Things are looking good for eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI). Spearheaded by its unique real estate brokerage division, eXp Realty, the company has been reporting steady growth over the past few months and is showing no signs of slowing down. August in particular seems to have been an exceptional month for the company, as it reported record revenue in the first two quarters and an impressive increase in its brokerage agent base, surpassing the 1,500 agent milestone for the first time.

The growth didn’t stop there; eXp Realty management recently announced that its Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage™ welcomed 160 new members in August, bringing its total number of agents to over 1,630, eXp Realty director of Cloud Leadership & Growth David Gagnon said during an online leadership meeting of the brokerage on August 26.

Along with its agent base increase, the brokerage has been steadily expanding its coverage and now serves a total of 41 states, the District of Columbia and Alberta, Canada. The newest addition to its network of real estate professionals is Alaska, where operations began on August 19.

eXp World Holdings’ steady growth and record revenue of more than $13 million in the second quarter of 2016 have also prompted the Fundamental Research Corp. to update its analysis of the company. The independent research group that specializes in the microcap and small-cap sectors highlighted eXp World Holdings’ strong financial performance and growth and now anticipates a higher overall revenue for both 2016 and 2017. Compared to its April report, the group upped its forecast for 2016 to $48 million from $40 million and for 2017, for $82 million from $72 million.

The company largely owes its success and record figures to the innovative model of real estate brokerage proposed by eXp Realty. Unlike most competitors that still concentrate their activity around a brick and mortar office, eXp Realty describes itself as a brokerage that heavily relies on cloud technologies and the Internet to build an online community of real estate professionals.

Members work in a cloud office environment which allows them round-the-clock access to training features, collaborative tools and socialization methods to help them share their knowledge and experience and build an efficient strategy together. Even leadership meetings are held online in a virtual reality space where each attending management member has an avatar.

The platform allows agents and brokers to provide more efficient services to consumers and increase their profits with a lower risk. Members also benefit from revenue sharing programs and the opportunity of earning equity in exchange for valued contributions to company growth.

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

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If you plan to visit Laguna Beach in Orange County, California, to attend the Food & Wine Pairing Dinner on September 1, 2016, you may not be aware that the area is associated with culinary delights other than vino. Located midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, and stretching for over seven miles, Laguna Beach has lent its name to Laguna Blends, Inc. (CSE: LAG) (OTC:LAGBF) (LB6A.F), a network marketing company with products based on the nutritional health benefits derived from hemp. Just like wine, the consumption of hemp beverages is still an avant-garde pursuit. Nevertheless, its management team aims to make Laguna Blends a household name throughout North America within five years. In a recent conference call (http://nnw.fm/Ohrq0), CEO Stuart Gray and President Ray Grimm Jr. discuss the founding of Laguna Blends and its future prospects.

Gray founded Laguna Blends because, convinced of the health benefits of hemp, he discovered that there was a great deal of confusion and misunderstanding surrounding its properties. There was an obvious business opportunity in offering hemp-based ‘functional beverages’ to health-conscious consumers, but this was not a product you could simply display on grocery shelves. When hemp is mentioned, most people imagine dark seedy backstreet hideaways, similar to opium dens. Gray decided that consumers needed information that not only instructed about the benefits of hemp, but also dispelled the myths about the plant.

Hemp, like marijuana, is a variety of cannabis sativa and, consequently, is labeled with all the negativities associated with marijuana. However, hemp contains much less of the psychoactive ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), than does marijuana. Both marijuana and hemp contain not just THC but cannabidiol (CBD), which acts antagonistically toward THC. In marijuana, it’s THC that gets the upper hand; in hemp, it’s CBD that wins. Ingesting hemp won’t get you high but it will get you healthy.

Hempseed typically contains over 30% oil and about 25% protein, with considerable amounts of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. Hempseed also has over 80% in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and is an exceptionally rich source of the two essential fatty acids (EFAs) linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. These two fatty acids are ‘essential’ since the human body cannot produce them. We can only get them from what we eat. These two essential fatty acids are used to build more complex fats called omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which, when taken in adequate amounts, lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Fortunately, Gray’s background in network marketing had shown him how effective direct sales can be as an educational tool. He was introduced to network marketing when just 19 and rose to become the second highest producer in the company after just 18 months. He went on to a very successful business career spanning over 20 years, during which time he founded several highly successful media and promotional related companies. In addition, Gray has acted as a consultant to over 120 public and private companies.

