One of the most exciting developments of the legal cannabis industry has been that entrepreneurs are entering the space, especially on the ancillary side, taking advantage of the reduced stigma and the changing demographics of the industry. A prominent area of interest has been in the vaporizer space, where companies like Pax Labs, which raised $47mm last year, have really made a huge impact in terms of style and technology.
Another player that has contributed to making vaporizers a more elegant and effective cannabis consumption experience has been Firefly, which is based, like Pax Labs, in San Francisco. It’s CEO, Mark Williams, was a design engineer at several firms after earning his undergraduate degree in Industrial and Product Design at Notre Dame and a M.S. from San Jose State. Before co-founding Firefly in 2011, he was a design manager at Apple for for five years and worked previously with software companies Intuit and PeopleSoft. CTO and co-founder Sasha Robinson, who earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Brown University, has worked at tech firms Silicon Graphics, Juniper Networks, Moto Development group and Cisco
Firefly has just launched its second version of its vaporizer, which is available for pre-sale now and is expected to launch in May. The Cannabist gives it a great review, which caught our attention, but the story goes well beyond the product itself:
The Firefly 2 is an amazing portable vaporizer. The thoughtful deliberation informing its redesign is evident in every component and curve. It creates wonderfully flavorful, cool vapor, handles flowers and oil, feels good in the hand, looks great and functions well. That quality comes at a premium, but if it is in your price range, the Firefly 2 is a great investment.
The article details many of the improvements that have been made (including a helpful video), but it is the process of listening to customers, improving the design and features and finding the best materials that really stands out. Consumers benefit greatly when innovators like Williams and Robinson leave the corporate world and enter the cannabis industry.
Read Ben Livingston’s “Firefly 2 vape redesign is simply stunning (review)”: http://www.thecannabist.co/2016/03/01/firefly-2-review-portable-vaporizer-flower-vape-hash-oils/49229/
