By Timothy S. Donahue
When Waqas Khan, CEO of Clew Nicotine Pouches, took the stage at InterTabac 2025, held in in Dortmund, Germany, Sept. 18-20, he said that his entry into the tobacco industry was never part of a master plan. With a career spanning the financial services, telecoms, and medical technology industries, Khan described himself primarily as a technologist.
His move into the nicotine industry stemmed from curiosity, not intention. What he discovered was a category in flux and an industry in search of alternatives.
“I joined British American Tobacco (BAT) with the mindset of an entrepreneur, not a careerist,” Khan told the audience. “It was about learning what this industry is, what role nicotine plays, and what the alternatives to cigarettes might look like.”
That outsider perspective influenced his next steps. After several years at BAT, Khan launched Clew Nicotine Pouches and its parent company, Nevcore Innovations, to bring fresh ideas to an old problem. He noticed a category led by global players, yet still struggling to gain credibility and consumer trust. For him, nicotine was not just a product sector but also a platform to apply technology, design, and systems operations.
Building Clew on Clear Principles
Clew’s origin story is based on two principles Khan emphasized during his talk. First, nicotine products must be designed to reduce harm and lower risk compared with combustible cigarettes. Second, they should be developed with a deep understanding of consumer behavior, rather than just focusing on regulatory compliance.
“We cannot just copy what came before,” he said. “We need to create products that smokers actually want to use, that feel familiar yet better, and that regulators can understand as credible harm reduction tools.”
Clew was built on the idea that pouches should be more than just a consumer convenience. Khan presented pouches as a consumer product that combines health considerations with lifestyle branding. He pointed to examples in other sectors, from finance to nutrition, where successful companies grew by building trust around safety and quality while also providing a strong user experience.
Navigating Regulation and Trust
Khan acknowledged the regulatory challenges that every new nicotine product must overcome. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only authorized a limited number of pouch products, while Europe is still discussing harmonized standards for labeling, flavors, and taxes. For Clew, compliance is not an afterthought; it is a fundamental principle.“You cannot win in this industry without building for regulation from day one,” he said. “If your product cannot withstand scrutiny, it has no future.”
At the same time, he argued that regulation alone cannot build consumer trust. Many smokers and policymakers still misunderstand nicotine pouches, and misinformation about relative risk persists. Khan pointed out that companies must invest not only in science and documentation but also in communication that resonates with the public.
“Trust is built through consistency,” he explained. “That means consistent product quality, consistent scientific evidence, and consistent messaging. Anything less and consumers will turn away.”
Lessons From Outside Tobacco
Throughout the speech, Khan referenced lessons from industries beyond the nicotine sector. He explained that his background in medical technology highlighted the importance of thorough testing and safety protocols. His experience in telecommunications emphasized the significance of user-friendly design and seamless integration. And his time in financial services reinforced the need for transparency and compliance on a broad scale.
“Every industry has its red lines,” Khan told the audience. “If you want to innovate, you must know where those lines are and how to work within them. That is how you gain both consumer adoption and regulator acceptance.”
He argued that this cross-industry mindset is crucial for smaller players like Clew to compete with Big Tobacco. While large incumbents can allocate billions to marketing and R&D, younger firms can succeed through agility, design, and a deeper understanding of changing consumer needs.
A Call for Collaboration
Khan ended his speech by calling for collaboration across the industry. He emphasized that no single company can change consumer behavior on its own, and that harm reduction will only be effective if smaller innovators and larger incumbents collaborate toward common goals.
“Competition is important, but the bigger battle is against combustible cigarettes,” he said. “That means finding common ground where possible and pushing regulators to focus on outcomes rather than process.”
For Clew, the next steps include expanding distribution, investing in additional product research, and continuing to build scientific credibility. Khan said the company is committed to publishing data and working with independent researchers to validate its approach.
“Our ambition is not just to sell more pouches,” he concluded. “It is to play a role in transforming this industry. We want to create products that genuinely help smokers move away from cigarettes, while also building a category that stands up to the highest standards of science, regulation, and consumer expectation.”
A Different Kind of Leadership
Khan’s speech at InterTabac, the world’s largest B2B nicotine industry trade show, stood out for its balance of practicality and entrepreneurial spirit. He offered no grand promises or defensive statements. Instead, he shared a vision shaped by experience outside nicotine and refined by the challenges of working within it.
For stakeholders in the nicotine industry, his message was clear. Khan stated that the future of the nicotine industry belongs to companies that can balance regulatory compliance with consumer needs, producing products that meet high scientific standards while also delivering on taste, convenience, and trust.
Clew aims to be one of those companies, and Khan plans to lead it with the same curiosity and action that initially drew him to the sector.
