clinical and molecular biology, and is the author of various patent applications.

Sofya Bakalova, J.D., is vice president, legal affairs & operations at ISCO. Bakalova received her law degree from the University of Miami’s School of Law and has experience in various aspects of corporate and biotechnology law, regulatory affairs, project management, and business operations. After joining ISCO in March 2011, she has held a variety of business and legal roles, including in-house counsel, advisor to the CEO, and vice chairman of the board of directors for Lifeline Skin Care. Bakalova holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from San Francisco State University and has worked in the banking and finance industries prior to beginning her legal career.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

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Earlier today, eXp Realty International Corporation (OTCQB: EXPI) announced that it has changed its corporate name to eXp World Holdings, Inc. in order to better reflect its commitment to utilizing cloud-based technologies to create opportunities for entrepreneurial professionals across a number of industries including and beyond real estate brokerage. This name change will have no impact on EXPI’s trading symbol.

“This name change will allow us to continue to focus on the tremendous growth and achievements happening within our real estate brokerage division while delivering innovation and opportunity to other service industries without causing confusion among the investing public,” Glenn Sanford, founder and chief executive officer of EXPI, stated in this morning’s news release.

Driven by its progress within its real estate brokerage division, EXPI will continue to search out viable opportunities to leverage cloud technology in order to create and deliver new opportunities beyond the bounds of the real estate industry. Earlier this week, the company took a significant step toward achieving this goal when it announced an agreement with VirBELA, LLC, one of the leading developers of 3D, avatar-based, immersive online worlds. Since 2009, EXPI has utilized VirBELA’s cloud-based technologies to house, build and run its real estate brokerage operations. Now, the company maintains exclusive rights to the platform within the real estate industry, as well as an option to exclusive rights within a number of vertical industries, including mortgage origination, mortgage lending, title and escrow and title insurance.

“Our achievements within our real estate brokerage division have demonstrated to us in a compelling way that entrepreneurial professionals are willing and eager to embrace the cloud to transform business, ownership, and collaboration and to avail themselves of new opportunities to earn, learn and grow that otherwise wouldn’t be feasible,” added Sanford.

After welcoming its 1,000th agent in February, EXPI’s Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage™, eXp Realty, is currently positioned among the top 50 real estate brokerages in the United States based on agent count. Launched in 2009 with an aggressive revenue sharing program, eXp Realty entered a period of accelerated growth and retention in 2014 when it introduced an equity sharing initiative for its agents and brokers. Since the end of 2014, the company has more than doubled its number of agents while developing a strategic foothold in 35 U.S. states, as well as Alberta, Canada. This growth has positioned eXp Realty among the fastest growing brokerages in a number of cities around the country, including major markets such as Austin, San Antonio, Lafayette and Atlanta.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://investors.exprealty.com

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Before the opening bell, Agora Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AGHI), parent company of Geegle Media, announced that it has signed an engagement letter with BF Borgers CPA PC, an independent accounting and auditing firm. With this agreement in place, Agora will begin posting audited financial statements and periodic reports to its file on the OTC exchange as soon as the end of this month, with BF Borgers agreeing to complete future audits using PCAOB and US GAAP auditing standards. Through the execution of this engagement letter, Agora Holdings has taken a significant step toward becoming a fully reporting entity. The company expects the agreement to play a key role in improving its operations and decision making capabilities as it seeks to continue expanding its presence in the online entertainment and marketing space.

In recent weeks, Agora has made tremendous progress toward setting the stage for sustainable growth. In late February, the company unveiled an enhanced version of its FRAME social media management software for business use. Using the FRAME platform, businesses are able to build social media campaigns more efficiently across a number of services – including Twitter (NYSE: TWTR), Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) and Instagram. FRAME also features several advanced functions, such as engagement and customer care tools, measurement of campaign success via social media performance and comprehensive reporting, which offers valuable insight into the reach of posted content.

Agora Holdings is a holding company with interests in media and software applications. Through wholly-owned subsidiary Geegle Media, Agora is dedicated to delivering media products that fulfill the growing needs for social, TV on demand, data storage applications and other optimizing software solutions. Geegle’s in-development web platforms include GeegleTV, 1000Salads, RealtyTV and LobbyTV, as well as social media management platform FRAME. Leveraging a multi-dimensional approach, Agora aims to deliver innovative and high-quality business solution products and video content from around the world.

For more information, visit www.agoraholdingsinc.com

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