SUNRISE, FL, Oct. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXTP) (the ‘Company’ or ‘NextPlay’), a digital business ecosystem for consumers, digital advertisers, video gamers and travelers, announced today the plans to form the MedTrek Fund, which is expected to be a blockchain securitized closed-end fund. The fund once formed, is anticipated to seek to list on multiple regulated exchanges, subject to regulatory approval.
The Company has designed a new class of medical facilities that integrates unique geometries and technologies it believes will reduce the spread of infection.
According to a World Health Organization (“WHO”) report in 2019, an estimated 7 percent of hospitalized patients in high-income countries and 10% of hospitalized patients in low- and middle-income countries will acquire one or more health care-associated infections (“HAIs”) at any given time.
The new class of medical facilities, planned to be developed by the Fund, is expected to combine proprietary physical designs and technologies with the goal of protecting patients from the spread of infection and harm from physical intrusion.
The Company believes that the Fund, once formed, will have the ability to offer facilities designed to lower the likelihood of infection for four medical asset classes including primary care, tertiary care, long term care and resort convalescent facilities. The Fund is also expected to invest in wellness-oriented residential and commercial facilities that are integrated with the proposed physical and technological layers.
NextPlay is in discussions with prime landowners in several countries to contribute their property assets to the proposed Fund. These countries, including Thailand which had the world’s largest share of medical tourism in 2019 (according to the Grandview Research report discussed below), have experienced significant declines in tourism due to COVID-19, but are expected to have robust medical tourism growth in the coming years. Additionally, NextPlay is also in discussions with certain medical service providers located around the world who are interested in offering services in facilities that resist infection spread, and offer a higher level of physical security.
The Fund’s initial focus is expected to be Southeast Asia where we believe such facilities are most likely to benefit from expected growth in medical tourism. According to Grandview Research, the medical tourism market is expected to grow from $44.8 billion in 2019 to $207.9 billion by 2027, with Thailand currently having the largest market share.
Bill Kerby, co-CEO of NextPlay, stated, “The MedTrek Token is planned to be the first of several crypto-securitized alternative assets that we expect to issue through our FinTech division which includes our indirect ownership in Longroot Holding (Thailand) Company Limited. Through our efforts to date, we believe we have identified opportunities in medical tourism and its adjacencies. Leveraging on our partners’ significant understanding of real estate development, we believe that we can help catalyze on the growth potential we see in medical tourism by using common sense design and the deployment of latest technologies including Internet of Things and Machine Learning.”
The planned Fund discussed above has not been formed to date, and such formation and anticipated benefits and offerings, are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, and may not progress on the timeline as currently anticipated, or at all.
The Company’s short video explaining MedTrek is available here.
About NextPlay Technologies
NextPlay Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTP) is a technology solutions company offering games, in-game advertising, crypto-banking, connected TV and travel booking services to consumers and corporations within a growing worldwide digital ecosystem. NextPlay’s engaging products and services utilize innovative AdTech, Artificial Intelligence and Fintech solutions to leverage the strengths and channels of its existing and acquired technologies. To learn more about NextPlay, visit NextPlayTechnologies.com, and follow us on Twitter @NextPlayTech and LinkedIn.
Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Disclaimers
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations, opinions, belief or forecasts of future events and performance. A statement identified by the use of forward-looking words including “will,” “may,” “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimate,” “should,” and certain of the other foregoing statements may be deemed forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future activities and results to be materially different from those suggested or described in this news release.
Factors that may cause such a difference include risks and uncertainties related to our need for additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all, which raises questions about our ability to continue as a going concern; certain required regulatory approvals, which may not be met within our expected timeframe, if at all; the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and is expected to continue to have, a significant material adverse impact on the travel industry and our business, operating results and liquidity; amounts owed to us by third parties which may not be paid timely, if at all; certain amounts we owe under outstanding indebtedness which are secured by substantially all of our assets and penalties we may incur in connection therewith; the fact that we have significant indebtedness, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition; uncertainty and illiquidity in credit and capital markets which may impair our ability to obtain credit and financing on acceptable terms and may adversely affect the financial strength of our business partners; our ability to close, timely, or at all, the acquisitions of certain intellectual property assets from Fighter Base and Token IQ, as previously disclosed; the officers and directors of the Company have the ability to exercise significant influence and voting control over the Company; stockholders may be diluted significantly through our efforts to obtain financing, satisfy obligations and complete acquisitions through the issuance of additional shares of our common or preferred stock; if we are unable to adapt to changes in technology, our business could be harmed; if we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, our ability to compete could be impaired; our long-term travel business success depends, in part, on our ability to expand our property owner, manager and traveler bases outside of the United States and, as a result, our travel business is susceptible to risks associated with international operations; unfavorable changes in, or interpretations of, government regulations or taxation of the evolving ALR, Internet and e-commerce industries which could harm our operating results; risks associated with the operations of, the business of, and the regulation of our recent direct and indirect acquisitions of Longroot Holding (Thailand) Company Limited (Longroot), HotPlay Enterprise Limited (HotPlay) and NextBank International (formerly IFEB), as well as our compliance with applicable U.S. and Thailand laws in connection therewith; the market in which we participate being highly competitive, and because of that we may be unable to compete successfully with our current or future competitors; our potential inability to adapt to changes in technology, which could harm our business; the volatility of our stock price; risks associated with the integration of the operations of HotPlay Enterprise Limited, which acquisition we recently competed; the fact that we may be subject to liability for the activities of our property owners and managers, which could harm our reputation and increase our operating costs; and that we have incurred significant losses to date and require additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by the Company are detailed from time to time in the Company’s periodic reports filed with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, under the headings “Risk Factors”. These reports are available at www.sec.gov. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on the Company’s future results and/or could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. The Company takes no obligation to update or correct its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law, or those prepared by third parties that are not paid for by the Company. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
The token contemplated in this release (collectively, the “Securities) have been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in reliance upon the exemption provided by Regulation S thereunder. The Securities referenced herein are not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or to any U.S. person as defined in Regulation S. This announcement is not an offer of Securities for sale into the United States. The Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as such term is defined in Regulation S) unless they are registered under the Securities Act or they are exempt from registration under the Securities Act. Hedging transactions involving these Securities may not be conducted unless in compliance with the Securities Act.
Source: NextPlay Technologies, Inc.
Company Contact:
NextPlay Technologies, Inc
Richard Marshall
Director of Corporate Development
Tel (954) 888-9779
richard.marshall@nextplaytechnologies.com
