It looks like the tax revenue assessment on recreational marijuana sales in Oregon by government officials may have underestimated just how big and robust the consumer market really is, with the initial forward projection of around $9 million for 2017 looking like it will be surpassed with ease. Subsequent to recreational sales being approved ahead of schedule via a bill signed by Governor Kate Brown, the amount of money taken in by dispensaries within just the first week alone has effectively crushed the official estimate, as some $11 million in sales were completed in the state’s first week of open commerce, and current estimates are that $3.5 million was taken in on day one. With tax revenues set to kick in this January, state coffers could be filling up vastly quicker (and to a much greater extent) than originally anticipated, especially when you consider Oregon’s first week of sales more than doubled those seen in Colorado ($5 million), and beat out Washington by a landslide (which did only $2 million in sales during week one). If this keeps up, tax revenues next year will be hefty indeed – forcing other state legislatures to take the issue even more seriously.

This is a very bullish indicator for the sector overall and should give investors significant pause, as these sales figures represent a clear shot across the bow of remaining holdout states which continue to be on the fence about essentially repealing federal marijuana prohibition via state-based legislative measures. With these kinds of sales figures coming out of Oregon on the heels of an early start, it’s only a matter of time before the cultural sea-change that is already evident from recent polling (which shows a majority of Americans are now in favor of decriminalization) puts a bright spotlight on cash-strapped holdout states, making legislators in those states appear to voters as somewhat insane for not simply regulating and taxing the substance. With the now strikingly obvious potential upside for things like education and law enforcement funding, many constituents around the country are starting to clamor after their state representatives to follow suit with states like Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. This is all extremely good news for various operators within what is projected by leading cannabis industry research firm, ArcView Group, as being a market which is on track to hit $11 billion within the next four years alone. And that figure seems pretty conservative to some analysts, given that between 2013 and 2014 the market grew by 80 percent, clocking in somewhere around $2.7 billion last year.

One of the areas of the marijuana sector that stands to gain the most growth-wise from a continuing shift towards recreational use across the country is baseline logistics, where things like grow op facilities, various industry-associated real estate elements, cultivation products, and controlled environment agriculture technologies reside. After all, supply origination within this industry – which is going to be driven more and more by commercial-scale premium strain quality cultivation as restrictions wane – is, in many respects, the foundation of the entire sector. Classic “pick and shovel” plays are looking like a solid target for investors seeking to profit off of the incremental, seemingly inevitable nationwide decriminalization of cannabis that is taking place as the so-called Green Rush progresses. And, as was the case with the repeal of alcohol prohibition, some of the biggest fortunes in the industry will likely arise from those companies who get the product origination and logistics right. Not to mention the businesses which service them. In fact, as is the case in the oil industry, where oilfield service companies like Halliburton are some of the top earners, businesses providing services and products to the core commodity originators could be the biggest names in the industry after it’s all said and done.

We’re talking businesses like development-stage alternative construction outfit, Cherubim Interests. With its core competencies in construction, finance and property management, as well as a wholly-owned subsidiary engaged in making and marketing portable, proprietary, and scalable cannabis cultivation systems: BudCube Cultivation Systems USA (BCS). In fact, Cherubim Interests, via its full-spectrum capabilities in alternative construction project development and turnkey cultivation systems, is poised to capture significant market share as the cannabis market continues to expand, thanks to its intelligent mix of baseline logistics offerings, whether that growth occurs here in the U.S., or abroad. The powerful combination of a real estate development and property management business model, empowered by a veteran team of managers and highly experienced directors, with the scalable cultivation tech provided by BCS, allows CHIT to strike hard and fast wherever in the world the cultivation of cannabis is made legal, and consumers stand ready to fuel retail market growth.

To this general end, CHIT has engaged Oregon-based consultation, research and development firm, DGrass Enterprises, which is led by a man with over a decade and a half of both indoor and outdoor cultivation experience, Dominic Grasseth. Grasseth, in addition to being CEO of DGrass Enterprises, is also the guy who opened the successful Eugene, Oregon-based retail and wholesale garden supply company, The Greener Side of Life, back in 2010. An enviably capable master gardener and horticultural expert, Grasseth has developed a skill set that will be invaluable to CHIT (and BCS) as the company continues to pursue its aggressive agenda of planned deployment and leasing of commercial cultivation facilities, wherever cultivation activities are made legal by legislators. A serial entrepreneur with vast sums of personal hands-on experience in the cultivation field, Grasseth is proficient across a wide array of pertinent disciplines, ranging from cultivation/production and extraction, to grow room design, consultation, and even the retail/marketing end of the business.

