Puffco Proxy — $299 progressive, modular hashish vaporizer – TechCrunch

Puffco has lengthy led the market with progressive hashish vaporizers. The Puffco Peak Pro is definitely the most effective e-rigs obtainable, and the corporate simply unveiled a brand new vape known as the Proxy. It affords one of the best of the Peak Pro and might be constructed into numerous type components.

Don’t be distracted by the stunning pipe. That’s only a piece of glass. The Proxy slides into the glass piece. Think of the Proxy as a modular dabbing rig, capable of match into any type issue made for the unit. Bubbler? Sure. Glass beaker? Yep. Pipe? Obviously.

The $299 self-contained rig is concerning the measurement of a taller D-cell battery. Inside is similar heating component discovered within the firm’s different flagship product, the Peak Pro. USB-C recharges the battery, and the unit comes pre-programmed with 4 totally different warmth ranges.

Puffco ships the Proxy with the pipe proven right here, together with a journey case that holds cables, a cleansing equipment and a focus container spot.

It’s easy to make use of: Open the carb cap on the prime, drop in your favourite focus (resin, shatter, hash, and so forth.), and hit the button twice to activate the oven. Then, a few seconds later, blast off. I discovered the glass pipe easy and comfy, however I’d additionally like to attempt it with a water piece.

“This looks like a vaporizer, just in a pipe form,” Puffco founder Roger Volodarsky stated to TechCrunch. “But it’s the first truly modular vaporizer that’s been made to work in any design you want. And [Puffco] will release different accessories in other form factors that the Proxy can drop into.”

And the corporate is seeking to makers to construct different distinctive equipment for the Proxy.

Puffco has lengthy had an lively group that constructed equipment for the corporate’s flagship product, the Puffco Peak and the Peak Pro. Puffco sells a number of on its web site, and Etsy and eBay are filled with customized glass items and utility equipment. However, the Peak’s design is limiting and requires makers to construct glass items to a particular type issue.

Volodarsky hopes makers will discover it simpler to construct across the self-contained Proxy.

“It takes much less work to build for the Proxy,” Volodarsky stated. “If an artist is going to make a top for a Peak, it’s going to take them eight to 16 hours … unless it’s really, really cheap. [The Proxy] takes much less effort, so artists can get the value for their time. If it takes four hours to make a piece, they can charge way less for it. We think there will be much more affordable options in our community.”

The Proxy is offered right now at Puffco.com and several other retailers for $299. In addition, the corporate expects new type components and equipment to be obtainable within the subsequent couple of months.

Volodarsky based Puffco in 2013 and has bootstrapped the corporate since. Roger doesn’t need to take enterprise capital cash.

“I have a big problem with having to serve investors,” he informed TechCrunch. “Everything has to be deeply profitable, and usually that means you’re paying employees as little as you could. It means you’re cutting corners to drive profitability. We’re here to grow and professionalize the space, and that doesn’t align with the returns I think shareholders would want. So yeah, I’m avoiding having any investors for as long as I can, and it doesn’t look like that need is coming up in the future. The only people that have any ownership interest in Puffco are early-stage employees.”

Volodarsky says the corporate has skilled exponential development from 2016 to 2021, persistently doubling its income yearly. The chip scarcity affected the corporate, although. The Proxy was presupposed to be launched in 2021, however the firm needed to push it again till now, when it might purchase sufficient stock to launch the product.

The Puffco Proxy is hitting the market at a pivotal time. Cannabis is now authorized in numerous types all through the United States, with Europe exhibiting indicators of turning on the lights. With the explosion in home markets, extra shoppers are discovering the plant, and a few are in search of high-end experiences and gear — that’s the place Puffco’s merchandise play.

I’ve lengthy been a fan of Puffco’s merchandise, and the Proxy carries one of the best of the corporate into new type components. I had a number of days with the Proxy, and it’s a lot simpler to scrub than different Puffco merchandise, and it’s a pleasure to make use of. It’s straightforward to take the Proxy out of the glass pipe and picture it becoming into all kinds of glass items. I can’t wait to see what individuals construct for this factor.