Emerging vaping brand NUT secures angel funding led by Chuangxiang Investment

The e-cigarette brand "NUT" has announced the completion of several tens of millions in angel funding, led by Chuangxiang Investment. This round of financing will primarily be used for brand building, technology research and development, and channel expansion.

NUT was founded in early 2019 and is a brand under Shenzhen Zibao Technology Co., Ltd., co-founded by five classmates from Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. The founder and CEO, Huang Hua, is a serial entrepreneur and a student of both Cheung Kong and CEIBS, skilled in resource integration and overall planning, with a deep understanding of the e-cigarette industry.

The founding team of NUT comes from well-known companies such as Google, Microsoft, Huawei, Didi Chuxing, Tencent, Maoyan, and the e-cigarette industry, with 20% of the team being overseas returnees, possessing industry-leading experience in brand, marketing, and channel management. Leveraging the team's years of overseas marketing experience, NUT is actively laying out its global market, with its small e-cigarette products already launched simultaneously in domestic, German, and other global markets.

NUT's products adopt a combination approach, launching three types of small e-cigarettes targeting different demographics. One is the NUT V1 replaceable pod vaporizer (closed and non-refillable), another is the NUT Little White (a disposable small e-cigarette), and the third is an open small e-cigarette (refillable). The NUT V1 kit offers flavors such as NUT tobacco, childhood popsicle, and refreshing mint, while the NUT Little White offers flavors like childhood popsicle, refreshing mint, green bean smoothie, and beloved blueberry. Users can purchase these through WeChat public accounts, mini-program malls, Tmall, or JD.com.

Huang Hua, the founder of NUT, stated that the leading sellers in the domestic e-cigarette industry have begun to take shape, and competition in the e-cigarette sector is fierce. The barriers to entry for e-cigarette startups have increased, and stronger user experience products and brand marketing capabilities are necessary to maintain brand competitiveness. In terms of technology, NUT's small e-cigarettes have achieved multiple innovations, utilizing the industry's most advanced FEELM ceramic core heating technology, food-grade vegetable glycerin, and high-purity organic nicotine salt, without the tar, carbon monoxide, or secondhand smoke found in traditional cigarettes. For brand promotion, NUT will establish a dedicated team for new retail, focusing on online promotion, community marketing, new retail, and channel expansion, conveying a healthy and trendy new lifestyle to global consumers.

In recent years, as European market regulators have intensified tobacco control, more and more consumers have begun to turn their attention to e-cigarettes. The trend of traditional smokers using vapor technology products is becoming increasingly evident, and with the continuous enhancement of consumer health awareness, the consumption market for e-cigarettes will no longer be limited to smoking cessation but will integrate with new consumption scenarios.

At the initial stage of market layout, NUT chose to establish a strategic partnership with the world-class e-cigarette manufacturer, MCV, to strengthen the brand's technical strength and quality control, ensuring product quality and taste, while also preparing for the introduction of new national standards.

In the future, NUT will also focus on the research and development of more intelligent new products and, based on optimizing the user experience, will launch targeted products according to the audience's age and usage scenarios to meet the personalized needs of smokers.