Wel Whale Qingyan's Xiaojingtiao e-cigarette secures tens of millions of yuan in Pre-A funding
Wel Whale Qingyan's Xiaojingtiao e-cigarette has secured tens of millions of yuan in a Pre-A round. Vaping companies have been appearing frequently in the spotlight, and Luo Yonghao even publicly endorsed his friend's FLOW Fulu e-cigarette at the Kuairu T
Wel Whale Qingyan's Xiaojingtiao e-cigarette secures tens of millions of yuan in Pre-A funding: E-cigarette companies are frequently in the spotlight, with Luo Yonghao publicly endorsing the FLOW e-cigarette launched by his old friend at a recent press conference for Kuai Ru Technology. 2019 may become a year of "small explosions" for small e-cigarette products.
36Kr has learned that the smart health-focused e-cigarette brand "Wel Whale Qingyan" (owned by Hangzhou Whale Smoke Network Technology Co., Ltd.) has recently fully acquired "Hangzhou Qingyan Technology" and completed a Pre-A round financing of tens of millions of yuan. After this round of financing, Whale Qingyan plans to invest billions in building a new retail system for light health over the next three years.
Founded in November 2015, Hangzhou Qingyan Technology Co., Ltd. has primarily focused on building offline consumer goods channels, with a network of offline channels across multiple provinces and cities nationwide.
According to official information from Wel Whale Qingyan, the brand is about to launch two new products: one is a pod-based e-cigarette with a rechargeable and reusable device (similar to the recently released "flow" product), with nicotine salts added to the e-liquid to replace traditional cigarette nicotine, and free from tar and other unhealthy waste; the other is a disposable e-cigarette, similar to a single-use cigarette, which can be discarded after use, with e-liquid similar to that of the pod-based e-cigarette. Both products come in various flavors.
36Kr exclusive | "Wel Whale Qingyan" secures tens of millions of yuan in Pre-A funding, plans to create a new retail product system for light health
Wel Whale Qingyan believes that e-liquids can eliminate secondhand smoke and serve as a smoking cessation product to alleviate some health anxieties for smokers; for those looking to quit smoking, gradually reducing nicotine content is an important step in the cessation process, and Whale Qingyan has launched products with varying nicotine levels, allowing smokers to switch according to their needs during the cessation process.
Co-founder Qiu Yiwu stated, “Wel Whale Qingyan is positioned in the 'light smoke' category, which is healthier than IQOS heated tobacco. Additionally, the team has years of experience in industrial design, R&D, and supply chain, and will focus on brand and channel development in the coming years. In the next two years, the products are expected to cover 100,000 offline sales points. Currently, Wel Whale Qingyan's supplier system also supplies high-end electronic products like Apple and Xiaomi, giving it a competitive advantage in terms of scale production, automation, and quality consistency.”
36Kr exclusive | "Wel Whale Qingyan" secures tens of millions of yuan in Pre-A funding, plans to create a new retail product system for light health
Wel Whale Qingyan hopes to adopt a self-developed online and offline new retail IT platform, combining C2M personalized operations to create a "light health new retail system." In the future, the company will integrate online and offline sales channels for e-cigarettes, conduct precise analysis and refined operations for users, and use data to assist in building new retail channels. Notably, Whale Qingyan will also create a light health community, establishing an ecological system based on light smoke and corresponding health-conscious groups.
Regarding the company's development plans, they stated that in the coming year, they will launch targeted product lines and sub-brands for different consumer groups and leverage data value to provide services for various consumer demographics. The company is also collaborating with renowned domestic universities to develop next-generation atomization technology and new e-liquid formulations, expanding atomization applications in pharmaceuticals and food sectors.
After the Pre-A financing, Wel Whale Qingyan's valuation has exceeded 100 million yuan, and the next round of financing is currently under negotiation.
Team Introduction
The core team of Whale Qingyan was incubated at Yunzao Technology, comprising veterans from Alibaba, Toshiba, Nongfu Spring, 4A companies, and the e-cigarette industry. The team has years of experience in industrial design and hardware products, having won over 20 international design awards.
36Kr has learned that the smart health-focused e-cigarette brand "Wel Whale Qingyan" (owned by Hangzhou Whale Smoke Network Technology Co., Ltd.) has recently fully acquired "Hangzhou Qingyan Technology" and completed a Pre-A round financing of tens of millions of yuan. After this round of financing, Whale Qingyan plans to invest billions in building a new retail system for light health over the next three years.
Founded in November 2015, Hangzhou Qingyan Technology Co., Ltd. has primarily focused on building offline consumer goods channels, with a network of offline channels across multiple provinces and cities nationwide.
According to official information from Wel Whale Qingyan, the brand is about to launch two new products: one is a pod-based e-cigarette with a rechargeable and reusable device (similar to the recently released "flow" product), with nicotine salts added to the e-liquid to replace traditional cigarette nicotine, and free from tar and other unhealthy waste; the other is a disposable e-cigarette, similar to a single-use cigarette, which can be discarded after use, with e-liquid similar to that of the pod-based e-cigarette. Both products come in various flavors.
36Kr exclusive | "Wel Whale Qingyan" secures tens of millions of yuan in Pre-A funding, plans to create a new retail product system for light healthWel Whale Qingyan believes that e-liquids can eliminate secondhand smoke and serve as a smoking cessation product to alleviate some health anxieties for smokers; for those looking to quit smoking, gradually reducing nicotine content is an important step in the cessation process, and Whale Qingyan has launched products with varying nicotine levels, allowing smokers to switch according to their needs during the cessation process.
Co-founder Qiu Yiwu stated, “Wel Whale Qingyan is positioned in the 'light smoke' category, which is healthier than IQOS heated tobacco. Additionally, the team has years of experience in industrial design, R&D, and supply chain, and will focus on brand and channel development in the coming years. In the next two years, the products are expected to cover 100,000 offline sales points. Currently, Wel Whale Qingyan's supplier system also supplies high-end electronic products like Apple and Xiaomi, giving it a competitive advantage in terms of scale production, automation, and quality consistency.”
36Kr exclusive | "Wel Whale Qingyan" secures tens of millions of yuan in Pre-A funding, plans to create a new retail product system for light health
Wel Whale Qingyan hopes to adopt a self-developed online and offline new retail IT platform, combining C2M personalized operations to create a "light health new retail system." In the future, the company will integrate online and offline sales channels for e-cigarettes, conduct precise analysis and refined operations for users, and use data to assist in building new retail channels. Notably, Whale Qingyan will also create a light health community, establishing an ecological system based on light smoke and corresponding health-conscious groups.Regarding the company's development plans, they stated that in the coming year, they will launch targeted product lines and sub-brands for different consumer groups and leverage data value to provide services for various consumer demographics. The company is also collaborating with renowned domestic universities to develop next-generation atomization technology and new e-liquid formulations, expanding atomization applications in pharmaceuticals and food sectors.
After the Pre-A financing, Wel Whale Qingyan's valuation has exceeded 100 million yuan, and the next round of financing is currently under negotiation.
Team Introduction
The core team of Whale Qingyan was incubated at Yunzao Technology, comprising veterans from Alibaba, Toshiba, Nongfu Spring, 4A companies, and the e-cigarette industry. The team has years of experience in industrial design and hardware products, having won over 20 international design awards.
