Sign Up NowThis Month's Tiny Gems - November 2016

Cogint, Inc. (NASDAQ: COGT)
Conatus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNAT)
CytoSorbents Corp. (NASDAQ: CTSO)
eXp World Holdings Inc. (EXPI)
Moxian, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOXC)
Net Element (NETE)

 

 

 

Cogint, Inc. (COGT)

 

Distilling complexity into actionable intelligence is the core focus for recently rebranded data analytics outfit Cogint, Inc. (NASDAQ: COGT) Cogint rang the NASDAQ bell (http://nnw.fm/B0Swh) only a handful of days after transitioning shares over to the exchange, amid a big push by the company to secure and expand an increasingly dominant footprint in massive scale, people-based digital marketing and customer acquisition solutions via its Fluent (http://nnw.fm/Q2iP0) subsidiary. Fluent is a data-driven performance marketing suite powered by the same proprietary, next-gen data fusion platform known as CORE™, which also powers the company's analytical and risk management solutions.

 

Fluent is changing the laws of marketing with a suite of tools that enable the company's clients to serve personalized, targeted ads and acquire extremely loyal brand customers by leveraging user-generated responses and real-time interactivity. With digital display ad spending overtaking search ad spending this year for the first time in history – as the biggest categories like video, rich media and banners take up approximately half the $32 billion plus pie (http://nnw.fm/6f3Yl) – a hyper-targeted and user-centric digital marketing/customer acquisition and retention solution like Fluent finds itself in an advantageous position when it comes to distinguishing itself.

 

Over 500 leading brands, such as online home improvement marketplace BuildDirect, Finish Line (NASDAQ: FINL) and Western Union (NYSE: WU), already trust Fluent to deliver the goods, and have come to rely upon the industry-leading data acquisition, mobile app install and performance display ad solutions located within the suite. BuildDirect, for instance, saw a 25 percent jump in user engagement thanks to Fluent's ReConnect™ solution for supercharging an email marketing program.

 

One secret to Fluent's success in this arena is the immense reservoir of proprietary consumer data that the company already has at its fingertips. The marketing suite is empowered by an enviable feedback loop with the consumers themselves, consisting of over 700,000 direct user interactions, six million survey responses, and more than 1.2 million ad responses per day. A brand looking to do consumer marketing through mobile user acquisition/retention, other audience engagements tool and data acquisition has a powerful over-the-horizon radar system in Fluent. And the platform has a proven track record of being able to produce tangible results, relying to a great extent on the unprecedented precision of the platform's user-driven targeting matrix.

 

The company plans to dramatically increase the size and scope of Fluent's business moving forward (http://nnw.fm/Qjhh8), using a combination of diligent retargeting of pre-qualified audiences across all connected device types, and the enabling of mobile display, search, social, video and eventually addressable television campaigns. This is where Cogint's Q Interactive (http://nnw.fm/X5euX) subsidiary really shines, as a direct publisher crafting tailored lead generation for digital, performance-based campaigns – and one which is squarely focused on maximizing advertiser's return on investment. Q Interactive works hand-in-hand with advertisers to hone the target matrix of ideal consumer profiles down to the ideal level, exploiting the company's enormous user engagement envelope to intelligently place a given brand, product or service directly in front of those most receptive to it. At the same time, Q Interactive is able to drive high quality traffic generation by being able to offer publishers first rate monetization for the best traffic. Q Interactive's various promotions, coupons, sample campaigns and the like are some of the most lucrative monetizing properties online today.

 

Again, at the center of all this is a cloud-based custom data analytics backbone engineered from the ground up to handle any kind of data type (such as behavioral and demographic, or transactional), and deliver actionable intelligence that is suitable to any industry. Actually the fusion of CORE and the company's Agile Acquisition Engine™, this same technology backbone that enables complex digital performance marketing tasks also enables COGT to offer its clients the ability to do extremely in-depth investigative work. Tasks such as fraud detection/prevention, identity verification, regulatory compliance, and location (skip) tracing are a breeze for Cogint's IDI (Interactive Data) subsidiary and its idiCORE (http://nnw.fm/Nz7lb) investigative solution. This is really worth taking into consideration when you look at a report like the one out of IDC last month, which not only projected that big data and analytics would go more mainstream in coming years, but that the market is on track to top $203 billion by 2020 (http://nnw.fm/P4mfP).

