About Black Buffalo
Black Buffalo is a Retail company based in Chicago (United States) founded in 2015 by Mark Hanson, and was acquired by Imperial Brands in May 2026. Nicotine patches from edible green leaves are offered online. It operates on a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) and Subscription Services model. Black Buffalo has raised $38 million across 2 funding rounds from investors including Imperial Brands, The Pritzker Organization and Watchfire Ventures. Its website blackbuffalo.com draws about 133 thousand monthly visits. Black Buffalo offers products and services including Nicotine Pouches, Long Cut Dip, and ZERO Pouches. Its focus areas include Consumer Goods, Tobacco Alternatives and Nicotine Products. Its legal entity is BLACK BUFFALO INC. Its competitors include Onnicotine, White olo and Pillowz.
Company details
Black Buffalo is established as a company offering alternatives to traditional tobacco products. A range of nicotine pouches and long cut dip products are provided, designed to mimic the experience of traditional dipping without containing tobacco leaf or stem. Additionally, nicotine-free options under the ZERO line are made available. The products are targeted at adults aged 21 and older, with distribution through online platforms and retail partners across various locations. The company is noted for its rewards program and community engagement initiatives.
- Headquarters Chicago, United States
- Founders Mark Hanson
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsRetail
- Website category Sports
- Email••••••••
- Phone•••• ••••
- Website blackbuffalo.com
- Social LinkedIn X Facebook Instagram
- Acquired by Imperial Brands (May 2026)
- Legal Name Black Buffalo Inc.
- Total Equity Funding$38M (USD)
in 2 rounds
- Latest Funding Round$30M (USD), Series A
Aug 2022
- InvestorsImperial Brands
& 5 more
- Acquired byImperial Brands
(May 2026)
Products & Services of Black Buffalo
Black Buffalo offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including Nicotine Pouches, Long Cut Dip, and ZERO Pouches.
Nicotine pouches are offered as tobacco-free alternatives.
Long cut dip is provided without tobacco content.
ZERO pouches are sold without any nicotine content.
Funding Insights of Black Buffalo
Black Buffalo has successfully raised a total of $38M across 2 strategic funding rounds. The most recent funding activity was a Series A round of $30 million completed in August 2022. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $38M
- Total Rounds 2
- Last Round Series A — $30M
- First Round $8M
(Mar 2020)
- Investors Count 5
All 2 funding rounds of Black Buffalo with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2022 | $30M | Series A | – | The Pritzker Organization, Listen VC | |
| Mar 2020 | $8M | Series A | – | – | – |
6 investors in total: 6 institutional.
Investors in Black Buffalo
Black Buffalo has secured backing from 6 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Imperial Brands, The Pritzker Organization and Watchfire Ventures.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Growth-equity investments are managed by the private investment firm. | pritzkerorg.com | Chicago, United States | ||
Early stage companies are invested in by Watchfire Ventures. | watchfireventures.com | |||
Early stage venture capital fund focused on stigmatized industries is operated. | 2018 | viceventures.com | New York, United States | |
Early-stage US tech investments are focused on by Listen VC. | listen.co | Chicago, United States | ||
Strategic investments are made by UTC Venture Group in innovative ventures. | utcventuregroup.com | Lakewood Ranch, United States | ||
Tobacco products are manufactured across traditional, next-generation, and accessory categories. | 1901 | imperialbrandsplc.com | Bristol, United Kingdom |
Investor details for Black Buffalo
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People of Black Buffalo
11 people are tracked at Black Buffalo (9 in leadership, 2 in team).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Mark Hanson | Co-Founder & President | Leadership |
Shannon Marie | VP Of Growth Marketing | Leadership |
Jeffery David (JD) | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Matthew Hanson, CFA | Chief Growth Officer | Leadership |
Matthew Spillane | Vice President of Sales | Leadership |
Ryan Barnhardt | National Account Director | Leadership |
Raz Rahman | Sr. Vice President of Retail | Leadership |
Joseph Workman | Vice President Trade Marketing & Sales Operations | Leadership |
Amy Jeffries | Wholesale Customer Service & Operations Director | Leadership |
Michael Grady | Inventory and Fulfillment Manager | Team |
Manhattan Perry | SVP Integrated Marketing | Team |
Complete people profiles for Black Buffalo
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Timeline of Black Buffalo
4 dated milestones of Black Buffalo across 11 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Black Buffalo is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $8.0M.
