Level Brands, Inc. (NYSE American: LEVB), an innovative marketing and licensing company that provides bold, unconventional, and socially responsible branding for leading businesses, on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 announced a seven-year licensing agreement with Boston Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: BTHE), an innovator in the design, development and commercialization of novel therapeutics for diabetes and related complications. Under the terms of the agreement, Boston Therapeutics is licensing the kathy ireland® Health & Wellness brand to market its popular diabetes supplement, Sugardown®.
The Backstory: Boston Therapeutics will pay Level Brands an initial marketing fee of $850,000 to produce intellectual property to support the marketing efforts of the newest product to be branded under kathy ireland® Health & Wellness, plus ongoing royalties. Diabetes affects an estimated 371 million people worldwide, according to the International Diabetes Federation., and is growing at a rate that requires immediate intervention. In the U.S., more than 100 million adults are now living with diabetes or prediabetes, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in July 2017.
Why It Matters: Sugardown®, a chewable dietary supplement for glycemic health, has been shown in clinical studies to help reduce post-meal elevation of blood sugar levels by up to 60% using galactomannans, a group of complex polysaccharides derived from plants that have been shown to possess significant activity in moderating post-meal blood glucose levels. Managing blood sugar levels is one key to maintaining optimum health and body weight, especially for those at risk of diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Key Quote: “CDC Research shows that diagnosis of diabetes and prediabetes is on the rise. Diabetes is a contributing factor to other serious health conditions such as obesity, heart disease and kidney disease. For this reason, we are thrilled to partner with Boston Therapeutics, whose scientific research and development of this innovative supplement reflects the dedication of the kathy ireland® Health & Wellness brand to bring the most evolved wellness options to market.” Kathy Ireland®, Level Brands’ Chairman Emeritus and Chief Brand Strategist
Disclosure
(Level Brands [NYSE: LEVB] is a client of RedChip Companies. LEVB agreed to pay RedChip a monthly cash fee and 5,000 shares of Rule 144 stock for four months of RedChip investor awareness services.)
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'Sell the News' Buying Opportunity on Canopy Growth (NYSE: CGC)
Canada became the first G7 nation to decriminalize marijuana last week, as experts predicted. One of the long-term benefactors of the move, industry giant Canopy Growth (NYSE: CGC), saw its shares give back much of the preceding run-up in the wake of the news as investors who bought in earlier this year took healthy double-digit profits.
Why It Matters: The move by Canada is truly groundbreaking and could set precedent for other major nations to follow. With its shares pulling back sharply to the low $30 range, CGC provides a compelling entry for investors looking to gain exposure to what has become one of the true industry leaders.
What’s Next: While the move to decriminalization should begin to positively impact CGC in the second half of 2018 and beyond, it’s worth stressing the larger potential ramifications of Canada blazing the trail ahead for other nations, like the U.S. Around 30 states have already legalized some form of cannabis use, it seems like only a matter of time before federal prohibition ends. Cannabis stocks could soar when that happens.
Immuron (NASDAQ: IMRN) Announces Appointment of Richard Jay Berman to Board
Australian biopharmaceutical company Immuron Limited (NASDAQ: IMRN) is pleased to announce the appointment of New York based Mr. Richard Jay Berman to serve as a Director of the Company, effective July 1, 2018.
The Backstory: Richard Berman's business career spans over 35 years of venture capital, senior management, and merger and acquisitions experience. Mr. Berman is a well-respected and seasoned professional, senior executive and public company Board member with extensive experience in many business sectors including finance, technology, retail, bio-science and real estate. Mr. Berman is a director of three public healthcare companies: Advaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADXS), Catasys, Inc. (NASDAQ: CATS), and Cryoport Inc. (NASDAQ: CYRX). He has also served as a director or officer of more than a dozen public and private companies. He is a past Director of the Stern School of Business of NYU, where he obtained his BS and MBA. He also has US and foreign law degrees from Boston College and The Hague Academy of International Law, respectively.
Disclosure
(Immuron Ltd. [NASDAQ: IMRN] is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. IMRN agreed to pay RedChip Companies, Inc. a monthly cash fee for (3) months of investor awareness services, which includes this research report.)
