• November 2, 2024

Beyond Ordinary

 Beyond Ordinary

Photo: Vaporesso

Photo: Vaporesso

Since 2015, Vaporesso has been the category leader of open-system vape products.

By Timothy S. Donahue

Vaporesso has been a force in the open-system vaping segment for nearly a decade. The China-based powerhouse is one of the world’s largest open-system vaping hardware manufacturers and produces a wide range of mods, pods, tanks, coils and accessories. The company has been so successful that it has received recognition from several media outlets such as Ecigclick, Vapouround, Vaping360 and VersedVaper, winning more than a dozen “best international brand” awards in 2023 alone.

The company has also won several professional international design awards, including the MUSE Design Award, the German Design Award, the London Design Award and the French Design Award. It has also garnered the Golden Leaf Award from the GTNF, one of the most prestigious awards in the nicotine industry.

Since 2015, Vaporesso’s commitment to helping combustible smokers switch to less harmful nicotine products has been deeply embedded in its core philosophy, which emphasizes innovation, reliability and style. Maggie Chen, a Vaporesso spokesperson, said during an interview at the GTNF in Athens in September that understanding the diverse needs and aspirations of Vaporesso vapers is a priority.

“By leveraging local insights, such as preferences for design and culture from subsidiaries in key markets like the USA and France, we have established dedicated touchpoints in each market to gather insights from consumers, retailers and various sales channels,” explained Chen. “This approach enables us to understand the specific requirements of different vaper segments while ensuring that the information we collect is objective and reliable, reinforcing our commitment to meeting the diverse needs of users across regions.

“This commitment allows us to continuously develop product lines that cater to beginners and experienced vapers, ensuring a wide variety of styles and consistent quality. Our advanced automated manufacturing processes ensure each device is crafted with precision and quality, reflecting our dedication to reliability and excellence. Furthermore, we focus strongly on understanding users’ feedback and monitoring market trends while staying committed to ongoing R&D investment. This dedication enables us to consistently offer innovative open-system products that meet the needs of both consumers and the industry.”

Vaporesso has held a leading position in the global open-system vaping product category for many years. It is recognized as the top brand worldwide in terms of market share. The company also achieved the highest growth rate among open-system brands, with its mouth-to-lung (MTL) products, such as the XROS series, becoming global bestsellers. The success of the XROS series is due to its compatibility with all XROS pods, reliable quality and superior flavor delivery, according to Chen, who added that the accomplishment highlights Vaporesso’s strong presence in key markets, such as the USA and Europe.

Eve Wang, executive director of Vaporesso’s parent company, Smoore International Holdings, remarked, “The journey of Vaporesso from 2015 truly reflects the value instilled by the parent company, Smoore Group, which has consistently prioritized the importance of R&D. At the beginning of the story, Smoore dedicated two full years to support the development of our very first product: the patented CCELL vape coil, which is recognized as the world’s first ceramic coil.

“This innovation reflects Smoore’s substantial commitment to R&D; since going public, the company has consistently invested a total of RMB3.94 billion ($551,923) in R&D by the end of 2023, with an additional RMB760 million allocated in the first half of 2024.”.

Building on this strong R&D foundation, Vaporesso developed three core technologies: the AXON Chip for intelligent power management and optimized performance, SSS leak-resistant technology, which sets new standards for reliability by preventing e-liquid leakage, and COREX heating technology for faster heating and enhanced flavor.

These innovations drive continuous improvements across Vaporesso’s product lines, ensuring premium quality and performance, according to Chen. The 2024 iteration of the XROS 4 series, featuring pod compatibility, exceptional flavor and a unique design, has become the world’s bestselling MTL product.

Currently, disposable vapes dominate significant markets. However, despite the challenges posed by the explosive growth of disposable products since 2020, Vaporesso has excelled in the open-system segment, achieving an average annual growth rate of over 20 percent in the past four years, according to company financial disclosures. This trend reflects open-system users’ strong trust in the Vaporesso brand as it consistently meets consumer demand for continuous innovation, reliable quality and diverse styles. The company has also excelled at combating vaping waste, which is much less when using an open system compared to a disposable.

“In addition to this growth, as a public company, Smoore Group strongly emphasizes developing various ESG indicators,” Wang stated. “Our commitment to ESG [environmental, social and governance], particularly to environmental sustainability, is reflected in several key areas. We aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 by progressively increasing renewable energy use across our operations. Additionally, we have set a target of sourcing 50 percent of our energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030, further demonstrating our dedication to reducing our carbon footprint and fostering a sustainable future.”

Chen explained that this commitment is mirrored at the brand level with Vaporesso’s ongoing initiatives, adding that the company embodies this commitment through its dedication to sustainable development.

“We achieve this by innovating eco-friendly products, such as the ECO series, which features four products made from environmentally friendly materials, including recyclable ocean waste, coffee grounds, sugarcane bagasse and limestone-based inorganic composite material,” said Chen. “Additionally, our brand initiative, Vaporesso Care, promotes global carbon neutrality by collaborating with users, environmental organizations and industry partners, further reinforcing our commitment to sustainability.”

The vaping industry is still relatively young, with just over a decade of history, and no one can predict the final shape of vape devices, including in the open-system category. Chen explained that Vaporesso is committed to its user-centric R&D approach, focusing on deepening consumer insights.

“This enables us to anticipate market needs ahead of both competitors and even the consumers themselves,” said Chen. “Moreover, as each market evolves at its own pace with distinct characteristics, we continuously expand our frontline teams to better understand and respond to the specific needs of users in every region. This ensures our products are not only highly preferred but also perfectly tailored to each market.”

Vaporesso may not have been the earliest entrant into the vaping industry; however, Chen said the company has always dedicated itself to becoming a leading vape brand. As the market has evolved, Vaporesso has stayed true to this vision by continually refining its products, organizational structure and promotional strategies.

“At Vaporesso, innovation is inspired by our users. We harness advanced insights and global consumer research to deeply understand their preferences. With branches and design centers in North America and Europe, we blend local market expertise with continuous R&D investment to maintain our industry-leading position,” said Chen. “Reliability lies at the heart of everything we do. We prioritize quality manufacturing with the industry’s first medical-grade factory, supported by the most advanced automatic production lines and 14 industrial parks.

“Our after-sales service, backed by local teams across four continents, ensures top-notch customer support. Our style goes beyond aesthetics. Local design centers provide insights into trends, preferences and lifestyles, enabling us to create stylish products for diverse needs and usage scenarios. Looking to the future, Vaporesso remains dedicated to realizing a smoke-free world, working closely with the industry to turn this vision into reality.”