Moreover, CHIT recently announced that the company is taking huge strides towards fully shoring up its share price, via a series of intelligently-crafted initiatives designed to build shareholder equity, including strict maintenance of filing obligations in order to maintain seamless OTC Market disclosure, and amending the company’s corporate bylaws in order to create anti-dilutive convertible preferred shares. Furthermore, the company will act to insulate stockholders against past and future open market dilution by offering these shares via dividend payment, and using these convertible preferred shares as a form of currency in order to exchange outstanding derivative liabilities. In addition, CHIT plans to execute an S-1 filing that will enable holders of preferred shares (who’ve converted into specific, predetermined amounts of common stock) to see their securities become freely trading. This bold move by the company to reinforce the share price and build investor confidence, will simultaneously allow CHIT to retire much of its principal affiliate debt, with the interest being converted into restricted shares.

A clear sector strategy to capitalize on the cannabis industry’s most promising area, combined with share price strengthening initiatives has CHIT sitting pretty, even as Oregon leads by example, accelerating its recreational use retail timetable, and setting a new and unmistakable precedent for other states to follow.

Take a closer look, visit Cherubim Interests online at www.cherubiminterests.com

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Star Mountain Resources this morning announced its three-way definitive agreements with Northern Zinc, LLC and HudBay Minerals, Inc., which will result in Star Mountain acquiring Balmat Holding Corp., including St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC, and its mining operations in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York.

Together, these transactions will provide Star Mountain the opportunity to shift from a junior explorer into a producer in the near term. Northern Zinc, in particular, brings to Star Mountain a roster of mining industry professionals with decades of technical and managerial experience.

The total acquisition price paid to Hudbay for Balmat will be 550,000 shares of Star Mountain common stock, and up to $17 million in cash consisting of $1.0 million in cash at closing and future cash payments of up to $15.5 million. A $500,000 payment has already been made to Hudbay. Under certain conditions, Star Mountain can accelerate the acquisition payments and reduce the future cash payments to $7 million.

As part of the overall acquisition of Balmat, Star Mountain will issue to the owner of Northern Zinc 10.0 million shares of the company’s unregistered common stock and assume $1.39 million in debts.

Hudbay has held the Balmat mine on care and maintenance since suspension of operations in August of 2008, which has kept mining permits current, MSHA inspections up-to-date, and environmental controls and conditions in regulatory compliance. Star Mountain Resources reports that there are no legal or regulatory roadblocks in place to delay the reopening of mining operations.

The Balmat mining complex includes a permitted and equipped mine, a 5,000 ton per day floatation mill, an office complex, and infrastructure to enable the operation of the mine. The acquisition of Balmat includes 2,699-acres of fee simple real estate and over 50,000 acres of mineral rights within St. Lawrence and neighboring Franklin counties in New York.

“We believe there is an excellent opportunity to upgrade and extend the mineralization through additional surface and underground development and exploration,” Mark Osterberg, president and COO of Star Mountain, stated in the news release.

Joe Marchal, CEO of Star Mountain, added, “We are delighted to reach an agreement with both Northern Zinc and Hudbay to acquire the Balmat mine. The reopening plan for the mine envisioned by Northern Zinc is expected to bring a significant number of jobs to an economically distressed area of northern New York State and jumpstart Star Mountain’s growth into an outstanding new mining company. The team we’ve assembled has world class financial and mining experience that we believe will enable the company to grow into a successful global base metals mining group. I am pleased to welcome Hudbay onto the share register of Star Mountain.”

The transactions are subject to various customary closing conditions and are expected to close by October 31, 2015.

For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com

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Great strides in medical technology are being undertaken by Avant Diagnostics, a company that focuses its developments on the human genome project, which aims to map out the entire DNA sequence of a human. Innovations in this endeavor may treat, prevent, and cure disease as scientists will have a blueprint of how humans have developed over time along with what genes lead to illness. The company hopes to develop genetic research that can detect illness early in individuals so that treatment can avert progression or death.