 

While similar data fusion architectures may exist, they are costly and largely outdated. On the other hand, idiCORE is an extremely efficient (and therefore less expensive) system, which is able to yield higher-fidelity data and at a lower cost. The idiCORE platform utilizes proprietary linking technology (algos/logic) and machine learning principles which, when paired with the company's massive data repository (that includes credit header data, public records, private/proprietary sources and more), allows for superb relational resolutions, whether one is looking at connections, individual people, or assets. And idiCORE has an impressive pedigree too, being the next-gen data fusion solution that stands on the shoulders of data fusion pioneer Hank Asher's work. Asher was the architect behind market heavy hitters Accurint® (http://nnw.fm/Mj1Nm) (now owned by LexisNexis, RELX Group) and TLOxp® (http://nnw.fm/SrIi8), now owned by TransUnion (NYSE: TRU).

 

CEO and Interim President of COGT, Derek Dubner, worked closely with Asher (regarded by many as the father of data fusion) for 15 years and was general counsel to TLO, from its inception through to its eventual sale to TransUnion. Dubner was quite proud of idiCORE's recent successes during COGT's Q3 earnings call (http://nnw.fm/4WLeZ), where he highlighted the addition of key foundational datasets, including a gigantic database of motor vehicle records to idiCORE, as well as the platform's improved data sorting features.

 

Most noteworthy among the quarterly data release is a 27 percent revenue uptick to $52.2 million (compared to Q2), with performance marketing having accounted for the lion's share of revenues at around 70 percent. Dubner also threw a spotlight on the ongoing expansion of the company's cutting-edge idiCORE investigative solution, particularly as it relates to Cogint's risk management division, before touting the enhanced search functionality and accuracy idiCORE now possesses.

 

It's no wonder the company recently tapped two industry veterans to join the team. Harry Jordan came on board as COO in early August (http://nnw.fm/Pm5ny) and brought two decades with outfits like LexisNexis along, including a wealth of experience in M&A that led to such landmark deals as the ChoicePoint and Seisint acquisitions. Twenty-year industry veteran Jeff Dell was appointed CIO in mid-September (http://nnw.fm/YTv5C). A natural transition from the same roles Dell played at TLO and Seisint, roles which uniquely prepared him to be the top information security professional for COGT, as the company expands and looks to continue increasing security.

 

Dubner was keen to point out in the Q3 earnings call that there was a whopping 400 percent CAGR for Q3 when it comes to the number of online transactions done using idiCORE. It's very exciting statistic about how ingrained this intuitive solution has already become among end markets, as well as being a positive sign about the raw, overall platform adoption rates. Additionally, Dubner cited the abnormally high number of contract versus transactional usages seen thus far with idiCORE, remarking how odd it was for a new product on launch. It's a very positive sign indeed, as it indicates end users are having a very good reaction to the solution, from both usability and intuitiveness standpoints.

 

Wringing actionable intelligence from the complex web of information requires a database-spanning fusion engine such as idiCORE. This data fusion engine can deliver the kind of penetrating investigative and risk management capabilities needed to map and study the intricate connections between even seemingly disparate data points like assets, businesses, or people – and idiCORE can do it all in real-time.

 

 

 

Conatus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CNAT)

 

Conatus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNAT), a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of new medicines to treat a variety of liver diseases, recently announced its results for the third quarter of 2016 ended September 30.

 

The focus has been on the development of its lead compound, Emricasan, an orally active pan-caspase protease inhibitor that should reduce the activity of human caspases, the enzymes that mediate inflammation and apoptosis. CNAT believes that by reducing the activity of these enzymes, its compound, Emricasan, can interrupt the progress of liver disease and provide potential treatments.

 

In terms of financial results, the third quarter earnings loss was in-line with street estimates, and cash on hand stands at approximately $31.1 million, which the company believes is enough to maintain operations throughout 2017. Although net loss was slightly higher than this time last year, research and development, administrative, personnel, consulting, legal, and accounting expenses were up due to the progression of the company's ENCORE program.

