By Timothy S. Donahue

Top Takeaways:

• FAV won an InterTabac World Alternative Award in 2025, indicating strong market acceptance for its hybrid ENDS product.
• Its technology uses real tobacco leaves and a proprietary True Tobacco coil + heated coil system to deliver tobacco flavor and nicotine without combustion.
• FAV positions itself as a direct competitor to established heat-not-burn devices like Philip Morris’ IQOS, emphasizing taste, reduced harmful byproducts, and user experience.

FAV Tech scored a major win at the 2025 InterTabac World Alternative Awards for its hybrid electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) product, FAV. The company claims that the revolutionary device provides the genuine taste of traditional cigarettes without the need for combustion. The award was presented during the annual InterTabac and InterSupply trade fair, held in Dortmund, Germany, from September 18 to 20, where the FAV device was officially launched.

The “2025 Best Alternative Product of the Year” award represents a significant achievement for the Hong Kong-based start-up, which is positioning its technology as a viable competitor to established heated tobacco products, such as Philip Morris International’s IQOS and British American Tobacco’s Glo. By combining liquid nicotine delivery with a patented coil that heats real tobacco leaf, FAV aims to closely mimic the sensory experience of smoking more effectively than vaping or heat-not-burn (HnB) devices alone.

Industry executives and analysts at InterTabac noted that the win underscores FAV’s potential to reshape the fast-growing smoke-free category. Ciprian Boboi, founder and board member with the Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA), called the product “the most innovative vaping technology available” today. “As a veteran of this industry, I have seen many products come and go, but I believe FAV is here to stay,” he said. “If you are a smoker who is looking to stop and transition to an alternative product, FAV is the answer you’ve been waiting for.”

Hybrid Design Targets Authentic Taste

Unlike traditional vaping devices that only use e-liquid, FAV heats a small amount of real tobacco leaves along with the liquid. Its “True Tobacco coil” technology, developed and patented by FAV Tech, precisely controls the heating to preserve natural flavor compounds without reaching the point of combustion. This creates an aerosol that contains both nicotine and authentic tobacco aroma, which the company states reduces exposure to the harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke.

FAV founder and CEO James Xu, who previously founded the once-largest vaping retail chain in the United States and helped construct the first IQOS stores in the country, said the device was developed directly based on feedback from smokers. “I’ve seen firsthand the struggles adult smokers face when trying to transition to vaping and HnB,” Xu said. “After years of research and direct consumer feedback, I believe FAV is the answer — delivering the true tobacco taste that adult smokers want, powered by next-generation technology.”

Xu emphasized that authentic flavor is the foundation of the design. “We start with the finest high-quality tobacco leaves,” he explained. “Using minimal amounts per pod allows us to choose only the best, ensuring exceptional flavor and aroma. Our tobacco goes through a unique curing and blending process to preserve natural flavors and aroma compounds, maintaining the authentic taste of traditional cigarettes.”

Each rechargeable device is paired with 2ml single-use pods that combine PG, VG, liquid nicotine and the True Tobacco coil. “When the liquid is combined with the coil, FAV’s advanced heating system precisely controls temperature to release nicotine and flavor compounds without combustion, creating a flavorful aerosol, free from harmful byproducts,” Xu said. “The aerosol mimics the experience of smoking, delivering nicotine from the liquid and preserved flavors from the coil.”

Competing With Heated Tobacco

FAV enters a category where Philip Morris’s IQOS and British American Tobacco’s Glo have long been dominant. IQOS heats processed tobacco sticks to produce a nicotine aerosol without burning, but Xu argues the experience is not exactly like smoking. “When the smoker is first trying to quit, it needs to be a lateral move,” he said in an interview with Nicotine Insider. ‘Taste is a crucial factor for smokers, particularly the distinct flavor reminiscent of combustibles.’

FAV’s hybrid design aims to solve that exact issue. “Smokers don’t want a device that feels like a compromise,” Xu said. “They want something that works right away, that provides the satisfaction they’re used to, without the ash, smoke, or smell. That is the gap FAV fills.”

Xu added that consumer testing has confirmed the product’s potential. “During trials, participants often didn’t want to give the device back,” he recalled. “That’s a good problem to have. Maybe this is the unicorn device that makes the transition to less risky products easier.”

Tobacco Reporter, which profiled earlier versions of the product in 2023, described FAV as “the best of both worlds.” Xu himself believes the company’s design leapfrogs current offerings. “For smokers to truly leave cigarettes behind, alternatives must actually work. They need to deliver nicotine quickly enough to satisfy, while avoiding unnecessary high exposure,” he said. “This is the balance FAV strikes — faster onset at lower strength. By filling this gap, FAV is more than a commercial innovation; it is technology with the potential to make a real difference.”

Next Steps and Industry Impact

FAV’s award and reception at InterTabac 2025 boost FAV’s visibility as the global nicotine market undergoes rapid change. Barclays Equity Research estimates the nicotine pouch market could exceed US$100 billion by 2035, while heat-not-burn remains one of the fastest-growing next-generation categories.

The global heated tobacco products market size was valued at US$49.14 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach US$898.86 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 63.2% from 2025 to 2030, according to Grand View Research. Analysts say FAV could find a niche by appealing to smokers dissatisfied with either pouches, traditional vaping, or current heated tobacco products.

The company aims to expand its regulatory presence in Europe and North America, although hybrid products like FAV often encounter complex regulatory challenges. For now, FAV Tech relies on the credibility of its leadership team and its recognition from Dortmund to gain momentum.

Xu views the award as validation that the market is ready for innovation rooted in the needs of smokers. “Our goal was never just to create another gadget,” he said. “It was to give smokers a true alternative that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a cigarette, without being one. Winning this award shows we are on the right track.”

For now, the company is focused on scaling production and building distribution, but Xu remains confident. “I’ve seen this industry evolve for more than 15 years,” he said. “If vaccines were the breakthrough of the 20th century, then truly effective smoke-free products could be the breakthrough of the 21st. FAV is designed to be that breakthrough.”