With this goal in mind, Avant Diagnostics has developed the first large panel biomarker screening test for ovarian cancer. This test, OvaDx®, measures the activation of immune systems in blood samples in response to early stage ovarian tumor cell development. The test has high sensitivity to readings at 79.7% and can identify stage I, II, III, and IV Ovarian cancer with great accuracy. With ~80% sensitivity, IA disease can also be detected.

According to the American Cancer Society, 21,290 women will be diagnosed and 14,180 will die from ovarian cancer this year. A woman’s risk of getting the cancer is 1 in 75, making early detection technology essential. Currently, the three leading detection processes are the pelvic exam, transvaginal ultrasound, and CA-125 blood test. However, each of these tests lack accuracy and do not necessarily lower the cancer’s death rate.

The company is currently underway in testing previously acquired ovarian cancer specimens that will serve as a validation study for the pre-Submission package to be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review. Then a trial for OvaDx® 510(k) can begin. The company needs to get the FDA’s approval for the product before selling. This microarray-based test will be offered to women for overall health checkups and to those who have a predisposed risk to the cancer.

Avant Diagnostics intends to develop advanced early detection technologies that will then lead to developments in surgical options and therapies for patients. Furthermore, if OvaDx® gains FDA approval, women will have another, more accurate, option for ovarian cancer detection.

For more information, please visit www.avantdiagnostics.com

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A couple hours after the opening bell today, Harvest Soul Inc. announced its new e-commerce storefront website on the world’s largest internet retailer Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN). The company also told investors that Michael Jenness will be the new Vice President of its Ecommerce Channel. It was notated that the launch of the Harvest Soul brand and products, along with an expanded team, marks an important first step toward Harvest Soul’s ambitious plans for multi-channel expansion.

“Establishing a new channel for Harvest Soul allows us to reinvent our online environment and create a more user-friendly, reliable experience through the Amazon.com brand,” stated Kevin P. Quirk, President, Harvest Soul. “With the hiring of Michael and the new e-commerce opportunity, we are in a better position to efficiently satisfy our consumers constantly evolving preferences — whenever, wherever — in the same way we are earning their loyal support at retail.”

As one of the most trusted brands in the world with an incredible amount of daily online traffic, Amazon is a well-recognized master of getting customers to come back and buy more product. In fact, two-thirds of Amazon’s orders come from repeat customers. As part of its growth strategy, Harvest Soul will leverage the Amazon platform to identify new niches and categories to enter which can be profitable.

As VP of Harvest Soul’s Ecommerce Channel, Jenness will contribute his expertise and familiarity with Amazon.com and the broader e-commerce space to fuel corporate growth.

“I have worked in ecommerce for over a decade and a half with the world’s largest brands to the smallest start-up, and recognize that Harvest Soul has numerous attributes that will resonate with online retailers including pure-play giant Amazon.com to the hybrid e-tailers in the marketplace with click&collect programs. This also holds true with our consumers who are looking for our products and can now have them from the most reliable brand in the e-commerce business, Amazon.com,” said Jenness. “Online retail — especially the Amazon.com platform family — is a powerful proving ground for products with limited brick-and-mortar distribution. New products or niche flavors find their audience on the ‘virtual aisle’ while those able to gain traction use their success to leverage physical distribution space. The latter strategy has proven particularly effective for small, emerging manufacturers that don’t yet have influence or full-fledged brick-and-mortar retailer engagement models. I look forward to providing Harvest Soul with the traction and position it needs to excel online.”

Harvest Soul plans to integrate incremental improvements to the site on an ongoing basis. With the launch of the new HarvestSoul.com, Harvest Soul will assume full control over its online operations, including the guest contact center.

For more information, visit www.freshpromisefoods.com

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More than 15 million Americans, or roughly 4.7 percent of the population, live with the constant fear of a severe reaction to a type of food that could result in an allergic reaction. Every aisle in the grocery store and every entrée on a restaurant menu could pose a potentially life-threatening risk of an allergic response that could result in anaphylactic shock, and even death. From seafood to nuts, the sources of danger are everywhere and many consumers have simply consigned themselves to the complex, laborious task of tediously perusing food labels, grilling restaurant wait staff, or nagging friends and family to be mindful of their allergies – all in hopes of avoiding a nasty reaction, hospital visit, or worse.

