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Category: Business & Finance

  • Caliburn G4 Pro: ‘The Vaping Industry’s First Full Touchscreen Pod System”

    Caliburn G4 Pro: ‘The Vaping Industry’s First Full Touchscreen Pod System”

    Today (June 26), UWELL launched the Caliburn G4 Pro, the brand’s first device to feature a 2.51-inch full touchscreen. “Combining advanced technology with user-centric design, the G4 PRO offers a premium, personalized experience while maintaining simplicity and accessibility,” the company said.

    The device’s full touchscreen interface offers one-tap access to wattage adjustment, output mode switching, puff counter reset, and a swipe-down Smart Hub that offers easy customization and intuitive navigation.

    “With the G4 PRO, we’ve reimagined what a pod system can be,” said a UWELL spokesperson. “It’s not just a device—it’s a personalized, premium experience that makes advanced vaping technology effortless and enjoyable for users around the world.”

  • 22nd Century Announces Major Pinnacle Brand Expansion

    22nd Century Announces Major Pinnacle Brand Expansion

    22nd Century Group, Inc. expanded its Pinnacle product agreement with a “top-5 convenience store chain,” launching four new SKUs—two of which are low-nicotine VLN cigarettes (Gold and Menthol). These products will be available in 1,700 stores across 27 states, with sales starting late summer to early fall 2025, pending state approvals.

    Additionally, two Pinnacle moist snuff flavors (straight and wintergreen) will roll out in the second half of 2025. 22nd Century will handle manufacturing, distribution, and tax compliance, with VLN products made using their proprietary low-nicotine tobacco. This deal also opens the door for future expansion to other retail and c-store chains.

    “We are very excited to launch our second partner VLN product and branded moist snuff products, leveraging the well-known Pinnacle brand sold at one of the largest convenience store chains in the U.S.,” said Larry Firestone, 22nd Century Group Chief Executive Officer. “Pinnacle’s conventional cigarette and cigarillo products have built a strong sales track record with consumers, owing to extensive marketing and awareness directed by the chain and a compelling value proposition for adult smokers. We believe Pinnacle-branded products in the VLN and moist snuff categories can see similar success with customers at this c-store chain’s more than 1,700 stores.”

  • PMI Launches IQOS ILUMA i in Egypt

    PMI Launches IQOS ILUMA i in Egypt

    Philip Morris Misr launched the IQOS ILUMA i in Egypt, the “latest and most advanced smoke-free device in its portfolio,” according to the company. The device features the Smartcore Induction System, which heats tobacco without combustion, delivering a cleaner, residue-free experience. It includes smart features like a touchscreen, pause mode, FlexPuff, and improved battery technology.

    “We leverage science, world-leading brands, and commercial capabilities to provide better alternatives to our consumers,” said Ali Nevzat Karaman, managing director of Philip Morris Egypt and Levant. “Following the introduction of IQOS ILUMA in Egypt in 2023, we are now taking the IQOS experience to new heights. IQOS ILUMA i is our most innovative device to date—our flagship product in the portfolio of scientifically substantiated, heat-not-burn smoke-free systems.”

    The IQOS ILUMA i is compatible with existing TEREA sticks, avoiding the need for format changes. This launch supports Philip Morris International’s vision of a smoke-free future, backed by over $14 billion in R&D and a goal to eliminate cigarettes. Smoke-free products now make up 42% of PMI’s net revenues, with 38.6 million adult users worldwide as of December 2024.

  • JTI Philippines Eyes Expansion into RRP Manufacturing for Export

    JTI Philippines Eyes Expansion into RRP Manufacturing for Export

    Japan Tobacco International (JTI) Philippines said it is exploring plans to expand its manufacturing operations in Batangas to include reduced-risk products (RRPs), with an eye on exporting to more markets across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

    Currently, JTI’s facility in Malvar, Batangas, produces traditional cigarettes for at least 17 countries, mostly in Asia, according to General Manager Guilherme Silva. As demand for alternatives to combustible cigarettes rises, Silva confirmed JTI is considering producing RRPs—such as heated-tobacco products—at the Philippine facility.

    “It’s a factory that has a huge footprint, but also that still has a lot of space to be increased,” Silva said. “These new categories of RRPs are becoming more and more important, not only in the Philippines but also across different markets in the Asia-Pacific region. We’re definitely exploring which of these categories [we could] produce from the Philippines, [and how we can] export them.”

    Last year, the company introduced its heated-tobacco device Ploom X Advanced to the Philippine market, mirroring its success in Japan. While current production of Ploom’s tobacco sticks remains in Japan and Poland, JTI has signaled openness to expanding manufacturing based on market growth.

  • PMFTC Eyes Double-Digit Growth for IQOS in the Philippines

    PMFTC Eyes Double-Digit Growth for IQOS in the Philippines

    PMFTC Inc., the Philippine affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI), is targeting double-digit growth this year for its smoke-free product, IQOS, as it pushes to expand its market in the country.

    In an interview, PMFTC President Gijs de Best said the Philippines now has around 150,000 IQOS users since the product’s launch in 2020. “People don’t understand what the problem is related to smoking because in the Philippines, 60% of people believe that nicotine is the most harmful ingredient, which it is not,” he said. “It’s the burning that is causing the issue. Simply, when you use a cigarette, once it is lit, harmful chemicals are released. What our technology is all about is heating, not burning.”

