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welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, and always up to something in social good x tech.
this publication is a place for me to reflect on productivity, health and tech, and drop unique opportunities in the space right to your inbox daily. if you’re new here, sign up to tune in!💌
scroll to the end for my daily roundup on unique opportunities!
onto today’s topic: miist 🚭️
nicotine addiction runs rampant in high schools, college campuses and the adult world — i’m not going to preach the debilitating effects it has on the human body because i’m sure you’ve already heard the spiel in dozens of substance abuse campaigns, but i will shed some light on a startup, miist, taking a very fascinating approach to helping people quit smoking.
in one line, miist wants people to vape their way out of smoking addiction.
it sounds absurdly counterintuitive, but hear me out.
miist therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company focused on developing inhaled therapies for acute conditions, with a current emphasis on smoking cessation. they’ve developed an inhaler that produces ultra-fine, sterile aqueous particles using vibration instead of heat. these particles are small enough to reach the peripheral regions of the lungs, where the blood-air barrier is extremely thin, allowing for immediate absorption into the bloodstream, which is precisely why this method offers quicker relief in comparison to traditional oral medication. they have already underwent a phase 1 clinical trial and observed patients experiencing 92% symptom relief within just two minutes after dosing (source).
let’s talk numbers! 🤓
the global smoking cessation and nicotine de-addiction market was valued at approximately $25.46 billion in 2023, and is projected to grow at a cagr of 10.4% from 2024 to 2030 (source). 
miist just recently secured $7 million in seed funding from investors including refactor Capital, 1517 fund, freeflow ventures, entrepreneur first, and the california innovation fund (source). as the startup must wait for fda approval, there is no further information regarding revenue.
questions i’d be interested to ask:
how would doctors feel about prescribing a device that mimics vaping? similarly, what does patient perception actually look like?
outside of smoking cessation and migraines, what other acute conditions are you hoping to expand to?
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