Pax Labs

Pax Labs

Company type	Private
Industry	Cannabis
Founded	June 2007 (2007-06) in San Francisco, California
Founders	James Monsees Adam Bowen
Headquarters	660 Alabama Street, San Francisco, California , United States
Areas served	United States Canada Israel
Products	Electronic vaporizers
Website	pax.com

Pax Labs (stylized as PAX Labs) is a U.S.-based company specializing in electronic vaporizers, established in 2007 and recognized for its Pax vaporizer line. The firm was also responsible for developing the Juul e-cigarette, which was later separated into Juul Labs in 2017.

History

In 2005, former smokers and Stanford graduate students in product design, Adam Bowen and James Monsees, created an e-cigarette named Ploom. They launched Ploom in 2007 to bring the product to market, funding the venture primarily through private investors due to limited support from financial institutions. Tyler Goldman took over as CEO in August 2016. The first Ploom device encountered technical problems that raised safety concerns for users.

In 2011, a $10 million investment from Japan Tobacco International facilitated the creation of the Pax vaporizer designed for loose leaf tobacco. The Pax quickly gained traction among cannabis consumers, leading JTI to withdraw from the partnership; Ploom retained ownership of Pax and rebranded itself as Pax Labs.

Founders Bowen and Monsees departed in mid-2017, with Goldman leaving by the end of that year. Bharat Vasan was CEO from February 2018 until September 2019.

The company offers the Pax vaporizer series, beginning with the original Pax created by Ploom. Later versions include the Pax 2 and Pax 3 models, which accommodate both loose-leaf tobacco and cannabis; the Pax 3 additionally supports extracts and integrates with a smartphone application. In November 2016, Pax released the Era vaporizer, designed specifically for cannabis extracts utilizing small liquid pods.

In April 2019, Pax secured $420 million in equity financing, valuing the company at approximately $1.7 billion. By June 2019, it had established supply agreements with leading Canadian cannabis producers—including Aurora Cannabis, Aphria, OrganiGram Holdings, and The Supreme Cannabis Company—to provide extracts for its PAX Era vaporizer system.

As of 2023, Pax distributes its products throughout the United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom.

Juul

In June 2015, the company introduced Juul, an e-cigarette utilizing nicotine salts extracted from leaf tobacco, with a patent secured the same year. This advancement offers a smoking sensation that more closely mimics conventional cigarettes compared to other e-cigarettes. The device's design is reminiscent of a USB flash drive and recharges through a magnetic USB dock. Each Juul pod contains a nicotine amount comparable to a full pack of cigarettes, delivering approximately 200 inhalations.

Juul is engineered to provide a nicotine rush within five minutes, paralleling the effect of traditional smoking. While initially available in various flavors, only menthol and tobacco options remain on the U.S. market. A starter kit is priced around $49.99. Given its substantial nicotine concentration, Juul's influence on adolescent health has raised considerable concerns.

In 2017, Juul Labs separated from Pax Labs to become an independent entity, appointing Tyler Goldman, former CEO of Pax Labs, as Juul's chief executive officer.

PAX 1

The PAX 1, launched in 2012, marked Ploom's initial foray into dry herb vaporizers before the company rebranded as PAX Labs.

PAX 2

Released on March 10, 2015, the PAX 2 presented a more compact design than its predecessor, enhancing ease of transport.

PAX 3

Debuting in November 2016, the PAX 3 supports both dry herbs and cannabis concentrates through an included concentrate insert. It features refined temperature control within a specific range, improving upon the four preset settings of the PAX 2. Additionally, it offers wireless connectivity to smartphones via the PAX app.

PAX Era

Also introduced in late 2016, the PAX Era was the first model to utilize proprietary PAX Pod cartridges filled with pure cannabis oil. Drawing inspiration from Juul’s design, it incorporates food-grade polycarbonate cartridges and smartphone integration through the PAX app.

PAX Era Pro

An enhanced version of the original Era, the Era Pro incorporates ExpertTemp technology, pod memory functionality, haptic feedback, and a UL-certified battery. It operates using pre-filled cannabis oil pods and supports an adjustable temperature range.

PAX Mini

Launched in November 2022, the PAX Mini is a smaller dry herb vaporizer featuring a larger LED display, soft matte finish, and rounded edges. It is offered in poppy, silver, and onyx color options.

PAX Plus

Also released in November 2022, the PAX Plus boasts an expanded oven capacity designed for group use. It provides customizable session volumes through a concentrate insert and half-pack oven lid. Unlike the fixed temperature settings of the PAX 3, this device includes four distinct Experience Modes.