Leveraging this expertise, Gray has built Laguna Blends as a multi-level marketing company that currently markets two hemp-based functional beverages. A ‘functional beverage’ is a non-alcoholic drink that caters to a specific need or health requirement. The segment is best known for its energy drinks. Due to the maturity of the carbonated soft drink sector, functional beverages have become the fastest growing segment of the beverage market.

Laguna’s flagship product is Caffe Protein Coffee which ‘is loaded in proteins: both whey and hemp.’ The other is Pro369, which combines HempOmega®, Hemp Protein and Ginseng and comes in four delicious flavors: Vanilla Caramel, Tropical Fruit, Mixed Berry and Chocolate Banana.

For more information, visit www.lagunablends.com

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The travel and tourist industry is one of the largest industries in the world, with a global annual contribution in the trillions of dollars according to Statista (http://nnw.fm/xQ1DT). Solely considering international travel, there are over a billion international tourist arrivals worldwide each year. People book their accommodation according to price, ratings, previous experiences, and other parameters, and the type of travel varies widely, from high-end to low.

This leads us to the topic of backpacking. Backpacking was often considered a form of hiking or camping holiday. Today, it is one of the trendiest ways to travel among people of all ages. With this rising trend comes the advent of new forms of backpacking such as “flashpacking” and “poshpacking.” These terms are used for the more affluent backpackers who do not necessarily need to travel on a small budget but still choose the freedom attached to this form of travel.

Thanks to the evolution of technology, more and more people are traveling light without having to give up comfort. The world of the digital nomad is here and the travel industry is gearing up to capitalize on these emerging trends. In recent years, companies have increased the technological interaction with their consumers making everything more accessible online.

Aside from the rise of technology, different levels of backpacking have become more accessible thanks to the introduction of cheaper flights, trains, buses, hotels, hostels and dining opportunities. These are marketed online to budget travelers and often include the option to make all-inclusive bookings through one platform. To the new-age flashpacker, it’s becoming a way of life. Travelers today are not isolated. They are followed by a digital world full of tools.

According to The Future of Backpacking by Ferda Van Vaals (http://nnw.fm/zkmS4), some of the new characteristics expected by 2030 include infrastructure expansion, greater tourist mobility, and growing global tourism and destinations. In other words, the world will continue to become more accessible, and more people will value experience rather than just material possessions.

Who makes such expanding ease of travel possible? Today there are thousands of travel agencies, both online and in-shop, in millions of locations. Online travel agencies are making travel more accessible thanks to the options to book flights, accommodation, and other factors through the Internet. However, backpackers today want more. Travel agencies are reigning in and offering all-inclusive booking facilities online, making the booking process, easier, quicker and often cheaper.

Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI) is a technology travel company on the leading edge of these ever-changing holiday booking trends. The company is made up of multiple divisions and brands offering a real-time booking engine featuring a wider and creative range of lodgings for a variety of backpackers, flashpackers, and holiday makers. In addition to this, the company allows consumers to book from an array of airlines, hotels, cruises, rental cars, tours, and much more.

The company’s flagship brand, NextTrip.com, is the industry’s first and only real-time booking engine that features alternative lodging (vacation home rentals, resort residences and unused timeshare inventory), as well as a full selection of airlines, hotels, cruises, rental cars, tours and concierge services. These features are combined into a single, easy-to-use platform that gives travelers complete real-time control when planning and booking their vacations.

Most NextTrip listings are in desirable locations in the U.S., the EU and the Caribbean with about 20% exclusive listings, and the company anticipates rapid exclusive listing growth because of its competitive edge, proprietary solutions, and interest in strategic partnerships and acquisitions, in addition to new travel trends.

The company recently launched its own Monaker Booking Engine and Premium Service for property owners, opening its offerings up to an even broader variety of consumers.

