Who would have thought a college experiment by two Stanford students would lead to a $15 billion vaporizer business?

San Francisco based startup, Pax Labs Inc., has raised $20 million in a special round of funding, and rumor has it their valuation has ballooned to over $15 billion.

In an effort to keep themselves lean on VC money, existing shareholders were asked to come up with the funds, and Pax was able to avoid giving away a large stake of equity. According to CEO Bharat Vasan "This is a deliberately small round, to avoid becoming overly dependent on venture capital."

In 2007, a small company named Ploom Inc. was formed by James Monsees and Adam Bowen. The goal was to make a sleek, and technologically advanced loose leaf vaporizer. At the time, it was described as for tobacco use only, even though it was clearly made for cannabis in its flower form (clearly a lot has changed in the last 11 years). The Pax was finally released and has been revised twice since then.

Pax 3

In 2016, the Pax 3 was released. On that same day, their newest device, called the Pax Era was released and Ploom Inc. became Pax Labs. The Era was designed specifically for use with cannabis concentrates. This device is almost an exact replica of the Juul, another massively popular nicotine vaporizer, also developed by Monsees and Bowen.

Pax labs has got a winner with the Era, which is used with pre filled pods that are available in dispensaries in select states out west. Users are able to control the vaporizer wirelessly through an app on any mobile phone. The app allows you to connect to the Era and set it a specific temperature. You can also monitor the battery life and change the LED lights to different colors when the device is in use.

Pax does not sell any marijuana or cannabis oil, but sells the empty pods to companies that fill them with their own oils.

The word "inflammation" traces back to the Latin meaning for "set afire." As I've gotten older, my body and pain has changed. When I was young, I experienced temporary pain, occasionally from various injuries. But now, I'm living with chronic pain in my knees and joints. Simple tasks like climbing up stairs or driving can make my knees feel like they're on fire. I love taking my grandkids to the playground, but recently that's been tough to enjoy. I've tried everything: pills, hot packs, cold packs, over-the-counter and Rx meds. I've blended superfood smoothies and embarrassed myself in yoga classes, but nothing works. Prescriptions come with too many side effects and leave me feeling light-headed and nauseous.

Being busy keeps me happy and I'm not the type of person who can sit around all day and do nothing. When I started missing my daily walks and resenting the playground, my daughter suggested I try a CBD product. New to the market, they're catching a lot of buzz on managing pain. She recommended a brand called Sagely Naturals because they make easy-to-use products like lotions and capsules infused with CBD and other natural ingredients. This was something new, so I decided to give it a try.

Sagely Naturals is on a mission is to get people back to doing what they love most. They try to ease pain and relieve stress. Their CBD is sourced from organic and non GMO hemp. The hemp is grown and extracted at a facility that adheres to strict standards of operations.When I was young, I thought cannabinoids were just for hippies at Woodstock. But I've learned that CBD is a completely legal compound that can be extracted from hemp, kale, or even broccoli! Nowadays these products can be shipped to all 50 states. I was skeptical, but my daughter explained that there is absolutely no THC in Sagely's CBD products so I feel confident I'm not going to end up with any unwanted psychoactive effects. I had to ask these questions, but now I know there is nothing to worry about.

I started with Sagely's Relief and Recovery Cream, and I liked the comfortable feel of rubbing the peppermint-scented lotion on my hands. After a few weeks, the pain in my hands had lowered enough that I felt comfortable cooking meals for my family again. Then I started using the Relief and Recovery Capsules. I started by taking one in the mornings, and tried a few different dosages until I found the perfect balance for my unique body and pain level. The pills are the only things that have worked to minimize the pain in my knees, making it easier to get up and down stairs and feel independant again.

Now, I'm not afraid of the playground anymore. I love being able to help take care of my granddaughter, instead of my daughter always having to take care of me. Using the cream and capsules have become part of my morning routine. I also keep a small bottle of cream in my purse just in case I need it throughout the day. Sagely has given me the freedom to do all of my favorite things again, without chronic pain weighing me down.

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