Fundraising Fox
Slighter
Techstars '19Bethesda, US · Founded 2015 · 3 employees on LinkedIn · 1 known investors
Find your way into Slighter
2,367 people in our graph share verified history with the Slighter team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Slighter makes a smart connected lighter with an AI algorithm and app that coaches smokers to gradually cut down and quit.
Founders & leadership
Slighter was founded in 2015 by Samer El Gharib.
Investors · 1
How we know: the Techstars portfolio · open dataset · Top 3000 Accelerator Startups (no YC) 2026-08 · Not right? Tell us
Company profile
researched Sep 2026Slighter is a health technology startup developing a smoking-reduction system built around a smart connected lighter, an accompanying mobile application and a learning algorithm. The lighter records a smoker's usage patterns, and the algorithm uses that data to set and dynamically adjust a personalized cessation program intended to produce gradual, voluntary reduction in cigarette consumption rather than abrupt cessation. The product includes analytics and gamification features and is positioned by the company as a rehabilitation system for smokers and nicotine users.
The company describes its broader aim as applying connected-device and data technology to changing habits, beginning with smoking as its first target behavior. Company profiles categorize its activity across consumer electronics, health tech, harm reduction, data mining and artificial intelligence. As of the profile data available, Slighter was at a prototype-ready stage with a small team.
Founding story
Slighter was founded in October 2015 by Samer El Gharib, who serves as Founder and CEO. El Gharib's background is in media and television production, with a master's degree in radio, TV and drama arts from a university in Lebanon and a management certificate in strategic thinking from George Washington University.
Business model
Slighter sells a connected hardware device paired with a companion application. The company states that revenue is expected to come from direct sales to consumers, corporate plans, and sales of data.
Direct-to-consumer hardware and app sales, corporate/enterprise plans, and data sales.
Traction
Company profiles describe Slighter as prototype ready with a team of roughly five to ten people.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Early-stage startup at prototype-ready stage operating in the smoking cessation and harm reduction segment of consumer health technology.
Rather than requiring immediate cessation, the system conditions users toward a gradual, voluntary reduction schedule that the algorithm adapts using data captured by the lighter itself, combined with gamification and analytics.
Technology
A smart connected lighter with embedded electronics and firmware, linked to a mobile app and a machine-learning algorithm that collects smoking data and modifies the reduction program over time. The product also incorporates analytics and gamification elements.
Go-to-market
Direct sales to consumers alongside corporate plans; the company has also been featured in startup dealflow coverage.
Cigarette smokers and nicotine users seeking to reduce or quit consumption, plus corporate buyers purchasing plans on behalf of employees.
Geography
Listed addresses include Maryland City, Maryland and Cary, North Carolina in the United States; several team members hold degrees from institutions in Lebanon and France.
History
Founded in October 2015 and incorporated as an LLC. The company has been listed with locations in the Maryland area and in Cary, North Carolina, and assembled a team spanning engineering, operations, communications and creative roles, with advisors in data mining and psychology. Berytech s.a.l. is listed as a previous investor.
Compiled by commissioned research from 5 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
▸Research sources · 5
primary sources listed
- Slighter | Our storyslighter.com · web
5 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Slighter do?
- Slighter makes a smart connected lighter with an AI algorithm and app that coaches smokers to gradually cut down and quit.
- Who founded Slighter?
- Slighter was founded by Samer El Gharib in 2015.
- Who are Slighter's investors?
- Slighter's investors include Techstars.
- Where is Slighter headquartered?
- Slighter is headquartered in Bethesda, US.