But there is good news, especially for the 191 million or more people in the U.S. who currently have some form of smartphone. Because app development company, ContentChecked Holdings, has engineered a robust, database-driven series of apps that rapidly index information on over 70 percent of all conventional food products, algorithmically checking in real-time if individual products are consistent with a given user’s specified allergy and/or dietary needs. The ability to simply point your smartphone at a product’s barcode and know in seconds after a scan if a given product is safe or healthy to consume is a massive time saver when it comes to completing the already often arduous and certainly always time-consuming task of shopping for groceries. The database that backs up the company’s apps is updated daily as industry information and end-user feedback is processed by a dedicated team of nutritional experts who are continuously vetting products in order to provide consumers with the most up-to-date and accurate information possible.

With a growing suite of function-specific apps, including one for allergy and dietary needs ContentChecked, as well as SugarChecked, an app for Type 2 diabetics and people simply trying to watch their intake of refined sugars, and MigraineChecked, an app specifically for the more than 36 million Americans who experience food and beverage-triggered migraines or chronic daily headaches, ContentChecked Holdings, Inc. has established itself in short order as a true innovator in consumer awareness utility apps. And the apps do far more than just help users stay away from certain items that are flagged based on their defined settings and preferences by prompting users with a quick menu of alternative options that are either safe or healthier than what they are looking for. This simple, yet ingenious, software allows friends or family members to shop for people with complex dietary restrictions and food allergies, and do so without enduring long, drawn-out product reviews via typically busy product labels, or having to memorize a litany of user-specific things to avoid.

This is a process for parents who have kids with food allergies, but now there is a solution that is just a few clicks away, thanks to CNCK. Users can simple go to Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOG; GOOGL) Google Play store, or Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) AppStore, download the latest version of the company’s apps for a nominal fee, set them up for a specific user(s), and then shop with confidence – without the typical stress often associated with making complex dietary and allergy related calls while being jostled by other shoppers in the grocery aisle. The longer-term global potential for such apps is tremendous with a worldwide smartphone market that expanded 13 percent year over year in Q2 this year (according to International Data Corporation), and choice consumer markets in Europe and Asia which lack any similarly compelling offerings along these same lines.

Originally born out of a father’s frustration with the hassle of trying to help his daughter and her friends avoid food allergies and intolerances, with an initial release in Norway, the official launch of the company’s flagship ContentChecked app occurred as recently as February of 2015. Subsequent to going public in April of 2015 – after a reverse merger made ContentChecked a wholly-owned subsidiary of parent company CNCK and a $1.9 million private placement was secured for further development – this revolutionary company, which is creating the first truly user-centric marketplace for consumers and the businesses that cater to their needs, went on to quickly receive trading approval on OTCQB (in June), the primary OTC securities market for reporting issuers.

This still very young company’s product pipeline has a team of engineers at work behind the scenes constantly striving to keep the innovation ball rolling, with plans to tackle other usage demographics already in the offing, including apps for people who want to avoid GMO foods, or who want to eat a vegan, or kosher diet. In many ways the sky is the limit for this sort of rich, database-driven, user-centric consumer intelligence, and CNCK has no intention of resting on its laurels.

The company has come out of the box swinging hard in order to capture first-mover market share in what is an estimated $6 billion food allergy market. CNCK has managed to establish a noticeable presence in a very short time among consumers with dietary restrictions. Management is keen to keep on innovating, fully intent on evolving the company into the go-to source for in depth food and beverage product health and safety data.

Recognizing unmet needs shared by large groups of consumers and developing intuitive, easy to use apps that facilitate shopping or product avoidance/alternate product selection, via increasingly ubiquitous smartphones (which are now around 77 percent market penetration in the U.S.) is just half of he story here as well. The other half is the remainder of the marketplace created through such software, where producers, marketers and retailers themselves can begin to leverage the platform created by CNCK’s apps in order to directly court the business of consumers. The marketplace CNCK is creating will allow a wide range of supply-side entities to actively find and interact with consumers that seek out their products at the actual location of purchase. The very platform which today is primarily helping consumers make intelligent purchases, will no doubt become a major conduit for big data-driven marketing in the future, representing some very attractive digital real estate for CNCK that investors need to be aware of.

