Bidi Vapor successfully completed the regulatory process to enter four new, significant markets. Bidi Vapor’s primary offering, the Bidi Stick is a closed system disposable electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS).
Bidi Vapor recently successfully received premarket authorization from the United Kingdom’s regulatory body, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, to sell and market Bidi Vapor products through Kaival Brands in the U.K.
Moreover, Bidi Vapor has successfully completed all necessary certifications and finished the process for distribution approvals to market and sell products in Russia, New Zealand and Australia.
Once Kaival Brands solidifies local distribution agreements, we will begin to sell and market our full scope of products.
“We are extremely excited to roll out Bidi Vapor products in four significant, new markets for us,” said Niraj Patel, Kaival Brands’ CEO in a statement. “Once Kaival Brands solidifies local distribution agreements, we will begin to sell and market our full scope of products. We believe our first sales in each of these new regions will occur within the next six months with U.K. being the first.”
“We believe the Bidi Stick will be a welcomed entry into the U.K. market as long-time adult cigarette smokers look to transition to ENDS products,” said Patel, who is also president and CEO of Bidi Vapor.
“While the VOXPO conference is our first international show, we anticipate participating in similar events in Australia, New Zealand and Russia. We see ample opportunity in these new markets, as the success we’ve seen in the United States shows us that once consumers discover an e-cigarette that can provide them a consistent, premium experience, they will welcome the option.”
Kaival Brands Innovations Group has appointed Paul Reuter, Carolyn Hanigan and Roger Brooks to its board of directors.
In addition to gaining the experience and judgment that the new members will bring to the board, their appointments are intended to ensure the company complies with certain corporate governance rules ahead of its planned Nasdaq uplisting.
“We are very pleased that Paul, Carolyn and Roger have agreed to join us as new members of the board,” said Niraj Patel, CEO of Kaival Brands, in a statement. “Coming off a remarkable year that demonstrated the strength of our team and products, these three individuals are joining the company at an exciting time. We look forward to benefiting from their diverse backgrounds and respective expertise.”
Reuter brings nearly five decades of industry experience in small box retail as a journalist, editorial director, entrepreneur and speaker. He has launched two businesses, including MidWest Retail Group, where he served as chairman and founding partner from April 2013 through June 2019. He is also the founder of Kreative Collaborations, an industry consultancy.
Prior to her retirement, Hanigan was the president of Reynolds American Innovation Co., an operating company of Reynolds American Inc. (RAI). Hanigan led the global vapor collaboration with British American Tobacco (BAT) up until RAI was acquired by BAT in 2017.
Coming off a remarkable year that demonstrated the strength of our team and products, these three individuals are joining the company at an exciting time.
She was the architect of RAI’s U.S. reduced-risk products strategic direction to further the vision of transforming tobacco. Under her leadership, RAI prepared both the U.S. commercial execution and regulatory applications for the Glo tobacco-heating products, the Velo nicotine pouches, and the Alto, Ciro, Vibe and Solo nicotine vaporizers.
Brooks is currently the chairman, treasurer and co-founder of Abierto Networks. Prior to his roles at Abierto Networks, from 1998 to 2008, Brooks was the lead independent director and member of the compensation and audit committees for Moldflow Corp. From 2017 to 2019, Brooks served as an independent director of Lytron Incorporated.
Kaival Brands Innovations Group reported significant revenue and profitability milestones in the quarter ended Jan. 31, 2021. The company achieved a cumulative $100 million in revenues since it commenced business operations in March 2020, despite revenue slowdowns during the fourth quarter of 2020 due to packaging and labeling updates.
During the fourth quarter of 2020, the company and Bidi Vapor made the decision to wash out inventory and repackage the entire product line in an effort to go “above and beyond” U.S. Food and Drug Administration packaging and labeling guidelines.
First quarter 2021 revenues were $37.3 million, compared to revenues of $0 in the first quarter of 2020. “Given the significant expenses associated with infrastructure, start-up costs, marketing, legal and many other business necessities, we are proud of our ability to reach profitability so early on in our development,” said Niraj Patel, Kaival’s president and CEO, in a statement.
“The gross profit number provides a glimpse into our future net profits as we continue to scale the business in a smart and efficient operational manner.”
The gross profit number provides a glimpse into our future net profits as we continue to scale the business in a smart and efficient operational manner.
From a revenue perspective, February and March have benefited from the company’s new distribution partnerships as well as the rollout of the Bidi Pouch. As such, the company expects revenues to increase during the second fiscal quarter ending April 31, 2021. “Given our current visibility, we remain very confident in our full-year fiscal 2021 revenue guidance of $400 million to $450 million,” Patel said.