 

This month, the company initiated a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase IIb clinical trial called ENCORE-PH, which will show results after 24 weeks of twice-daily treatments with Emricasan. Two other ongoing Emricasan phase IIb clinical trials include POLT-HCV-SVR and ENCORE-NF. All phase IIb clinical trials evaluate the potential improvements in various forms of fibrosis and steatohepatitis, as well as the effects Emricasan.

 

A number of analysts have now published positive reports on Conatus Pharmaceuticals. Zacks Investment Research upgraded the company from 'Hold' status to 'Buy', while several other research firms offered CNAT an 'Outperform' status and upped their price targets on shares. Price targets range from $6 to $16.

 

Aegis Capital Corp. (http://nnw.fm/5xnvL) published a company update report giving Conatus Pharmaceuticals a 'Buy' rating with a price target of $7. This was based on the fact that the company's EPS is in line for the third quarter of 2016, in addition to the announcement of the ENCORE-PH trial initiation earlier this month.

 

Several large investors have made changes to their positions in the company's stocks, according to an article on the Cerbat Gem Market and News Analysis (http://nnw.fm/0Y6bl) website. The article reports that KCG Holdings, Inc. bought a new stake in shares during Q3 2016 worth $135,000, and that E. Shaw & Co. and Bank of New York Mellon Corp. upped their stakes in shares by over 94% and 2%, respectively. Courage Capital Management LLC also bought a new stake in shares worth $200,000, while Vanguard Group, Inc. boosted its stake in shares by over 3%.

 

 

 

CytoSorbents Corp. (CTSO)

 

November has been a promising month for CytoSorbents Corp. (NASDAQ: CTSO), a critical care immunotherapy company. The New Jersey-based company, specializing in blood purification to control deadly inflammation in critically ill and cardiac surgery patients, reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2016.

 

CTSO reported that product sales for the third quarter of this year were up to $2.14 million, a new record, marking the sixth quarter in a row to show substantial growth with sales up by 100% from 2015's $1.07 million. The jump was attributed to increases in both direct sales and sales through distributors.

 

Total revenue for the third quarter of 2016, including product sales and grant revenue, came in at $2.4 million, marking an overall gross margin of $1.4 million compared to $0.7 million in the third quarter of 2015. In addition, product gross margins for the third quarter of 2016 were approximately 5% higher than in the same quarter of 2015.

 

As a result, Aegis Capital Corp. upgraded its CytoSorbents estimates, offering the company a 'Buy' rating with a target price of $20. The report states: "CTSO reported revenues of $2.41 million versus consensus of $2.21 million and our $2.25 million estimate." The report also highlighted that Aegis expects further acceleration through 2017.

 

Highlights from the report include the growth of CytoSorb sales of 13,000 units, the fact that REFRESH 1 met its safety endpoint, and that CytoSorbents has $6.4 million in cash with $5 million available from its credit facility with Bridge Bank. As a result, the company expects to have enough funding for its operations through the second half of 2017.

 

CytoSorbents' Q3 2016 sales report is not the only aspect of the company's recent success. In November of this year, CTSO announced the addition of Belgium and Luxembourg to its direct sales directories, expanding its distribution to include 42 countries around the world. These new additions will allow CytoSorbents to target these focused markets with its own direct sales force.

 

 

 

eXp World Holdings Inc. (EXPI)

 

eXp World Holdings Inc. (EXPI) is the holding company for a number of businesses, most notably eXp Realty LLC, the Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage™. eXp Realty is a full-service real estate brokerage offering 24/7 access to a suite of collaborative tools, training features and socialization channels designed to meet the unique needs of real estate brokers and agents. By creating a fully-immersive, cloud office environment for real estate professionals, eXp effectively reduces agents' overhead, increases their profits and provides greater service value to consumers.

 

Through eXp Realty's innovative platform, agents and brokers are afforded the opportunity to earn equity in exchange for production and contributions to company growth. Additionally, eXp features an aggressive revenue sharing program that pays agents a percentage of the gross commission income earned by fellow professionals they recruit into the company. The result is a shared ownership community featuring a synergistic and collaborative group of forward-thinking, entrepreneurial professionals. With the emergence of the internet as the most powerful property marketing and advertising medium, eXp's internet and cloud technologies have helped thousands of consumers find, buy or sell homes without the need for a brick and mortar real estate office.