To dig deeper, visit ContentChecked at www.contentchecked.com

A recent report from one of the leading market research firms today, Packaged Facts – which has been at the forefront of consumer packaged goods, food and beverage, as well as demographic sector analysis now for over five decades – clearly indicates the strength of the U.S. pet products and services market, which did sales last year of around $73 billion. This is a huge pie for any company to carve into and grab a slice. The report’s trend lines show increased pet ownership rates, higher ecommerce spending on pets, and a population of pets that are living longer, just like their owners. These trends appear intact for the foreseeable future and it seems like everywhere you go on this planet, people just love their pets.

While the pet industry is considered to be resistant to recession, it is better to simply think of the industry today as being driven by family-oriented household spending, and therefore core to spending habits. Most pet owners consider their pets to be a regular member of the family and will go well out of their way to care for a pet, spending a great deal of money for the well-being, as well as overall happiness, of that family member.

Little wonder then that, even by the American Pet Products Association’s (APPA) more conservative estimates, based on their own compilation of various market research, the supplies segment of what they tallied as a $58 billion market last year was around $13.75 billion. With 45 million U.S. households currently owning dogs and 30 million households owning cats, any way one slices up the data, the numbers look good. The Packaged Facts report was keen to emphasize a 38 percent jump last year in the number of pet owners shopping online too, with heavy ecommerce hitters like Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) making it easier than ever to streamline product flow to end markets.

In an industry largely dominated on the services side by players like big box retail outfit PetSmart (NASDAQ: PETM) – which provides services like grooming and pet training, in addition to miles of aisles of pet products – the pet supply market is saturated with cookie-cutter tropes. Only a handful of companies are dedicated to creating defining brands and are capable of successfully cultivating what is essential to connecting with consumers in the pet products space: constant innovation and a tight feedback loop with the end users. A strong brand in this game is essential for success, but a company has to really make that connection with consumers through the products, winning them over to the superior style, design, continuity, and affordability of the brand.

One look at the latest product from rapidly developing proprietary pet supply company, OurPet’s Co. (OTCQX: OPCO), and it is plain to see that this operation really lives up to the vision of its founder, Dr. Steve Tsengas. Intelligent applications to toy design and product engineering, driven by deep insights into cat and dog biology, as well as psychology, have continually defined OPCO as a rising star within the industry.

Launched in May this year, the company’s new Catty Whack® electronic toy for cats was scientifically developed to stimulate the natural hunting instincts of our feline friends, using an erratic feather wand that darts in and out of six different holes and an enticing audio queue. Feeding the animal’s instinctual desires, as well as providing therapeutic mental diversion that is also good exercise, directly addresses the needs of the animal to make them calmer and well-adjusted to domestic life. Only three months after the product’s debut, the Catty Whack managed to take home the New Product Showcase Award for best new cat product at the pet supply industry’s major conference, SuperZoo 2015. The Catty Whack, featuring the company’s electronic RealMouse® sound and erratic movement technology, was voted “Best New Cat Product” in the New Product Showcase by pet industry retailers themselves, illustrating how captivating the design, quality, and overall execution truly is. The company wheeled out a bevy of new products at SuperZoo 2015 in Las Vegas this year, with toys and feeding solutions at the heart of the OPCO booth.

The Catty Whack stole the show though, and this one product is a perfect example of the wide array of trend-setting and highly unique ideas available via OPCO’s OurPets® and Pet Zone® portfolios. This dual-brand portfolio is respectively set up in order to provide a tailored experience for the company’s pet specialty trade customers on the one hand, and those in the mass-market, as well as food and drug channels on the other. The company creates an entire range of products designed to promote the comfort and enjoyment, as well as the health and safety of pets. From accessories and toys to well-designed feeders and bowls, OPCO even makes a constantly evolving selection of pet waste management solutions. Many of the company’s highly unique products are one-of-a-kind market entrants and nearly every offering from OPCO is protected by the company’s growing IP library of over 160 issued and pending patents.

Record Q2 revenues reported by OPCO in early August were no surprise to investors who have been following the company closely. And while quarterly net revenues were up only four percent compared to last year, net income shot through the roof, pulling in a 77 percent gain on strong receptivity in pet specialty end markets, primarily due to the company’s recently introduced bowl designs, as well as new cat toys and accessories.

