Altria Buys Poda’s Assets and Properties
Altria Client Services will pay $100.5 million for assets and properties used in Poda Holdings’ business of developing, manufacturing and marketing multisubstrate heated capsule technology, according to a Poda press release. The deal includes the owners’ associated patents and the company’s license of certain of those patents pursuant to an amended and restated royalties agreement dated April 12, 2019.
“This agreement represents a significant milestone for Poda and its employees,” said Ryan Selby, Poda’s CEO, director and chairman of the company’s board of directors. “Our teams have worked diligently on this technology since the company’s inception, and we believe these agreements maximize its value for the company and its shareholders.”
Poda’s multisubstrate heated capsule technology uses proprietary biodegradable single-use capsules. The design of the technology prevents cross-contamination between the heating devices and the capsules, which eliminates cleaning requirements and provides users with a convenient and enjoyable experience, according to Poda Holdings.
This agreement represents a significant milestone for Poda and its employees.
Poda’s technology is fully patented in Canada and is patent pending in over 60 additional countries, covering almost 70 percent of the global population.
Tobacco Reporter profiled Poda Holdings in January 2022 (see “Making its Mark”).
Altria Client Services’ parent company, Altria Group, currently holds a license to distribute Philip Morris International’s IQOS HnB product in the United States. That product, however, has been subject to an import ban in the wake of an intellectual property dispute with BAT.
Analysts have also speculated on the likelihood of the IQOS distribution deal being renewed when it expires in 2024. PMI and Altria currently disagree about whether Altria has thus far met the milestones to earn the renewal option for an additional five-year deal.