For more information, visit www.MonakerGroup.com

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Recent news has highlighted how obesity in children has doubled in the last three decades. Children are being fed the wrong foods largely because they tend to choose foods based upon taste and appearance rather than nutrition. In recent weeks, a number of studies have come out highlighting the impact of our modern world on children’s relationship with food.

A recent article at Parent Herald (http://nnw.fm/U8fVw) entitled, “Children Nutrition: Food Commercials Influence Children’s Choice of Food,” covers the impact that mass media has on children and their eating habits. Dr. Amanda Bruce and researchers from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Kansas Medical Center shine a light on the fact that children choose for taste rather than nutrition. In association with this, according to Dr. Bruce’s research, commercials have a significant and negative influence on food choices children make.

But how can we make children’s nutrition more important to them? News Medical (http://nnw.fm/5hACN) recently announced the release of an innovative board game that helps improve nutrition and health in young people. The game has been developed by Focus Games Ltd. and Foodtalk CIC (pediatric dietitians) in order to educate children aged 1 to 5 about health and nutrition. They aren’t the only people fighting a growing battle for the health of children, however; others are going toward a movement where nutrition and taste and fun and education are unified.

Giggles N’ Hugs (OTCQB: GIGL) came to light when Dorsa Parsi, co-founder of Giggles N’ Hugs restaurants, couldn’t find an eating establishment that catered to children and adults equally. At most restaurants, aside from the lack of children-sized utensils and chairs, children’s menus were often greasy and unhealthy. She said: “I also hated the fact that all the ‘kid friendly’ foods were made with artificial cheese or potatoes. Having a very picky eater, I came up with very creative ways to have her get her veggies. I always pureed cauliflower in her fettuccine alfredo and squash in her mac n’ cheese. I always made homemade pizza with pureed spinach in her pizza sauce. She never knew she ate her veggies every day, but going out to dinner meant NO veggies!”

Parsi started Giggles N’ Hugs with the aim of providing a healthy restaurant that was both child and adult friendly. The menu includes not only child-friendly meals packed with goodness, teaching children how good taste and health are not mutually exclusive, but also the opportunity for children to connect it all with a fun place to play. Giggles N’ Hugs now has two locations with a strategic expansion plan in place to expand to Asia, Europe, Australia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

For more information, visit www.gigglesnhugs.com

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China’s burgeoning O2O (online-to-offline) market has shown us quantifiably robust growth vectors, undergirded by the most attractive baseline metrics of any such market on the planet. Chinese vice minister of Industry and IT, Chen Zhaoxiong, told crowds at the Internet Society of China’s 2016 China Internet Conference in June that the number of 4G users in China is more than 530 million as of Q1, more than the U.S. and Europe put together. China’s Internet economy was valued at roughly $171 billion last year, while the O2O services segment was estimated by iResearch Consulting Group at approximately $68.71 billion, up 27.7 percent compared to 2015 (http://nnw.fm/95lTR).

While there are some big players currently dominating the market, there is plenty of room left at the margins for thriving localized networks, a phenomena which echoes the internal dynamics of the O2O space itself. Before taking a look at some of the major players, it is worth noting an up and comer like Shenzhen-based Moxian, Inc. (OTCQB: MOXC), which has a market cap under $400 million and yet has put together an extremely compelling, integrated O2O platform known as Moxian+.

Half of the company’s 170 or so employees are R&D people and its CTO is the same Dr. Ng Kek Wee whose Oracle and IBM award-winning consulting startup was acquired by Pactera (formerly NASDAQ: PACT), which was itself taken private after acquisition by Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX).

Needless to say, the Moxian+ User and Moxian+ Business architectures/apps are brilliantly designed given their origins in a tech hotbed like Moxian. The architectures come complete with big data-driven social CRM (customer relationship management), engagement gamification/actual games, and even a proprietary/platform-specific digital currency (MO-Points and MO-Coins) for merchant driven reward redemptions. Moxian+ Business is where the real meat is though, offering comprehensive business intelligence analytics, demographic profiling insights, easy to setup customer engagement/loyalty programs, and ubiquitous advertising capabilities.