The PetZone brand is also doing quite well in the mass market, food and drug channels, and a significant uptick in overall profit margins for the quarter was further enhanced by noticeably lower SG&A expenses. These guys run a tight ship it seems and the company even touted an upcoming rollout for a series of three new and proprietary feline waste management products early in 2016, which shows just how aggressively the company is delivering on consumer response to its brands of pet products.

Dr. Tsengas pointed out in the company‘s August 3 earnings conference call that ecommerce was picking up incredible amounts of steam for OPCO, and the segment currently represents about as much as 10 percent of the company’s footprint, which spans direct-mail catalog and internet, as well as leading pet specialty retailers and food, drug, and mass merchandisers. A strong relationship with ecommerce juggernaut Amazon.com doesn’t hurt of course and the company’s imminent expansion from Amazon Canada and Amazon US, with the upcoming Amazon UK opening, will set OPCO up very nicely for maximum product throughput capability. Already tapped for Amazon Japan and India, the sky is the limit for the company’s international brands of pet products, and because the language of design is universal, consumer resonance barriers to entry will be at a minimum.

OurPet’s Co. has honed its design process down to creating holistic products that unify the behavioral, lifestyle, and health needs of both pets and their owners. The result is truly astounding, with products so clever that consumers can’t say no. An example of this is the WonderBowl™ selective feeder, which uses a small infrared tag on the pet’s collar in combination with a properly positioned and unit-based sensor to open the transparent lid for feeding. This brilliant design helps keeps food fresh, ensures that only the correct pet eats from the correct dish, and also keeps anything from getting into the food. The product directly addresses an unmet need that can often be a big problem in multi-pet households and demonstrates how OPCO beautifully addresses that underserved demographic with an elegant solution.

Whether it is coming up with new toys to help stimulate a pet’s mind and therefore contribute to preventing unwanted behaviors, or creating gorgeous designer dog bowls in durable stainless steel, OurPet’s Company is constantly rifling great products out to a loyal user base. It is this kind of forward thinking in product design that is capturing the most sought after consumer dollar demographics in the pet supply space and OPCO is proving itself to be quite the dynamo, churning out creative solutions to underserved or unmet needs in the market.

For more information visit www.ourpets.com and www.petzonebrand.com

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As a growing investment company, Legacy Ventures International operates a business model focused on identifying high-potential businesses with scalable opportunity and sustainable growth. In the company’s own words, “We like to deal with category game changers.”

A bold statement of that nature requires an aggressive management team with considerable and equally as relevant industry experience, and Legacy Ventures CEO Evan Clifford fits the bill.

With more than 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur in the private and public sectors, Clifford has steadily built a network of pertinent business relationships in numerous industries. Throughout the last 10 years, Clifford has successfully steered companies and individuals to achieve professional and personal growth. This dexterity is aptly aligned with his leading role at Legacy Ventures, where the company’s corporate mission is to expand its brand portfolio.

Legacy Ventures current portfolio includes recently acquired RM Fresh Brands, a global servicer of food and beverage retailers and distributors, as well as Boxed Water, Aloe Gloe, Uncle Si’s Iced Tea and Chef 5-Minute Meals. Highly focused on further expansion of this portfolio, Legacy Ventures stands to benefit from excellent financial leadership, and this is where company CFO Rehan Saeed fits in.

Saeed contributes to Legacy Ventures more than 10 years of banking experience, during which he built and managed a real estate portfolio valued at $110 million. His resume also boasts a track record of successful revenue and profitability growth and corporate leadership.

In addition to growing its portfolio, Legacy Venture’s primary focus is, of course, maximizing shareholder value. The company recently commenced trading on the OTCQB venture-stage marketplace, further demonstrating its commitment to shareholders and financial growth.

Leveraging an aggressive business model, a strong management team, and a growing portfolio of game-changing companies and trend-setting products, Legacy Ventures is successfully charting its course for a constant state of forward-motion.

For more information visit www.legacyventuresinc.com

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Harmful products and practices to the environment are a growing concern in today’s world. That’s why Galenfeha, Inc. stands by its company’s pledge of developing environmentally-safe products that promote efficiency. The company designs and manufactures clean stored energy alternatives that power various machines. It creates a line of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries and chemical injection systems that deliver high performance without releasing damaging emissions.

GLFH’s LiFePO4 battery is lightweight and can easily replace damaging lead-acid batteries that can severely impact the environment. The battery contains no acid and lead and therefore does not emit any gasses during use. The battery also has a Battery Management System (BMS) to monitor voltage, internal temperatures, and charging amounts. These factors contribute to the battery’s long life.

