This is the summer of the Quantified Smoker. In May we wrote about the Quitbit, a smartphone-connected lighter that successfully met its Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign. Now a team based in Paris has launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund the development of Kosmo, a connected eCigarette with an associated coaching app. We had the opportunity to speak with their co-founder, Ylann Wajsbrot, about the device and his team’s mission.
Shiv Gaglani, Medgadget: How did you come up with the idea for the Kosmo ?
Ylann Wajsbrot: Last year, my brother started using an eCigarette, and after few weeks he was using it everywhere and all the time. That’s where the idea came from, so we designed Kosmo to be able to answer the question, “Am I actually vaporizing more than I used to smoke?” We want to help people control their habits with some real data.
Medgadget: What other smartphone-based solutions for smoking cessation are there?
Wajsbrot: There’s a ton of stuff out there that people are using on their phones. I’ve read that there are 15 million downloads every year for smoking cessation apps. There are also some other connected device coming on the market. For instance, Quitbit tracks regular cigarette consumption, and Smokio is a basic connected eCigarette which just came to market. But Smokio can’t provide you with instant feedback on how much you vape or with a coaching experience.
Medgadget: What do you mean by coaching experience?
Wajsbrot: A recent study showed that 71% of the people trying eCigarettes do it to help them to quit smoking. Kosmo provides a unique coaching experience. You can create a custom reduction program with a daily cap that decreases gradually, and social features allowing friends to hold each other accountable.
Medgadget: What do you mean by instant feedback?
Wajsbrot: Our team has experience with other wearable activity trackers, and we know that most people stop using the apps connected to their device within 3 weeks. The device has a much longer lifespan, but the apps tend to get old. That’s why we designed what we call the SmartLight to give an instant feedback on how much you are vaping. You don’t need your phone to track your usage once you’ve created your reduction plan.
Medgadget: Can you describe your goals with the Indiegogo campaign?
Wajsbrot: We’re big believers in the lean hardware movement, which emphasizes reducing waste in the product development cycle and proving the demand early. Indiegogo is perfect way to build a strong community behind our product and also provide the upfront capital needed to go into manufacturing. We’re ready to move forward.
Medgadget: Who is on your team and what makes you believe you all can help people stop smoking?
Wajsbrot: Kosmo’s core team includes myself, my co-founder Francois, a former key engineer at Withings. We have been working with a team of hardware experts and addiction specialists to develop Kosmo. More and more people are trying to quit smoking with eCigarettes, and we believe that smart technology can be a powerful tool to help keep smokers motivated and on track to reach whatever goals they may have.
Product info page: KOSMO…
Indiegogo fundraiser: Kosmo eCigarette…