Ligand (NASDAQ: LGND) Receives $47 Million from WuXi Biologics for Expansion of Worldwide OmniAb® Platform
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: LGND) announced it has received $47 million as a result of signing an amendment relating to its OmniAb platform agreement with WuXi Biologics (“WuXi Bio”, SEHK: 2269.HK). This amendment provides WuXi Bio more efficiency in expanding its OmniAb antibody discovery services.
Under the previous license agreement, OmniAb antibodies discovered and sub-licensed by WuXi Bio generated potential pre-defined contract payments to Ligand and potential royalties on global product sales. Under the amended agreement, Ligand will continue to be eligible to earn royalties at the same rate and terms as the previous agreement and the pre-defined contract payments have been eliminated. With this new business relationship, WuXi Bio believes it will be able to increase the number of OmniAb antibodies it discovers for its clients in China and around the world.
Key Quote: “This expanded agreement with WuXi Bio demonstrates the continued success of our OmniAb platform, and illustrates the focus and ongoing efforts by OmniAb partners to advance their OmniAb pipelines. There are now eight OmniAb-derived antibodies at clinical-stage, and a number of other programs are advancing as well.” John Higgins, Chief Executive Officer of Ligand
The Backstory: Ligand is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing or acquiring technologies that help pharmaceutical companies discover and develop medicines. Our business model creates value for stockholders by providing a diversified portfolio of biotech and pharmaceutical product revenue streams that are supported by an efficient and low corporate cost structure. Our goal is to offer investors an opportunity to participate in the promise of the biotech industry in a profitable, diversified and lower-risk business than a typical biotech company. Our business model is based on doing what we do best: drug discovery, early-stage drug development, product reformulation and partnering.
Dotloop®, a collaborative platform for real estate professionals that enables agents, brokers, and third-party service providers to complete the entire real estate transaction online, has renovated its Cincinnati headquarters, increasing its footprint in historical Longworth Hall from 12,000 square feet to 24,000 square feet. The additional office space will allow dotloop to double its headcount from 80 employees when the company was acquired by Seattle-based Zillow® Group (NASDAQ: ZG) in 2015 to over 160 employees this year.
Why It Matters: The renovated office demonstrates Zillow Group's commitment to Cincinnati. Dotloop was founded in Cincinnati in 2009.
The Backstory: During a re-opening celebration at the office, Zillow Group will also present a check for $25,000 to Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, a local non-profit that provides property development and management, residential services and tenant advocacy to low-income residents. The donation is made possible through Zillow Group's Home Project, the company's signature social impact program, which aims to address housing insecurity by pledging up to $5 million in cash and in-kind contributions over the next five years to support vulnerable families.
Key Quote: “Investing in the Midwest is an important priority for Zillow Group, and we're excited to expand our presence in Cincinnati.” Dan Spaulding, Chief People Officer, Zillow Group
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Acumedia® and Lab M® brands become Neogen Culture Media (NASDAQ: NEOG)
Neogen Corporation (NASDAQ: NEOG) announced that its Acumedia® and Lab M® products are being combined and rebranded as Neogen Culture Media. The company has worked for over a year to provide a global brand of media harmonized for world-wide use.
Key Quote: “Neogen's culture media products are used by leading scientists and researchers around the world in a variety of applications, including food safety and the production of vaccines. The global harmonization of the products under the Neogen Culture Media brand means that our customers will receive the exact same formulation for the same product, wherever in the world they may be.” John Adent, Neogen’s president and CEO
The Backstory: Neogen Corporation develops and markets products dedicated to food and animal safety. The company's Food Safety Division markets culture media and diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases and sanitation concerns. Neogen's Animal Safety Division is a leader in the development of animal genomics along with the manufacturing and distribution of a variety of animal healthcare products, including diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, veterinary instruments, wound care and disinfectants.
Twilio (NYSE: TWLO) Launches Build: A Partner Program for an API-First World
Twilio (NYSE: TWLO), the leading cloud communications platform, today announced Twilio Build, a partner program designed from the ground up with an API-first, developer-first approach.
