Chennai girl enters Forbes '30 under 30' list for her tool to fight smoking

New Delhi: A 29-year-old girl from Chennai has made it to the 'Forbes 30 under 30' list in the field of healthcare for her tool to help smokers quit.

Quitting the toxic stick – the cigarette – is not an easy task. For some, it takes years while others just can't seem to put it away.

While there are many solutions available in the market in the form of nicotine patches, nicotine chewing gums or the highly arguable e-cigarettes, their efficacy is quite questionable.

But, Akshaya Shanmugam,who is the CEO of Lumme Inc, developed a software that can help smokers quit and even predict a relapse.

The software comes in the form of a smartwatch – a wearable device – which can sense a smoker's movement and send a notification telling them not to smoke.

"Our platform automatically detects addictive behaviour, predicts indulgence in addictive behaviour, and prevents it by delivering clinically validated interventions. It also helps individuals gain better insights into their daily life and helps them understand the why, how, and what surrounding their lifestyle choices," said Shanmugam, as reported by a leading daily.

"The first phase of our launch is the smoking cessation platform. We will tie up with corporates so they can include this as part of their employee wellness programmes," she said. 'Predictions made with 95% accuracy in 2 trials'.

Shanmugam moved to the US to pursue her higher studies in 2009. She holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering in Anna University, Chennai and a Master’s degree and PhD from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

"It is quite an honour to be part of this list. It is a validation that there is potential in the technology that we have developed. This only drives us further to make meaningful contributions to the field of healthcare," added Shanmugam.

Lumme is funded by the National Institutes of Health and has raised $1.7 million.

Forbes' '30 Under 30' list is released annually and highlights 600 individuals in 20 categories from business to sports.