Kaival Brands Innovations Group, the global distributor of all Bidi Vapor products, announced its premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) has moved the substantive review phase of the regulatory process. Bidi’s disposable e-cigarettes, Bidi Stick, comes in 11 flavor varieties, according to a press release.
Substantive Review is where the scientific review of the U.S. FDA’s regulatory process is undertaken. The company received its acceptance letter, the first step, on Feb. 9. The FDA will determine if Bidi products meet the criteria for “appropriate for the protection of the public health” established in the Tobacco Control Act. The agency issues marketing orders that authorize the continued marketing and sale of products meeting the criteria.
“Seeking an order for the continued marketing of Bidi Sticks in the United States is a long process. But it was always our goal to provide a premium vaping experience and an option to traditional, combustible tobacco that meets the needs of every adult smoker,” said Niraj Patel, the president and CEO of Kaival Brands. “This substantive review phase is where months of extensive information collection and hard work gathering together 285,000 pages of science-based evidence will pay off, as we continually put consumer health and the environment first.”
Bidi Vapor also announced they have discontinued their online direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales through its website as of February 22, 2021. The company will allow sales through gopuff.com. “With a long history of distribution of alcoholic beverages, goPuff has pioneered a very stringent and dynamic compliance program and age-gating process,” the release states.
“We are extremely excited to partner with one of the fastest growing and most secure online delivery services in the country,” stated Kaival Brands’ Chief Executive Officer, Niraj Patel. “More importantly, goPuff’s commitment to protecting minors and stringent procedural implementations will allow Kaival Brands to focus on our rapidly developing additional wholesaler distribution agreements.”
While Kaival Brands will continue its business-to-business (B2B) online sales to retailers, it believes its decision to halt online DTC sales specifically through www.bidivapor.com will set an example for the industry and help reduce the larger problem of underage access to vaping devices. “The decision also bolsters its commitment to brick-and-mortar retail, which Kaival Brands believes to be a stronger age-verification distribution model than online sales,” the release states.
After submitting its PMTA application to the U.S. FDA on Sept. 8, 2020, Bidi Vapor, the producer of the Bidi Stick closed system, announced yesterday that it had received a PMTA acceptance letter from the regulatory agency.
“It has always been our goal to provide a premium vape experience as an option to traditional, combustible tobacco that meets the needs of every adult smoker, age 21 and older,” said Niraj Patel, the president and CEO of Bidi Vapor and Kaival Brands Innovations Group, global distributor of all Bidi brand products “We couldn’t be more pleased that we are one step further in achieving this goal.”
The company now waits for a filing letter from the FDA. The Bidi Stick PMTAs would then move on to the Substantive Review phase where the scientific data is analyzed. The Bidi Stick, is the fastest-growing closed system vaping product in the U.S., based on Goldman Sachs’ equity research report on the Nielsen data for total nicotine volumes in 2020. Nielsen data showed the Bidi Stick as the second-largest disposable electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) offering based on retail sales for previous 52-week period.
The acceptance letter covers all 11 flavors in the Bidi Stick lineup. “Moving to the filing and, we anticipate, to the substantive review phase of the PMTA process is where our months of extensive data collection, investment and hard work assembling 285,000 pages of science-based evidence will pay off,” Patel said. “Receipt of the acceptance letter is a major step, as we await the FDA’s filing letter and then substantive review of our products.”
The press release also states that the Bidi Stick is also the only adult-focused vape product on the market with an ecologically friendly, mass-recycling program. Kaival Brands also recently launched Bidi Vapor ‘s Bidi Pouch, a tobacco-free nicotine pouch.
Bidi Vapor’s Bidi Stick has become the fastest-growing closed system vaping product in the U.S., the company announced.
Based on Goldman Sachs’ recent equity research report on the Nielsen data for total nicotine volumes, the Bidi Stick is now the second-largest disposable electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) offering based on retail sales for the last 52-week period.
The Bidi Stick increased its absolute-dollar market share of the disposable ENDS market share from 7.4 percent during the 52-week period ending on Oct. 27, 2020, to 24.2 percent of retail sales during the 52-week period ending on Nov. 28, 2020.
According to the Goldman report, total dollar sales growth has surged to 1,845 percent to lead the category for the 12-week period ended Nov. 28, 2020.
“The Bidi Stick is an electronic nicotine-delivery system designed for current adult smokers and is manufactured and marketed with sustainability and socially responsible practices in mind,” said company founder and CEO Niraj Patel.
