NJOY

NJOY, founded in 2007, was one of the first major e-cigarette brands in the US.{{cite news |last1=Richtel |first1=Matt (2013-10-26) |title=The E-Cigarette Industry, Waiting to Exhale |work=The New York Times |date=26 October 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/business/the-e-cigarette-industry-waiting-to-exhale.html?_r=0 |access-date=2016-03-18 |ref=2}}{{cite magazine |last1=Sanburn |first1=Josh |title=Can Electronic Cigarettes Challenge Big Tobacco? |url=https://business.time.com/2013/01/08/can-electronic-cigarettes-challenge-big-tobacco/ |magazine=Time |date=8 January 2013 |access-date=2016-03-18 |ref=3}} It was founded by Arizona attorney Mark Weiss.{{Cite web |last=Wallace |first=Benjamin |date=2013-04-26 |title=Has NJOY Resolved the E-Cigarette's Image Problem? -- New York Magazine - Nymag |url=https://nymag.com/news/features/e-cigarettes-2013-5/ |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=New York Magazine |language=en}}

File:Vaping E-Cigarette (25008278785).jpg

In 2010, the company won a landmark lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration. The decision by the US Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling finding that the FDA lacked authority to regulate electronic cigarettes as drugs or medical devices, absent therapeutic claims. The court further held that FDA could seek to regulate electronic cigarettes via the FDA's authority under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, as argued by NJOY.{{cite news |last1=Don |first1=Jeffrey (2010-12-07) |title=FDA Loses Appeal, Can't Regulate E-Cigarettes as Drug |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-12-07/fda-can-t-regulate-electronic-cigarettes-as-drug-u-s-appeals-court-rules |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |date=7 December 2010 |access-date=2016-03-18 |ref=8}} In response, FDA announced that it would accept the Court of Appeals decision and would regulate the category under the Tobacco Control Act rather than under the agency's drug jurisdiction. The lawsuit thereby established the legal framework for the electronic cigarette/vaping industry.

File:NJOY Electronic Cigarette Vaporizer (25220492589).jpg

Originally NJOY achieved commercial success following the resolution of its lawsuit with FDA. Much of this early success was due to well-received launch of the NJOY KING, a disposable electronic cigarette in a package and form factor that looks like a cigarette. The King was introduced in late 2012.{{Cite web |last=Wallace |first=Benjamin |date=2013-04-26 |title=Has NJOY Resolved the E-Cigarette's Image Problem? -- New York Magazine - Nymag |url=https://nymag.com/news/features/e-cigarettes-2013-5/ |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=New York Magazine |language=en}} Main product features included a white paper wrapping, a faux filter, and a red “ember” that lights when you draw. The King had no button to push and nothing to charge. The King became the best-selling e-cigarette in the United States and brought in $90 million in revenue in 2013. By 2014, NJOY was ranked number one by IRI in US vaping retail sales with over 90,000 points of distribution{{cite web |title=Why the Tobacco Giants Remain Among the Best Dividend Stocks |url=https://www.fool.com/investing/dividends-income/2014/11/19/why-dividends-at-the-tobacco-giants-remain-very-sa.aspx |website=The Motley Fool |date=19 November 2014 |access-date=2016-03-18 |ref=5}} as well as 40,000 in Europe.{{Cite web |last=A7mad-vp |date=2016-09-20 |title=Independent Ecigs manufacturer NJOY declares bankruptcy |url=https://www.vapingpost.com/2016/09/20/independent-ecigs-manufacturer-njoy-declares-bankruptcy/ |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=Vaping Post |language=en-US}} Its closest rival was Blu as well as Vuse and MarkTen (by Altria).{{Cite journal |last1=Haardörfer |first1=Regine |last2=Cahn |first2=Zachary |last3=Lewis |first3=Michael |last4=Kothari |first4=Shreya |last5=Sarmah |first5=Raina |last6=Getachew |first6=Betelihem |last7=Berg |first7=CarlaJ. |date=2017-04-01 |title=The Advertising Strategies of Early E-cigarette Brand Leaders in the United States |journal=Tobacco Regulatory Science |language=en |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=222–231 |doi=10.18001/TRS.3.2.10 |pmid=29392167 |pmc=5789794 |issn=2333-9748 }}