A projected 20 percent CAGR is easily understandable for the O2O space in China, with restaurants and food delivery being the narrow end of the transformational wedge. And with online retail currently around 13 percent of the overall retail space as of early this year, in what is the world’s largest ecommerce market ($589 billion), it is little wonder that one of the biggest internet companies on earth, Chinese operator Tencent (OTC: TCEHY; TCTZF), continues to hammer out its own O2O footprint with gusto.

A strategic investment in indoor mapping company Sensewhere, to license its indoor positioning software for Tencent Maps, was a clear move by Tencent to jockey for position with Baidu’s (NASDAQ: BIDU) Baidu Maps (shows group-buying deals from its Nuomi platform), and taxi/restaurant finding marvel AutoNavi, which is majority-owned by the Chinese version of Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Alibaba (NYSE: BABA).

Alibaba’s $483 million investment last year in its Koubei JV, aimed at unifying its footprint in fast local delivery with its growing O2O presence, is a very clear signal to investors from China’s ecommerce king about the future of the country’s O2O market. There is a big opportunity here for investors to lay down some territory of their own, especially when you consider events like the $18 billion Meituan-Dianping valuation in January for China’s biggest group deals site, which laid claim to the title of the largest ever single funding round ($3.3 billion) for any VC internet startup in the country’s history.

Tying together the increasingly dominant mobile user with local brick and mortar businesses is a recipe for success in China for a savvy developer like Moxian, whose Moxian+ platform not only allows merchants to more easily/readily engage potential/returning customers, but which was born of the same robust cloud service technology that proved good enough for financial institutions and major corporations.

Delivering enterprise-class capabilities to the broadest possible merchant market should keep MOXC well in the running, even as sector majors gobble up the largest pieces of the pie. It is worth noting that this level of capability made it easy for MOXC to recently secure an exclusive reseller agreement with Xinhua New Media for gaming industry ad space, a deal that puts Moxian’s platform and digital currency front and center, before a growing Xinhua New Media App user base of over 110 million users (over 10 million active per day).

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

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Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) today announced the results of its district-wide review and evaluation of the historic exploration drilling program that targeted zinc mineralization in the Balmat-Edwards Mining District, St. Lawrence County, New York.

According to today’s press release, the company identified significant potential zinc mineralization in the Upper Marble unit (the host unit for zinc mineralization for all the mines in the Balmat-Edwards District) at a location approximately one mile southwest of the historic Hyatt Mine and four miles northeast of the Balmat #4 Mine (the “Sully discovery”).

The Sully discovery is located within the 80,582 acres of mineral rights controlled by Star Mountain. A dozen drill holes were completed on the Sully target in approximately 8 years ago. Seven of the twelve intersected massive sulfide zinc mineralization in Upper Marble unit rocks (see the table at https://www.accesswire.com/uploads/Star%20Mountain%20Resources%20Image.jpg). It has been concluded that zinc mineralization is significantly thick and can be correlated over approximately 1,500 feet along strike and up to 500 feet across strike.

Star Mountain stated that mineralization remains open in every direction. The company has planned a follow up drilling program to confirm the discovery and to determine the extent and limits of the mineralization.

Star Mountain Resources President Mark Osterberg commented, “The Balmat-Edwards District has been in near continuous production for 100 years and the exploration history documents a record of new mine discovery every 17 years on average. We expect to continue our review and evaluation of historic exploration drilling and to advance exploration efforts on the Sully discovery in the Balmat-Edwards District and we are confident that we can add to the record of discovery.”

For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com

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A recent article, titled ‘Think zinc: Miners Bet Big On Revival In Key Base Metal Market’, by Reuters (http://nnw.fm/lJ0Ap) highlights the fact that resource companies are moving quickly to dig zinc mines as supply is becoming lower worldwide. As zinc mines are starting to run empty, prices are increasing, encouraging the start of new projects. Resource companies are feeling a sense of urgency, fearing that zinc prices will continue to rise, and new investments are continuing to pop up.