“We even incentivize our customers to recycle with a one-of-a-kind rewards program. We are also hyper-vigilant in making sure the Bidi Stick does not get into the hands of young people but only those adult smokers over 21 looking for alternatives to cigarettes.”
Bidi Vapor, the manufacturer of the disposable vape pen Bidi Stick, has submitted its Premarket Tobacco Product application (PMTA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The announcement was made by Kaival Brands Innovations Group, a company focused on growing and incubating innovative and profitable products into mature, dominant brands, in a press release.
“We are confident that, upon review, the FDA will authorize Bidi Vapor’s Bidi™ Stick for continued marketing in the United States,” said Niraj Patel, president and CEO of Kaival Brands. “It is a premium-quality product that adult smokers have discovered can be a viable alternative to combustible tobacco, and we look forward to meeting the increasing market demand for the innovative Bidi Stick.”
The application detailed 11 flavored varieties with nicotine concentrations of 6 percent weight/volume. The Bidi Stick is a disposable pod system, similar to Juul. “Starting from a science-based foundation, Bidi Vapor has engineered its electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) products using its own patented technology, ensuring quality control and assurance from the raw chemicals and components purchased through to the manufacturing process in a cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) facility,” the release states.
Bidi states that its product went through various in-vitro and in-vivo toxicity testing (including genotoxicity tests) at a GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) approved lab, as well as HPHC (Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents) analysis of both the aerosol and e-liquid in ISO 17025 certified labs. Also included in its PMTA submission, Bidi Vapor conducted three independent surveys and one “combined” consumer survey of people aged 21 and over.
Bidi Vapor’s application was more than 285,000 pages, according to the release. “Both Kaival Brands and Bidi Vapor fully support proper regulation of the category so that all ENDS products meet the highest manufacturing, safety and marketing standards for adult smokers, with the ultimate goal of improving the public health,” said Patel. “We look forward to working with Bidi Vapor as they work with the FDA to construct its regulatory policy based on science and facts.”
The market for disposable vapor products is surprisingly diverse.
By Mike Huml
It’s one of the fastest-growing segments of the vapor industry. Disposable products that once collected dust on store shelves are now finding a growing fan base. With so many on the market, it’s easy for distributors and retailers alike to get caught up in the confusion. We decided to review some of the more popular brands to help our readers see some of the differences in a product segment where everything can seem the same. As it turns out, however, each product has its own personality. Almost every disposable device we tested had something that made it just a little different than its competition.
The Leap Go
“The Cigalike-alike”
The Leap Go disposable vapes closely to a traditional analog cigarette. The draw is tight but smooth, reminiscent more of a full-flavor than a light or ultra-light smoke. The size is more akin to a 100 mm cigarette with slightly more weight.
At 5 percent nicotine, the Leap Go should more than satisfy those switching from smoking or anybody who prefers high nicotine strengths or nicotine salts. The vapor is light but still flavorful and satisfying. Each Leap Go device can last for approximately 200 puffs, which is about the equivalent of one pack of traditional cigarettes, assuming ten puffs per cigarette and twenty cigarettes per pack.
There are no unappealing surprises to speak of, such as leaking, gurgling or dry hits. Everything works as intended. The Leap Go is about as unassuming as it gets, replicating the look, feel and draw of an analog cigarette. For those looking to try out vaping with no baggage or hassle, the Leap Go is a great option. There’s no refilling or charging to worry about, no replacement pods or coils and no worries. Simply pull it out of the box, remove the silicone stoppers and it’s good to go.
The Leap Go is positioned to be an introductory device, making the transition from smoking to vaping as seamless as possible, and on that front it succeeds. While more advanced devices or even other disposables may boast slightly increased performance, few can capture the feel of smoking as accurately as the Leap Go. It may not appeal to many vapers, but as a tool to ease smokers into vaping it succeeds tremendously.
Cigalikes have fallen out of favor over the years due in large part to the popularity of pod systems. The Leap Go is a neat callback to the early days of vaping without the hassle of leaky cartridges and dead atomizers. It’s a cool nostalgia trip for vapers but still a very relevant step for many smokers in today’s vaping landscape. It’s interesting to think that lives may literally be saved due to just one disposable e-cigarette taking a step back and returning to roots of how vaping all started.
Cali Air
“Intensity Squared”
The Cali Air disposable deviates from the traditional cigarette shape significantly. It’s a flat e-cigarette that’s about one inch wide, two inches tall and less than a quarter-inch deep. It’s smaller than a business card but packs a punch.
A disposable product, there is no refilling or recharging necessary. A pair of silicone covers must be removed before use and then it’s all ready to vape. What would be considered the “mouthpiece” lies at the top corner of the Air, which makes it extremely comfortable to use especially for anyone who isn’t used to large mouthpieces or drip tips. Having the airflow hole at the corner rather than in the middle helps to make the Cali Air feel a bit more familiar and less like sucking on a credit card.