- Funding Latest funding round, Series A, of $30.0M.
- Exit Acquired by Imperial Brands.
Competitors of Black Buffalo
Black Buffalo has 3 listed competitors in our database. They include Onnicotine, White olo and Pillowz.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| onnicotine.com | 2018 | Phoenix, United States | Offers tobacco-free nicotine pouches in various flavors and strengths for adult consumers. | |||
| whiteolo.com | 2010 | Portland, United States | Operates a direct-to-consumer brand offering nicotine products. | |||
| pillowzpouches.com | 2024 | Costa Mesa, United States | Online retailer selling flavored nicotine pouches and merchandise to consumers. |
Detailed competitors of Black Buffalo
The full competitor set, operating metrics and side-by-side benchmarks require an active premium plan.
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Web traffic of Black Buffalo
The website of Black Buffalo (blackbuffalo.com) receives about 133.1K visits a month and ranks #275,242 among all websites worldwide, #8,982 in Sports.
- Monthly visits133.1K
▲ 8.9% vs previous month
- Unique visitors68.1K
per month
- Global rank#275,242
among all websites
- Category rank#8,982
Sports · Sports
- Bounce rate31%
- Pages per visit3.2
- Average visit1 min 10 sec
- DevicesDesktop 10% · Mobile 90%
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Black Buffalo. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
fullyloadedchew.com | fullyloadedchew.com | 100% | #536,407 | – | |
| getgrinds.com | 94% | #283,025 | View details | ||
nicobolt.com | nicobolt.com | 89% | #1,260,861 | – | |
teazaenergy.com | teazaenergy.com | 88% | #1,003,146 | – | |
frepouch.com | frepouch.com | 83% | #285,226 | – | |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 17 similar websites and full traffic analytics for Black Buffalo
The complete similar-websites list, audience overlap and engagement analytics require an active premium plan.
- 17 similar websites
- Audience overlap
- Engagement analytics
- Traffic by brand
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Top companies in Licensed & Thematic Merchandise
3 companies that operate in the same segment as Black Buffalo (Licensed & Thematic Merchandise) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Licensed sports merchandise, collectibles, and betting platforms are provided. | 2011 | New York, New York, United States | USD 4.85 B | 14,656 | ||
Hyperlocal delivery of marijuana products and consultations are facilitated. | 2014 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 186 M | 98 | ||
Smart vending solutions are provided for offline retailers and businesses. | 2008 | Troy, United States | 334 |
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Related news about Black Buffalo
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Frequently Asked Questions about Black Buffalo
Black Buffalo was founded in 2015 and raised its 1st funding round 5 years after it was founded.
Black Buffalo is headquartered in Chicago, United States. It is registered at Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Black Buffalo is a funded company, having raised a total of $38M across 2 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Series A of $8M, raised on Mar 2020.
Black Buffalo is established as a company offering alternatives to traditional tobacco products. A range of nicotine pouches and long cut dip products are provided, designed to mimic the experience of traditional dipping without containing tobacco leaf or stem. Additionally, nicotine-free options under the ZERO line are made available. The products are targeted at adults aged 21 and older, with distribution through online platforms and retail partners across various locations. The company is noted for its rewards program and community engagement initiatives.
Black Buffalo's top competitors include Onnicotine, White olo and Pillowz.
Black Buffalo offers Nicotine Pouches, Long Cut Dip, and ZERO Pouches.
Black Buffalo has 6 investors. Key investors include Imperial Brands, The Pritzker Organization, Watchfire Ventures, Vice Ventures, and UTC Venture Group.
Black Buffalo operates through Black Buffalo Inc..
Yes. Black Buffalo was acquired by Imperial Brands in May 2026.
The website of Black Buffalo receives about 133 thousand visits a month and ranks #275,242 among all websites worldwide.