    Because it was launched in the market during the COVID-19 pandemic, IQOS gained traction mainly through word of mouth. Now, PMFTC aims to accelerate growth by increasing education around the benefits of heated tobacco. To support its expansion, PMI inaugurated a ₱8.8-billion ($150 million) manufacturing plant in Tanauan, Batangas last year to produce IQOS and other smoke-free products locally. The Philippines is one of 96 global markets for IQOS, with Indonesia currently being the largest in the region.

  • BAT Bangladesh Forced to Relocate Headquarters

    BAT Bangladesh Forced to Relocate Headquarters

    British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh will move its registered office from Mohakhali to Ashulia by mid-July 2025, following a Supreme Court ruling that rejected its appeal to extend the lease on its Mohakhali premises. The company must vacate the site it has leased from the Dhaka Cantonment Board since 1964.

    The relocation also involves shutting down BAT’s Dhaka factory, though operations will continue at its Savar, Manikganj, and Kushtia facilities. A spokesperson acknowledged potential disruption but emphasized preparations were in place to minimize the impact and protect shareholder interests. BAT Bangladesh earned Tk9,597 crore in Q1 2025.

    The company had been leasing the factory on 30-year terms, with a maximum duration of 90 years. BAT applied for the final renewal, but was denied by the board, which initiated the legal proceedings. Environmental groups had long called for the factory’s relocation, citing pollution concerns.

  • Davidoff Reports $663M in Revenue Amid Planned Cutbacks

    Davidoff Reports $663M in Revenue Amid Planned Cutbacks

    Oettinger Davidoff AG reported CHF 541.7 million ($662.8 million) in global revenue for 2024—an increase of 0.9% over the previous year, despite a significant decrease in production volume. In total, the company produced 38.5 million cigars across its Dominican Republic and Nicaraguan facilities, down 21% from 2023’s 48.8 million cigars. The company said the reduction was intentional, due to pre-emptive production ahead of the European Union’s new track and trace requirements that took effect in May 2024.

    “The year 2024 was another strong year in the 150-year history of our family-owned company,” said Beat Hauenstein, CEO of Oettinger Davidoff AG, in a press release. “The solid 2024 results prove that our investments in our brands, retail and shopping experiences have paid off and that we are well set up to successfully continue writing the next chapter of our longstanding history.”

    Despite lower production, Davidoff said it is expanding capacity at its Diadema Cigars de Honduras S.A. factory in Danlí, Honduras, following the completion of an expansion in the Dominican Republic last year. Among individual brand performances, Zino grew 28.1%, while the flagship Davidoff brand rose 15%. The company did not disclose results for AVO, Camacho, or other brands.

  • CEA Industries Acquires Fat Panda to Enter Canadian Vape Market

    CEA Industries Acquires Fat Panda to Enter Canadian Vape Market

    CEA Industries Inc. has completed its CAD $18 million ($12.6 million) acquisition of Fat Panda Ltd., Canada’s largest independent vape retailer and manufacturer. The deal provides CEA with a profitable foothold in the regulated nicotine market, with Fat Panda generating nearly CAD $38.5 million ($28.1 million) in annual revenue and holding more than 50% market share in central Canada.

    “This acquisition marks a significant milestone for CEA as we expand into a dynamic, high-growth regulated vertical benefiting from strong consumer demand,” said Tony McDonald, Chairman and CEO of CEA Industries. “Fat Panda brings an established brand, experienced leadership, and a highly profitable operating model that can be rapidly scaled with our capital and strategic support. Importantly, this acquisition exemplifies our commitment to identifying accretive opportunities that can unlock meaningful long-term value for our shareholders.”

    Fat Panda will retain its leadership and branding during the integration.

  • KT&G Rumored to be Entering Nicotine Pouch Market

    KT&G Rumored to be Entering Nicotine Pouch Market

    KT&G Corp. is in talks to acquire a leading nicotine pouch company in Northern Europe for $200 million, according to The Korea Economic Daily. The belief is that South Korea’s dominant tobacco and ginseng producer is exploring new growth drivers amid tightening regulations and a shrinking traditional cigarette market, investment banking sources said this week.

    If completed, the deal would mark KT&G’s first overseas M&A since it acquired a 60% stake in Indonesian tobacco maker Trisakti Purwosari Makmur in 2011 for about $90 million, the newspaper said.
    According to reports, Flashlight Capital Partners, KT&G’s activist investor, urged the company to emulate global peers such as Philip Morris and accelerate its entry into new segments. PMI got into the nicotine pouch market in 2022 when it purchased Swedish Match, the maker of Zyn, for $16 billion. KT&G declined to comment on the acquisition talks, saying no decision has been finalized.

  • SEC Approves Cabbacis to Sell Stock

    SEC Approves Cabbacis to Sell Stock

    Cabbacis, a U.S.-licensed tobacco-product manufacturer focused on harm-reduction products that produces the iBlend brand, announced that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) qualified the company’s offering statement on Form 1-A for a Regulation A (Tier 2) offering. The company seeks to raise $7 million through the public sale of its common stock at $2 per share.

    The company said it will use the proceeds for product development and commercialization expenses, including FDA costs related to filing premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) for the U.S. market, tobacco and hemp plantings, general corporate purposes, and potential acquisitions.

    “Cabbacis is committed to commercializing reduced-nicotine cigarettes and vaporizer pods,” the company said in a press release. “Both types of products in development are predominantly tobacco and include hemp. The company also plans to move forward with reduced-nicotine tobacco cigarettes (and little cigars) without hemp.”

    Cabbacis holds 35 issued patents in more than 15 countries, including seven in the United States. Access to the offering is available at www.cabbacis.com, where the offering circular and subscription agreement are publicly accessible.