The flat shape not only makes the Cali Air easy to carry around but makes it comfortable to hold as well. It won’t convince anybody that it’s an actual cigarette, but it feels good in a different way. The majority of the Cali Air is made of anodized aluminum, so it’s slightly textured and light.
The draw is fairly tight, and the flavor is pretty intense making for a great vaping experience. There is no leaking or gurgling, and the draw is smooth. It has a familiar feel to many of the better pod systems on the market and may be better suited to current vapers rather than those making the switch from smoking.
The Cali Air contains 2.7 mL of e-liquid, but the puff count is what matters most with disposables given they can’t be charged or refilled. The Cali Air lasts for approximately 500 puffs, which equates to about 2 1/2 packs of analog cigarettes. At a nicotine strength of 5 percent, this should satisfy most anyone for at least two days.
With a larger capacity and battery, the larger size is necessary to accommodate the increased performance, but the nontraditional shape keeps the Cali Air from being bulky or unwieldy. If longevity and performance are more important than an accurate tactile representation of an analog cigarette, the Cali Air is a fantastic choice.
Bidi Stick
“I Only Smoke When I Drink”
The Bidi Stick is very similar to today’s popular pod systems. Its long, flat shape allows it to be used like an analog cigarette, but it looks nothing like one. It’s slimmer and longer than the Juul, with a similar light weight. Unlike modern pod systems, it’s one single piece that cannot be refilled or recharged, making it about as simple as a vape can get.
The body is a slightly rubberized texture with a soft plastic mouthpiece. It’s light, slim and perfect for taking on the go. A single LED on the end of the Bidi Stick lights up when activated to give a nice visual representation that the automatic switch is doing its job.
The draw is medium-tight and should appeal to most people, and it’s not too airy to diminish the flavor. It’s a good balance, being that the flavor is intentionally light and refreshing. That’s not to say that it doesn’t produce good vapor, because it does, but many liquids are loaded with too much flavor and sweetener, which can prematurely kill a coil and lead to poor flavor and vapor production. Subtle flavors are all-too-often underrated, and it’s surprising to find these flavors in a disposable e-cigarette.
Each Bidi Stick contains 1.4 mL of e-liquid at a strength of 6 percent, which is higher than average. Nonetheless, one would assume that the Bidi Stick is equivalent to a pack-and-a-half of cigarettes, which is about a day-and-a-half of normal use. However, the packaging suggests that each Bidi Stick should last one week.
Conclusion: This is a great disposable for light smokers or vapers. The high nicotine means that fewer puffs are required to reach nicotine satisfaction, and the light flavor speaks to the vaper who wants something nice and refreshing every now and again. That said, there’s nothing really keeping anyone from using several Bidi Sticks per week, but if 300 puffs per week is the recommendation, it’s clear that this is intended more for nonregular users.
With that in mind, the Bidi Stick may be the best option for occasional nicotine users for all the reasons above. It requires fewer puffs to get the same amount of nicotine, and the flavor is light as to not be offensive or overwhelming. The throat hit is also smooth and not boosted with the addition of menthol.
The Bidi Stick appeals to possibly the most overlooked nicotine user—the social smoker. They exist, and the Bidi Stick proves that they are not forgotten.
Hyde
“The Caricature”
The Hyde is very similar to a standard pod system with one exception: It’s a one-piece disposable. No refilling and no charging are necessary, but the shape and size could pass for a standard pod system aside from the color. The Hyde has a black, plastic mouthpiece and white body that fades into red with a faux spray paint look. Its appearance is a little edgier and bolder compared to some of the more subdued aesthetics of its counterparts, but it could appeal to some. If the look doesn’t, the performance surely will.
The Hyde’s draw is fairly tight, which contributes to the fantastic flavor and dense vapor production. It feels much like a full-flavor analog cigarette. It’s extremely lightweight and somewhat shorter than expected for a device of this nature. It lends itself well to hands-free vaping.
The Hyde includes a white LED at the tip that shines through the red coloring to give a certain red glow that imitates a lit cigarette. The white and red colors of the body combined with the illumination make the Hyde appear almost as a caricature of an analog cigarette in a way that might make the foreign concept of vaping a little more familiar for smokers.
There is no estimated puff limit on the packaging, but the mouthpiece is translucent so that the user can actually see how much liquid is remaining. The Hyde holds 1.5–2 mL of e-liquid, which would put it somewhere in the 300–400 puff range. With a nicotine strength of 5 percent, each Hyde unit is equivalent to a pack or pack-and-a-half of analog cigarettes, which is pretty standard.