The company's newer device, the NJOY King 2, did not find success and the increasing market competition led to NJOY filing for bankruptcy in September 2016.{{Cite news |last1=Maloney |first1=Jennifer |last2=Chung |first2=Juliet |date=2019-05-01 |title=NJOY, a Once Bankrupt E-Cigarette Maker, Now Seeks $5 Billion Valuation |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/njoy-a-once-bankrupt-e-cigarette-maker-now-seeks-5-billion-valuation-11556736164 |access-date=2025-01-18 |work=Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}} In 2017, NJOY, LLC acquired the assets of NJOY, Inc. and the company relaunched.{{Cite web |last=LLC |first=NJOY |title=NJOY, Inc. Successfully Completes Financial Restructuring |url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/njoy_inc_successfully_completes_financial_restructuring/prweb14095724.htm |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=www.prweb.com |language=en}} NJOY's stated mission is to “make smoking history.” NJOY supplies e-cigarettes for independent, government-funded studies on smoking and e-cigarettes.{{cite web|url=https://www.drugabuse.gov/funding/supplemental-information-nida-e-cig|title=How to Order the Standardized Research E-Cigarette (SREC)|last1=NIDA|access-date=2018-11-11|ref=9}}{{cite web|url=https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/nida-notes/2018/01/available-soon-nidas-e-cigarette|title=Available Soon: NIDA's E-Cigarette|last1=NIDA (2018, January 12)|date=12 January 2018 |access-date=2018-12-17|ref=7}} The brand recovered in the following years.https://www.feelmtech.com/GlobalClients/njoy-success-story.html

In 2022, the FDA authorized several NJOY e-cigarette products to be legally marketed in the U.S.{{cite web | title=FDA Issues Marketing Decisions on NJOY Daily E-Cigarette Products | website=U.S. Food and Drug Administration | date=2022-08-11 | url=https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/ctp-newsroom/fda-issues-marketing-decisions-njoy-daily-e-cigarette-products | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610170837/https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/ctp-newsroom/fda-issues-marketing-decisions-njoy-daily-e-cigarette-products | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 10, 2022 | access-date=2022-10-18}}{{cite web | title=FDA Issues Marketing Decisions on NJOY Ace E-Cigarette Products | website=U.S. Food and Drug Administration | date=2022-08-11 | url=https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/ctp-newsroom/fda-issues-marketing-decisions-njoy-ace-e-cigarette-products | access-date=2022-10-18}}

On June 1, 2023, Altria Group acquired 100% control of NJOY,{{cite web | title=Altria Group Inc.to acquire Scottsdale-based e-cigarette maker NJOY | website=The Business Journals | date=2023-03-09 | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2023/03/09/altria-group-inc-acquiring-njoy-holdings-inc.html}} shortly after Altria sold its stake in Juul Labs.{{Cite web |last=Chapman |first=Michelle |date=March 6, 2023 |title=Altria invests $2.75B in rival startup NJOY after Juul exit |url=https://apnews.com/article/juul-altria-vaping-cigarette-njoy-b376515ea25e08ddc4372ace214c86a3 |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=Associated Press |language=}}

File:Njoy blueberry pod litter.jpg

In the years following the King's launch, NJOY expanded its product offerings to include open system vape liquids, a closed system vape device called the PFT, a new disposable electronic cigarette called the DAILY, a rechargeable device called the LOOP, and a pod-based vape device called the ACE.

File:NJOY Corporate Logo.png

The company's early individual investors include Sean Parker, Peter Thiel, Douglas Teitelbaum{{cite web |last1=Biggs |first1=John (2014-02-28) |title=E-Cig Maker NJOY Raises $70 Million |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/28/e-cig-maker-njoy-raises-70-million |website=TechCrunch |date=March 2014 |access-date=2016-03-18 |ref=11}} and Bruno Mars.{{cite web |last1=Moreno |first1=Carolina (2013-06-03) |title=Bruno Mars Invests In NJOY Electronic Cigarette Company, Started Using Product For Mom |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/03/bruno-mars-quit-smoking-mom_n_3378948.html |website=The Huffington Post |date=3 June 2013 |access-date=2016-03-18 |ref=12}}

In 2013, former Surgeon General and physician Richard Carmona joined the company's Board of Directors, also serving in a scientific advisory role.{{cite web |agency=Associated Press |title=Carmona joining e-cigarette board |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/richard-carmona-joining-e-cigarette-board-089262 |website=POLITICO. 2013-03-24 |date=24 March 2013 |access-date=2016-03-18 |ref=13 |language=en}}

In 2015, NJOY named former Global President and General Manager of Pfizer's Consumer Health Care Business, Paul Sturman as CEO & President.{{cite web |title=NJOY Names Sturman as CEO & President |url=http://www.cspnet.com/category-news/tobacco/articles/njoy-names-sturman-ceo-president |website=CSP Daily News |access-date=2015-01-26 |ref=14 |language=en}}

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Category:Smoking in the United States

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Category:American companies established in 2007