Venture Capital Stars Invested in Over-Hyped “Symbol of Silicon Valley’s Insular Excess”

(p. B2) MONTEREY, Calif. — From the moment it started, Juicero stood out as a symbol of Silicon Valley’s insular excess.
The company sold a $700 Wi-Fi-enabled juicer, trying to solve a problem that did not exist. It also raised some $120 million, and attracted a mountain of attention.
But on Friday, the company said it was shutting down operations — joining the hordes of other Silicon Valley start-ups that could not deliver business results to match the hype.
Started by a health fanatic with a checkered history as an entrepreneur, Juicero devised an elaborate scheme to deliver small glasses of expensive cold pressed juice to kitchens around the country. The machine scanned codes printed on pouches of chopped produce to help assess the freshness of the contents inside. Doug Evans, the founder, hired engineers, food scientists and fashionable industrial designers to work alongside him.
The company was a particularly bold bid to capitalize on the hype around the so-called internet of things and interest in the juice business. Mr. Evans believed there was a legion of customers who, once they tasted his juice, would find it superior to the many varieties that can be bought at convenience stores, juice bars or even Walmart.
Top venture capital firms including Google’s venture capital spinoff and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, as well as big companies like Campbell Soup, invested heavily in the company.

For the full story, see:

DAVID GELLES. “Start-Up That Sold $700 Juicer Shuts Down.” The New York Times (Sat., SEPT. 2, 2017): B2.

(Note: the online version of the story has the date SEPT. 1, 2017, and has the title “Juicero, Start-Up With a $700 Juicer and Top Investors, Shuts Down.” )

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