What really sets the Hyde apart is the performance. While it’s aesthetic could arguably be the gaudiest of the bunch, looks can be deceiving. Vaping the Hyde is an absolute joy with its smooth draw, clean flavor and impressive vapor production. While the draw isn’t turbulent in the least, the heating element does give off a slight crackle as the e-liquid is heated. While a matter of personal preference, this generally adds to the satisfaction of vaping, and smoking for that matter.
Overall, the Hyde might be the most divisive-looking disposable, but it more than makes up for that in pure vape quality.
Hyppe Bar/Puff Bar
“The Twins”
The Hyppe Bar and Puff Bar are very straightforward even as far as disposables go. The “Bar” part of their names is accurate—they simply look like bars. They are relatively small but angular and polygonal. There is no separate look for the mouthpiece, and an arrow is printed on each device (as well as the flavor, nicotine strength, etc.) to indicate which side is the mouthpiece. The coating is matte and slightly rubberized in a single color that really does bring one word to mind: bar.
Performance-wise, the Hyppe Bar and Puff Bar are suited for those who prefer lighter flavor without sacrificing vapor production. It’s a medium-airy draw that works best with faster drags, which is perfect for smokers. It’s a welcome change for vapers as well, who have largely been conditioned over the years to adopt a slow-and-steady drag.
A blue LED on the tip lights up when a drag is taken, but it’s not visible to the vaper when in use, acting only as a cosmetic feature to observers. It’s not exactly necessary, but nothing is lost with this addition either.
The Hyppe Bar has the most information packaging, which shouldn’t go unnoticed. There are product specifications so there’s no guessing—it holds 1.3 mL of 5 percent e-liquid with a 280 mAh battery that’s good for up to 300 puffs.
It also features a scratch-and-scan sticker to verify authenticity and an enclosed underage vaping warning card. The Puff Bar is very similar, lacking only the battery capacity rating and the included warning card.
Both the Hyppe Bar and the Puff Bar vape very well, with voluminous vapor and light, refreshing flavors. So why are these two products so eerily similar? It’s unclear, but it’s likely the case that these are both produced by the same manufacturer and have been customized and branded by different wholesalers or retailers. This is common practice in many industries, including vaping, and shouldn’t dissuade a purchase. Both brands of the “bar-style” disposable work well and identically. They’re simple, colorful, lightweight and refreshing. The Hyppe and Puff Bars are both solid options in terms of disposable e-cigarettes, regarding both performance and aesthetic.
Pop
“Vapeable Sunshine”
The Pop disposable e-cigarette is another bar-style vape but with some differences that make it clear that its different from both the Hyppe Bar and the Puff Bar. Aside from more colorful packaging, there are a few visual differences that set it apart. The blue LED on the tip still illuminates when a drag is taken, but the airflow hole in the mouthpiece is slightly larger making for an airier draw. In lieu of a rubberized matte coating, the Pop is shrouded in a colorful wrap that matches the packaging and corresponds to the flavor. It’s reminiscent of wallpaper, in a comforting country-home type of way.
According to the packaging, the Pop holds 1.2 mL of 5 percent-strength e-liquid and is usable up to 400 puffs. Compared to the size and puff count of similar disposables, this likely means a higher coil resistance. As such, the Pop is gaining a bit of longevity but losing a bit in terms of performance. That’s not to say that performance is poor but simply that the design is different. The Pop produces equal vapor compared to similar disposable devices, but this is due to slightly increased airflow. A higher coil resistance results in less liquid and battery power being used with each puff, as well as lighter flavor, but it has the potential to last longer.
The Pop definitely takes a different approach when it comes to how an e-cigarette should look. While many shoot for sleek and unassuming, the Pop has opted for bold, colorful and fun, and not in a way that could be construed as marketing to children. Many would shy away from overly colorful packaging, but the Pop does it tastefully and doesn’t rely solely on looks. The performance is still there, and users can feel justified in their purchase.
Overall, the performance of the Pop is surprisingly good. Like some others, it’s light, refreshing, easy to use and extremely portable—everything a disposable e-cigarette should be. This type of disposable is great for light users, new vapers or social nicotine users. It works well, there’s no hassle, it is widely available and tends toward the lighter, airier, more refreshing end of the spectrum rather than the more intense side. The Pop is colorful and fun, exemplifying a no-worries mindset that its performance reinforces.
Kaival Brands Innovations Group has appointed Paul Reuter, Carolyn Hanigan and Roger Brooks to its board of directors.
