With an estimated 1.3 billion people using tobacco worldwide, the tobacco epidemic is a global public health issue. In Europe alone, nearly 30 per cent of the adult population smoke. Smoking is the largest avoidable health risk, yet it contributes to around 700,000 deaths in the EU annually.
Around 60 per cent of tobacco users express a desire to quit upon learning the dangers of smoking. However, only 30 per cent have access to cessation services. Even worse, only seven per cent of smokers who tried to quit have managed to stop for six to 12 months.
The need for accessible cessation solutions is high right now. Many innovative medical technologies and digital platforms are currently emerging to help individuals quit smoking. They use personalised and evidence-based support to save lives.
Today, let’s explore some of Europe’s tobacco cessation startups that provide unique quitting strategies
Adiquit
Founder(s): Roman Gabrhelík
Founded: 2018
Funding: €60,000
Hiring: No
Launched in the Czech Republic in 2018, Adiquit is a smoking cessation app developed by tobacco addiction researchers and clinical therapists. The app acts as an interactive virtual therapist that is available to provide cessation support 24/7.
Scientifically validated, Adiquit claims to provide a six times greater chance to quit smoking compared to quitting without professional help.
The Adiquit app maintains constant communication with the user. It helps the user to prepare for their first day without smoking and continues to prevent relapses throughout. It understands individual triggers and habits and therefore can intervene at critical times.
Dal Lab
Founder(s): David Martin Diaz, Leon Chen, Alexandre Lenormand
Founded: 2020
Funding: Undisclosed
Hiring: No
Dal Lab is a medical device technology company that specialises in smoking cessation. It was founded in 2019 to develop and market the first high-dose electronic nicotine substitute. Supported by the Scientific Committee, Dal Lab’s device is available exclusively in pharmacies.
With the British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) encouraging e-cigarettes to be licensed as medicines,
Dal Lab carried out its pharmacological and toxicological research on its e-nicotine substitute in 2021. The company is targeting marketing authorisation in Europe and the UK.
Quit Genius
Founder(s): Maroof Ahmed, Sarim Siddiqui, Yusuf Sherwani
Founded: 2017
Funding: $136.6M
Hiring: Yes, check job opportunities here
Developed by a team of medical doctors in 2017, Quit Genius is a digital program that helps people overcome their addictions. It combines Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), coaching, breath sensors, and clinically proven medications.
The program has been validated in six peer-reviewed papers, with a trial for a digital addiction program soon to be published.
Since its launch, Quit Genius has served over 700,000 participants. It also has partners across the US, Canada, and the UK. Now, the company aims to scale its medical knowledge to help over 100 million people quit their substance addiction.
Oneleaf
Founder(s): Eliott Cohen-Skalli
Founded: 2022
Funding: $5.1M
Hiring: No
Oneleaf is a startup that specialises in using hypnosis as a smoking cessation method. Founded by Eliott Cohen-Skalli, the company makes hypnosis more accessible and effective than in-person sessions.
Not only smoking cessation, the Oneleaf app offers other self-hypnosis programs such as anxiety and weight loss management. According to Cohen-Skalli, being in a familiar and comfortable setting of hypnosis, such as one’s home, increases its effectiveness.
The company is supported by investors including Frst, Kima Ventures, Raise Ventures, and several business angels. Additionally, French public investment bank Bpifrance contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in equity-free financing.
Kwit
Founder(s): Christophe Dehlinger, Geoffrey Kretz, Jean François
Founded: 2016
Funding: €1.3M
Hiring: Yes, check job opportunities here
Launched in 2017 by Geoffrey Kretz, Jean-François Kraemer, and Christophe Dehlinger, Kwit is a mobile application for smoking cessation. It became the first smoking cessation app to receive validation from the World Health Organization’s self-assessment framework.
The Kwit app uses game-like elements to motivate users to reward users as they progress through the program. It also tracks users’ smoking habits to understand triggers and patterns. From the gathered data, the app creates quitting strategies and motivations for the user.
Used globally, the app is available in 14 languages. It has now served over 3.5 million people worldwide. While Kwit is available for free, additional features for those in need of extra support are accessible through a subscription method.
Nuumi
Founder(s): Oscar Salvador Morillo Victoria, Tobias Jean, Tobias Meister
Founded: 2020
Funding: €250,000
Hiring: No
Nuumi, also known as Sanos Group, was created in 2020 to provide a holistic approach to quitting smoking. Funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) since March 2021, nuumi uses artificial intelligence and smart technology to create a project called iQuit.
The iQUit project helps individuals remain smoke-free with smart vaporiser technology and digital behaviour training.
Nuumi’s smart vaporiser connects to the user’s smartphone and records detailed smoking behaviour data. The nicotine, which is inhaled in a similar hand-to-mouth action, helps reduce cravings without requiring the user to change their habits drastically.
The AI component learns from the user’s progress and challenges to create personalised support. The program aims to help cope with triggers and build resilience against relapses.
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