Imperial Brands Acquires Smokeless Startup

Imperial Brands just splashed $150 million to buy Chicago startup Black Buffalo, signaling a bold push to dominate the U.S. smokeless market by 2024. Founded in 2019 with just 11 employees, Black Buffalo offers affordable, easy-to-use smokeless alternatives and is already gaining traction. The acquisition fits Imperial’s strategy to expand its smokeless portfolio and leverage Black Buffalo’s disruptive brand and customer base. With smokeless sales hitting $1.1 billion outside the U.S., Imperial is eyeing deeper consumer partnerships and broader market reach — while Black Buffalo’s co-founder sees this as the launchpad for scaling innovation nationwide. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/14ba90452484577c