Twilio Build delivers go-to-market support, certification and training programs, and a partner success team to support consulting and technology organizations as they partner with Twilio to innovate for their customers, grow their businesses, and transform the communications industry. Twilio’s investment in its partner program accelerates the company’s ongoing go-to-market efforts and will fuel the company’s next stage of growth as it takes on a $1.45 trillion market.
Key Quote: “Twilio’s unique API-first cloud platform is tailor-made to support an ecosystem of partners that are differentiated by the innovations they deliver for their customers.” Ron Huddleston, chief partners officer at Twilio
The Backstory: More than 2 million developers around the world have used Twilio to unlock the magic of communications to improve any human experience. Twilio has democratized communications channels like voice, text, chat, and video by virtualizing the world’s telecommunications infrastructure through APIs that are simple enough for any developer to use, yet robust enough to power the world’s most demanding applications. By making communications a part of every software developer's toolkit, Twilio is enabling innovators across every industry — from emerging leaders to the world’s largest organizations — to reinvent how companies engage with their customers.
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Galaxy Next Generation (OTC: FLCR) Begins Trading on OTC Markets
Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. (OTC: FLCR), a U.S. distributor of interactive learning technology hardware and software that create fully collaborative instructional environments, completed its reverse merger with Full Circle Registry, Inc., an SEC reporting company, on June 22, 2018. With a robust pipeline of opportunities and the busiest buying season of the year coming up, the timing for Galaxy Next couldn’t be better.
Why It Matters: The education technology market surpassed $17.7 billion in sales in 2017 and is expected to grow to $40.9 billion, an 18.3% compound annual growth rate, by 2022. Galaxy Next provides a suite of competitively positioned technology solutions that exceed the evolving needs of today’s educators. Revenue for fiscal year 2019, ending June 30 of next year, is forecasted to grow more than 200% to as much as $20 million to $22 million. With attractive net margins, the company expects $3 million in net income for the same period.
Key Quote: “After successfully completing a transformative repositioning in the interactive flat panel display market in 2017, and with the benefits of a recent capital raise and other key achievements, Galaxy is set for strong growth in 2018 and beyond.” – Gary LeCroy, Founder & CEO
What’s Next: Having just completed its reverse merger in the past week, Galaxy Next is under the radar of pretty much everyone on Wall Street. But with an industry-leading position and triple-digit growth forecasted for the foreseeable future, it won’t be long before some players take interest.
Disclosure
(Galaxy Next Generation [OTC:FLCR] is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. FLCR agreed to pay RedChip Companies, Inc. a monthly cash fee for 4 months of investor awareness services.)
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60 Esports Teams Signed Affiliate Marketing Deals with Esports Entertainment (OTCQB: GMBL)
Esports Entertainment (OTCQB:GMBL), a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, announced the signing of affiliate marketing agreements with 10 additional esports teams as it ramps up activities in support of its recent launch of VIE (https://vie.gg), the world’s safest, most secure and transparent esports wagering platform.
Why It Matters: The addition of these 10 esports teams brings the total number of esports team affiliates to 60 since the Company’s first announcement in early April. No other esports wagering site has ever signed an affiliate marketing agreement with any esports team. The Company anticipates more affiliate agreements with esports teams throughout 2018.
Key Quote: “We expect to sign many more such agreements with esports teams over the summer, with Gamescom 2018 expected to be our biggest week at the end of August. The industry has sent us a loud and clear message – our transparent and trusted P2P esports wagering platform is exactly what the esports world has been waiting for.” – Grant Johnson, CEO
What’s Next: In addition to its impressive and exclusive roster of esports teams, GMBL has signed up dozens of esports streaming services as affiliates. Their large networks of active viewing fans could fuel growth for years to come.
Disclosure
(Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. [OTCQB:GMBL] is a client of RedChip Companies, Inc. GMBL agreed to pay RedChip Companies, Inc. a monthly cash fee for six (6) months of RedChip investor awareness services.)
In a recent feature on TheStreet, Taylor Nicole Rogers highlights several key factors that drive experts to suggest small-caps as a haven during a trade war.
Domestically focused
Outperforming market
Benefit from regulatory relief
For details on these factors and more, read the full feature at the link above.
Quote of the Week
"Small caps outperform not because of market capitalization alone but because the stocks in this category are least efficiently priced."
- James O'Shaughnessy, Author of What Works on Wall Street
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