Additionally, the firm successfully built a battery system to use in golf carts. First, since the battery has no acid or lead, the carts do not give off any emission. Second, the battery allows for a significant decrease in weight for the vehicle since only four batteries are needed instead of the usual six. Lastly, the golf carts can be charged at the end of each season then moved to storage without fear of charge loss since the battery has long staying power.

GLFH recently announced its partnership with Oil and Gas Equipment Inc., an oil and gas production supplier, that will distribute its products over a greater area. Even before that, GLFH partnered with Control Equipment Inc., another oil and gas distributor, to expand its market. Establishing key alliances has increased cash-flow and revenues for GLFH that exceed last year’s numbers. This increase will promote the use of a large manufacturing facility to produce even more alternative products.

James Ketner, founder and CEO of Galenfeha, stated that, “Our products are quickly becoming industry leaders, greatly improving efficiency for oil and gas production and operations.” With its new partnerships, the company hopes to expand its brand while staying committed to being a leader in eco-friendly stored energy alternatives.

For more information, please visit www.galenfeha.com

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Lingo Media Corp. is an EdTech company that’s changing the way the world learns English through an innovative combination of proven educational techniques and accessible technology. The company provides both online and print-based solutions through its two distinct business units: ELL Technologies and Lingo Learning. Through ELL Technologies, Lingo has made considerable progress in English-learning markets throughout Latin America. Through print-based publisher Lingo Learning, the company has built a significant presence in the Chinese education market, which includes more than 300 million students.

The company’s groundbreaking English programs are developed and marketed for students at every stage of development – from the classroom to the boardroom. This versatility has allowed Lingo to secure contracts and build relationships with clients in a variety of markets around the globe. In Mexico, a subsidiary of the company has partnered with a recognized university that allows it to offer its courses along with certification. In Peru, the company’s subsidiary provides its groundbreaking Scholar program to a branch of the country’s armed forces.

Through ELL Technologies, Lingo also markets electronic learning solutions that are suitable for pre-readers. Lingo’s Kids program – which features cross-platform, multi-browser compatibility – requires no prior knowledge of the English language, allowing the company to address the entire student life cycle in blended learning environments, traditional classroom settings and the home with one cutting-edge solution. The Kids program addresses the critically underserved pre-school market, which includes roughly 181.4 million children across Asia and 30.1 million throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, according to UNESCO.

Although Lingo has traditionally leaned on its print-based offerings as a primary source of revenue, the company’s recent efforts to shift into the thriving eLearning market have highlighted the immense potential of a more heavily digital approach. In the second quarter of 2015, Lingo recorded more revenue from digital products than print-based solutions for the first time in its history. With the global eLearning market set to reach $107 billion in 2015, according to a report by Global Industry Analysts, the company’s performance and growing foothold in some of the world’s most rapidly expanding markets place it in a favorable position.

For more information, visit www.lingomedia.com

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International Stem Cell Corp., a California-based biotech company developing novel stem cell-based therapies and biomedical products, this morning said it will make an oral presentation on the comprehensive results of its preclinical development of human parthenogenetic neural stem cells (hPNSCs) for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease at the upcoming Neuroscience 2015 in Chicago.

The session, entitled, “Therapeutics of Parkinson’s Disease: Preclinical Studies,” will take place October 20 from 8 a.m.-10:15 a.m. ET.

“The comprehensive data collected from our extensive GLP studies serve as proof of safety and efficacy for our planned clinical trial for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease in Australia. We look forward to providing an update on the status of our regulatory submission to the Australian government in the near future,” Russell A. Kern, Ph.D. chief scientific officer of ISCO, stated in the news release.

ISCO’s Parkinson’s disease program uses human parthenogenetic neural stem cells (hPNSC), which are a novel therapeutic cellular product derived from ISCO’s proprietary human pluripotent stem cells. hPNSC are self-renewing multipotent cells that are precursors for the major cells of the central nervous system. The ability of hPNSC to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons and express neurotrophic factors to protect the nigrostriatal system offers a new opportunity for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology (www.lifelinecelltech.com), and stem cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care (www.lifelineskincare.com).

For more information visit www.internationalstemcell.com