Recent major developments in the vaping industry

Wang Sicong Invests in E-Cigarettes

The e-cigarette brand "vitavp" has received tens of millions in financing, with the investor being Pusi Capital. According to Tianyancha information, Pusi Capital, formally known as Beijing Pusi Investment Co., Ltd., is legally represented by Wang Sicong, who is also the actual controlling person with a 100% stake! After this round of financing, vitavp will increase investment in product development and domestic and international market channels.
 
Comment: The e-cigarette industry in 2019 is increasingly attracting capital attention, and with the entry of capital, it continuously sends positive signals to the industry. With the support of capital and traffic, will vitavp become the hottest topic in e-cigarettes next?

FDA Approves IQOS for Sale in the U.S.

The U.S. FDA has officially approved tobacco giant Philip Morris International's "heat-not-burn" e-cigarette IQOS for sale in the U.S. market. The FDA's announcement indicates that Philip Morris's IQOS e-cigarette has passed the pre-market tobacco application (PMTA) review and can be sold in the U.S., including IQOS e-cigarettes, Marlboro heat sticks, and two other Marlboro menthol e-cigarette devices. Following the news, Altria's stock price surged.

Comment: The FDA's approval of IQOS for the U.S. market marks an important milestone for the e-cigarette industry. As a core supplier of IQOS, businesses like precision plastic parts are expected to see performance recovery. The opening of IQOS in mainstream markets such as Canada, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the U.S. also provides a reference direction for tobacco control and e-cigarette companies in our country.

Luo Yonghao Fully Engages with Xiaoye, Fang Zhouzi Sparks Controversy on Weibo
 
On April 29, Luo Yonghao once again promoted Xiaoye e-cigarettes, revealing on Weibo the insider story of Peng Jinzhao's involvement in e-cigarettes, stating that he will design "a few stunning" e-cigarettes for Xiaoye. He responded to netizens:

It's not just a platform; I'm fully engaged.

Comment: Luo Yonghao specifically mentioned that e-cigarettes are harm-reduction products for smokers and should not be used for quitting smoking, as some e-cigarettes have higher nicotine content than tobacco, making discussions about quitting smoking irrelevant. Industry insiders were once concerned that Luo's involvement might drag down the e-cigarette market. For consumers, will they be swayed by Luo's emotional e-cigarettes again?

Shenzhen's Strictest Smoking Ban, E-Cigarettes to be Included

On April 23, the "Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Smoking Control Regulations Amendment (Draft)" was submitted for review at the 33rd meeting of the Municipal People's Congress. This draft is said to be the strictest smoking ban in Shenzhen's history, making the following changes compared to the current smoking control regulations.

First, the draft includes the recently controversial e-cigarettes in the smoking ban;

Second, the draft moderately expands the areas where smoking is prohibited: within 5 meters outside subway entrances and outdoor platforms of public transportation and waiting areas are designated as non-smoking zones. Thirdly, if relevant departments discover violations of smoking behavior, they will no longer advise but will directly impose fines.

Additionally, considering the negative impact of tobacco on minors, Article 14 of the draft adds a requirement that tobacco products cannot be sold within 100 meters of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, youth palaces, and children's activity centers.
 
Comment: It is foreseeable that if the draft is successfully passed and implemented, Shenzhen will be one of the strictest cities in terms of the extent of indoor and outdoor smoking bans, as well as the penalties imposed on individuals and operators of non-smoking venues.

Harvard University E-Cigarette Toxicity Report Questioned by U.S. E-Cigarette Association

On April 25, 2019, Harvard University's School of Public Health released a research report on e-cigarettes. The research team at Harvard pointed out that 23% of products contained trace amounts of endotoxins; 81% of products contained trace amounts of glucans, which are found in the cell walls of most fungi.
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This report from Harvard has been questioned by the U.S. E-Cigarette Association. The chair of the advocacy group, Gregory Conley, stated that this study should compare the toxin levels in e-cigarettes with those in cigarettes. It is disgraceful to publish this study without a proper comparison with cigarettes. He also pointed out that the study focused on bestselling brands from 2013, not current brands, and the report did not specify the names of the products and brands.

Comment: How to say, news commentary is often too early and will be "slapped in the face"; you never know what twists will appear until the end.

Tobacco Giants Increase Investment in E-Cigarettes

Japan Tobacco released two new heat-not-burn products, Ploom TECH+ and Ploom S, in 2019. Imperial Brands launched a new e-cigarette product, Nixx, and a newly developed heat-not-burn device, Pulze, in early 2019, planning to invest another £100 million in blu in 2019.
 
Comment: Is there little time and opportunity left for domestic traditional tobacco?

VPO Micro-Pod Announces Completion of 30 Million Yuan Series A Financing

On April 4, domestic e-vapor technology company VPO Micro-Pod announced the completion of 30 million yuan in Series A financing, with this round of financing jointly invested by Handing Assets and Maoxin Capital. VPO founder Hao Xiaomeng stated that this financing will be used to enhance product quality and safety control, establish the VPO vapor technology laboratory, expand international markets, and build a new retail system and social e-commerce.

Comment: With the continuous influx of domestic capital and entrepreneurs, where will the e-cigarette industry go in the end? Currently, it seems that this is perhaps the best time.