Aquios Labs is looking to introduce an entirely new product category to the industry: water-based vaping.
The first generation of its technology, dubbed ‘AQ30’, can support up to 30% water content, using a combination of specially formulated e-liquid and hardware design. Most traditional vaping devices and e-liquids contain no water at all, and in those that do, the water content is restricted to 3% or less, the firm noted.
Aquios said they are already developing the capability to support even higher levels of water content.
Positioning itself as a technology company, rather than a consumer-facing brand, Aquios Labs hopes to integrate water-based vaping into existing product portfolios. The first commercially available water-based vaping devices will come to market at the end of April, it added.
Water-based vapes perform differently from their traditional counterparts, the company claims. The water content reduces dehydration and irritation, helps to deliver nicotine more efficiently and produces a more natural flavour. In addition, the operating temperature of water-based vaping is much lower than traditional vaping, which greatly enhances the chemical stability of the vaping process.
Aquios Labs founder Jack Sanders said: "We founded Aquios Labs because there's still a long way to go in terms of improving the vaping experience. We believe that water-based vaping is the new frontier of nicotine delivery and AQ30 is already demonstrating this by drastically reducing the dehydrating effects of vapour while delivering clean flavours. We welcome new and existing vape brands to consider how this technology can be adopted as part of a growing product offering."
Industry titans Innokin are already placing a significant bet on the future of water-based vapes, with plans to integrate Aquios Labs technology into a wide range of their entry-level devices. Consumers can expect to see Innokin devices with AQ30 technology debut this month.
Innokin co-founder George Xia said: "Innokin has always believed that new technology has the power to eliminate the need for combustible tobacco. When we were introduced to Aquios, our product development team was immediately sold on the unique advantages of water-based vaping. We look forward to hearing feedback about our range of water-based devices when they launch this April."
