e-Cig Joint Venture Pursues Tech Disruption With Biometrics

A new joint venture is being established to drive technological innovation in e-cigarettes and vaping products, with biometric technology poised to play an important role.

The venture comprises Ispire, a specialist in vaping technology; Berify, which offers a platform that links physical products to digital assets; and Chemular, a regulatory consulting firm. The group is looking to develop “an industry-standard age-verification solution” for vaping devices and for the “Premarket Tobacco Application” regulatory process.

The “Premarket Tobacco Application” (PMTA) is a requirement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for tobacco products that were not commercially marketed in the United States as of February 15, 2007, or for any new tobacco product. This application is a critical part of the FDA’s regulatory oversight under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009.

The FDA reviews the PMTA to consider, among other things, the risks and benefits of the product to the population as a whole, including users and non-users of tobacco products. The review also considers whether the product will likely lead to the use of tobacco products by non-users or deter cessation by current users.

Ispire, Chemular, and Berify are looking to establish a solution that incorporates, among other elements, next-generation e-cigarette hardware featuring a “point-of-use” age verification capability as well as a geofencing system that prevents use near schools and other sensitive areas. The group is also looking to implement a real-time biometric identity platform to secure access and deter counterfeiting.

“This venture includes additional partnerships that will bring together biometric identity and access control, ensure the solution is embedded into vapor devices during manufacturing and provide safety, security and privacy for consumers,” explained Chemular CEO Kevin Burd.

The Los Angeles-based consortium bills itself as the first of its kind for the e-cigarette space, with Berify founder and CEO Dan Kang noting that the US market is “ripe for technological disruption that addresses age-verification, safety and counterfeit issues.”

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February 23, 2024 – by the FindBiometrics Editorial Team