Richer mines around the world are contracting as reserves are running low, and new players are getting the chance to make a significant profit. In an interview with Reuters, Daniel Morgan, a commodities analyst from UBS, stated “There is no doubt the supply side of this market is declining and supporting the case for new mines.”

Although there are a number of variables that could affect future prices, such as China digging up more metal and the price of steel weakening, things are looking good for zinc resource companies for 2016. Mines across every continent are reopening their doors and returning to production. Supplies are especially stressed in Australia, Canada, and Ireland, and the U.S. is not far behind.

Supplies in the U.S. saw a severe drop from February to May 2016. However, the price of zinc has been on the rise since January 2016 and supplies are starting to look up, according to Zinc Investing (http://nnw.fm/AXbo2). The U.S. zinc supply has been facing a medium-term supply issue, as there are no large, advanced-stage development projects on the horizon.

With this in mind, Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) recently acquired the Northern Zinc and Balmat Holdings Corporation, as well as St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC, including its mining operations in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York. The Balmat mining complex is a fully equipped and functional mine with a hoisting capacity of 4,000 tons per day. The operation is rubber tired, with a mobile mining fleet, as well as a mill capable of producing 5,000 tons of zinc concentrator per day, a tailings facility, a concentrate storage area, and rail and truck transportation infrastructure.

Since the acquisition of the mine in November 2015, SMRS has been gearing up to resume production, which couldn’t come at a better time since supplies are falling and prices are rising. The Balmat mine opens new doors of opportunity to Star Mountain Resources, which are expected to play a role in the company’s transition from a junior exploration firm to a full-fledged production operation in the near future.

For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com

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OurPet’s Company (OTCQX: OPCO) may serve both cats and dogs with its innovative range of pet care solutions. However, the company itself is most definitely not a dog, as defined in the Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) Growth Share Matrix. Rather, it’s a wild cat that has been churning out a string of ingenious pet care products. If OurPet’s Company keeps up its wild ways, there is the distinct possibility it may morph into a star.

Back in the early 1970s, BCG developed the Growth-Share Matrix as a portfolio-planning tool. BCG assessed each business unit within a company’s portfolio, taking into account two determinants of profitability: market growth and market share relative to the largest competitor. Market growth gives some indication of the unit’s future prospects while relative market share is a sign of competitive advantage. Mapping a business unit to a cell in the matrix thus helps determine whether the unit would be a net user or contributor of cash and whether the portfolio decision should be develop, maintain or dispose.

The Growth-Share Matrix classified business units into four types: dogs, cash cows, stars, and question marks or wild cats. Dogs neither generate nor consume a large amount of cash since they have low market share and a low growth rate. Cash cows are net contributors of cash. They are typically leaders in a mature market, providing a return on assets that is greater than the market growth rate. Stars generate a lot of cash but tend to use it all up because of their high growth rate. Wild cats are businesses that are growing rapidly and so require large cash infusions.

There is every indication that OurPet’s Company is a wild cat on its way to become a star. The company has been growing at an annually compounded rate of over 6% – twice the industry rate. Focusing on high-growth categories in the pet care industry, OurPet’s Company’s very first product was the Big Dog Feeder® in the $100 million per annum healthy feeding and storage systems segment. This product line now extends over 81 SKUs that include the Store-N-Feed^® Single Adjustable Feeder, the SmartLink^TM Feeder – Intelligent Pet Bowl and the SmartLink^TM Waterer – Intelligent Water Fountain.

OurPet’s Company is also in the $250 million a year feline waste and odor control market with its OurPets® Skoop-N-Pak, OurPets® Pick-Up Bags and its ground-breaking OurPets® Switchgrass Natural Cat Litter with Biochar. And the company is tackling the $1 billion a year segment of interactive cat and dog toys and accessories with a host of clever products. This product line uses Blue Tooth and Wi-Fi communication technologies so our beloved pets can “talk” to us; the line includes the amazing OurPets® Catty Whack® and the Intelligent Pet Care® line of products.

OurPet’s Company has a robust pipeline of some 160 patents issued and or pending. It also has a strong diversified product portfolio of about 1,000 SKUs. The company is particularly focused on finding solutions to the pathologies that accompany aging in pets. It deserves a star for that.

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

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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