Swedish firm Emplicure has launched its patented Seratek nicotine-delivery technology in the UK, following rapid growth in the nicotine-pouch category and rising demand for discreet, smoke-free alternatives among adult consumers.
Nicotine pouches have surged in popularity in Britain in recent years, with online discussion up more than 600 per cent in the past two years, according to data from Sensu Insights. The trend reflects a wider shift towards convenience-led consumption, as adult nicotine users explore options beyond traditional combustible products.
Seratek, already used in Emplicure’s Klar pouches, is positioned as a next-generation delivery system designed to release nicotine more rapidly while using lower strengths. Independent testing suggests the technology delivers around 80 per cent of its nicotine content within the first five minutes.
A consumer taste test carried out in Sweden in 2025 reported a preference for Seratek over leading international brands on flavour, comfort and discreteness. No health claims are made for Seratek.
Emplicure CEO Mattias Josander said the launch comes at a critical moment for the UK market.
“Our ambition is to accelerate the transition to a smokeless world. Cigarettes remain one of the leading causes of preventable death, and all credible data show adult consumers are seeking better alternatives,” Josander said.
“For those alternatives to succeed, they need to work — to deliver nicotine quickly enough to satisfy, while avoiding unnecessarily high doses. That’s the balance Seratek was designed to achieve: faster onset at lower strength.”
Swedish brand KLAR launches unflavoured bioceramic nic pouch
The UK is forecast to be one of Europe’s fastest-growing markets for nicotine pouches, with global category sales expected to rise from £5.9bn in 2024 to more than £74bn by 2035, according to Barclays Equity Research.
Pouches were first introduced in Sweden in 2014 and have since played a key role in the country reaching “smokefree” status, defined as an adult smoking rate below 5 per cent.
The company, founded in Uppsala in 2014 by Professor Håkan Engqvist, develops drug-delivery systems using bioceramic and polymer technology. It is backed by prominent Swedish investors including Thomas Von Koch, co-founder of EQT Partners.
A pharmacokinetic study referenced by Emplicure (April 2025) assessed nicotine absorption under controlled conditions, showing faster onset with Seratek. The firm stresses that such studies measure absorption only, not long-term safety or health outcomes.
Klar is Emplicure’s nicotine pouch brand and the first to use Seratek technology.