 

Since its launch in October 2009, eXp Realty has experienced rapid growth, with brokerage service now offered in 35 U.S. states and Alberta, Canada. In February 2016, the company officially welcomed its 1,000th real estate professional into its family of agent-owners, up from just 467 agents at the end of 2014. Following this achievement, the Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage claimed a spot among the top 50 real estate brokerages in the United States based on agent count, according to data from RISMEDIA's 2015 PowerBroker 500 Report.

 

Similarly, eXp Realty generated record financial results during 2015. Following the launch of two new initiatives – including an online lead generation program and a stock compensation plan – the company achieved a 71 percent year-over-year increase in net revenues, recording $22.87 million for the year. As it continues to expand its footprint across North America, eXp Realty will look to leverage its unique agent-owned business model to continue attracting driven, entrepreneurial agents and real estate industry leaders while promoting sustainable financial growth.

 

 

 

Moxian, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOXC)

 

Moxian, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOXC) engages in the business of providing social marketing and promotion platforms designed to help merchants accelerate and advertise their business growth through social media. These 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.

 

Developed in Shenzhen, China, Moxian integrates social media, entertainment and business intelligence. The Multi-Channel Social Commerce Platform, which includes a variety of tools such as Moxian's proprietary Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) system, 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."

 

Moxian+ User App serves as an App driven for consumer users to use the platform, consisting of our proprietary virtual currency (MO-Coin and MO-Points), social networking, redemption centre and game centre. 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 merchant, 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 tool built for 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 report customized to their own shop.

 

Moxian's management team has more than 100 years of combined experience in a variety of pertinent endeavors, including management of private and public enterprise, multi-national organizations, quality, engineering and procurement, finance, marketing, communication and more. Together, Moxian's management team is effecting the company's aim to create and lead a personalized social network platform that best fits users and businesses.

 

 

 

Net Element (NETE)

 

Net Element (NETE) operates a payments-as-a-service transactional and value-added services platform for small to medium enterprises in the United States and select emerging markets. Leveraging a network of subsidiaries operating in the mobile payments and value-added transactional services space – including Unified Payments, Aptito and PayOnline – Net Element is committed to promoting consistent and strong growth, as illustrated by its position as one of the South Florida Business Journal's 'Top 25 Fastest-Growing Technology Companies'. In the first seven months of 2016 alone, the company realized a 77 percent year-over-year increase in transactional processing volume when discounting the effects of foreign currency exchange.

 

A major contributor to this sustained growth has been Net Element's PayOnline subsidiary, which offers state-of-the-art payment technologies that are currently employed by more than 3,000 online enterprises across Europe and Asia. To bolster this position, the company has continued to expand its presence in Central Asia, most recently through the opening of a new office in Kazakhstan, the largest country in the region. Since its first anchor project in Kazakhstan in June 2015, PayOnline has entered agreements with more than 180 online merchants in Central Asia, and the region is expected to offer an opportunity for tremendous growth in the coming years as the proliferation of electronic commerce takes hold.

 

The growth of PayOnline throughout Eurasia has been accompanied by both awards and industry recognition. Independent analytical agency Markswebb Rank & Report ranked PayOnline as a top five payment acceptance company in its 2016 Internet Acquiring Rank report, and a second analytical agency, Tagline.ru, ranked PayOnline as a leading payment gateway in its 2016 Payment Systems Rating. The company's management team attributes this success to PayOnline's "innovative, customer-focused products and services."

 

Net Element is led by a seasoned management team offering a unique blend of leadership, vision, experience and creative energy. Oleg Firer, the company's chief executive officer, formerly served as the executive chairman of Unified Payments up until its acquisition by Net Element's TOT Group in April 2013. Under his guidance, Unified Payments achieved rapid growth, earning the top spot on Inc. Magazine's list of fastest-growing companies in 2012. As a result, Firer was recognized by Forbes as one of the 'Five Incredible Entrepreneurs' and by Business Leader Magazine as a 'Top Entrepreneur in South Florida'.