At a glance
Airo Brands is a cannabis hardware and consumer-products company founded in 2017 by Richard Yost. It built its reputation on a closed vape ecosystem in which the battery, cartridge, atomizer, airflow and oil are designed to work together. The company has since expanded into all-in-one devices, multiple oil tiers, Oria edibles and regulated medical-device partnerships.
Founder and origin
Yost is the company’s founder and CEO. Airo’s corporate history dates the brand to 2017, while New York business records show the corporation was filed in December 2016. The simplest timeline is a company formed at the end of 2016 and commercially established as Airo in 2017.
The original AiroPro proposition was hardware reliability: a magnetic pod connection, ceramic atomizer, controlled airflow and haptic feedback. Unlike a standard 510 battery, the closed system limits users to compatible pods but gives the company control over how the oil and device interact.
Hardware and oil families
AiroPro is the flagship reusable system. AiroPod covers compatible oil cartridges, while AiroX1 and AiroX2 are one-gram and two-gram all-in-one formats. Oil families include Artisan Series, Liquid Diamonds, Strain Series, Live Resin, Live Rosin and Artisan Ice; availability differs by device and state.
The category names are not interchangeable. Live rosin is solventless, live resin uses fresh-frozen material and hydrocarbon extraction, and Liquid Diamonds or flavored Artisan products follow different formulation paths. The exact ingredient and producer label on the state-specific package remains the source of truth.
Oria edibles and partner model
Oria extends the company beyond vapor with full-spectrum and flavor-led edibles. Airo uses licensed manufacturing partners in each cannabis market, providing hardware, formulations and brand systems while local operators make and distribute the regulated product. That model allows a broad footprint but also means the oil is produced by different licensees across states.
Footprint and awards
Airo’s official About page currently reports availability in 23 states and more than 1,800 dispensaries, millions of units sold, a return rate below 0.1 percent and seven Cannabis Cups. The company’s LinkedIn profile gives a newer count above 2,100 dispensaries; because those first-party numbers conflict, this profile uses the official website figure and dates it as current-site reporting rather than presenting a universal total.
International medical expansion
Airo also developed a CE-marked Class IIa medical inhalation device with Jupiter Research and SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals. The company says SOMAÍ supplies EU-GMP-compliant oils and international distribution. That medical system is a separate regulated product from U.S. adult-use pods and should not be used to imply that every Airo vape is a medical device.
The High Rise read
Airo’s real differentiator is system engineering, not lifestyle language. The haptics, magnetic fit and tuned atomizer address common failure points in cartridge vaping. The tradeoff is lock-in: AiroPro users cannot simply attach any standard cart.
When comparing products, check the oil family, local licensee and package ingredients—not just the device name. Browse more vapor and hardware brands in the High Rise brand directory. 21+.
Products and consumer context
Brand names can span multiple formats, product generations or licensed partners. Compare the exact item, ingredients or materials, producer, batch or model, and date rather than assuming every product carrying the name is identical.
What to verify before buying
Check the exact package or model for current specifications, ingredients or materials, potency or test data where relevant, warnings, warranty terms and local legal restrictions. Retail listings can outlive discontinued or reformulated products.