Juicero Overpriced Smart Juicer: A networked juicing bubble that raised over $118 million, hand-squeezing proved just as effective

Who Gets Targeted

Victims fall into two tiers: The first tier consists of middle-class American consumers who paid $699 (later dropped to $399) for the machine, along with ongoing purchases of produce packs costing $5 to $8 each. Pursuing a healthy lifestyle, they were swayed by pitches such as 'cold-pressed juice,' 'Silicon Valley high tech,' and 'transforming the fruit supply chain,' blindly trusting Steve Jobs-style product narratives. The second tier consists of bandwagon investors, including prominent institutions like Google Ventures and Kleiner Perkins, as well as celebrity Kobe Bryant. They were captivated by founder Doug Evans' background in the organic juice industry and celebrity endorsements, fearing they would miss out on the next 'Apple,' and invested approximately $118 million with insufficient due diligence. The shared psychological vulnerability of both groups: a lack of hands-on testing for rudimentary products that could be verified by hand, and a complete lack of defense against grand narratives and celebrity auras.

骗局怎么运作

• Step 1, Packaging a grand narrative: The founder claimed to be the Steve Jobs of the juice industry, announcing an intelligent cold-pressed juicing platform capable of scanning produce pack QR codes and fetching freshness information via the internet. Juicing was portrayed as high-tech requiring cloud computing and precision engineering, creating an aura of technological mystery that deterred outsiders from questioning the principles.
• Step 2, Financing through celebrity auras: Leveraging the founder's background in the organic juice brand Evolution Fresh, alongside backing from top institutions and celebrities such as Google Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, and Kobe Bryant, approximately $118 million was burned over three years, creating a herd effect of 'big names are investing, so it must be legit.'
• Step 3, Fabricating fake technical barriers: Priced at $699, the machine claimed to apply four tons of pressure and could only use proprietary produce packs provided by the company. This locked in subsequent repeat purchase revenue using exclusive consumables, telling a 'razor-and-blade' subscription business story to inflate valuation expectations.
• Step 4, Remedial talking points after being exposed by live testing: In April 2017, two Bloomberg journalists used their bare hands to directly squeeze a produce pack, achieving a juice extraction speed nearly identical to the machine. After the video went viral, the company refused to admit fault, instead arguing that the machine's 'best experience is automated, networked expiration notifications for packs,' stalling with untenable functional talking points.
• Step 5, Bubble burst and exit: After public opinion fermented, the company slashed the price from $699 to $399, and announced the cessation of operations in September of the same year. It offered refunds and repurchases of machines to customers, while investors lost virtually all of their massive investments. The founder turned around to pursue new rounds of marketing in keto foods and 'raw water' without facing substantial consequences.

红旗信号（看到这些快跑）

• 🚩 The core functionality of the product could be replicated with bare hands or household tools, yet it was packaged as requiring a dedicated machine—a classic example of a fake technical barrier.
• 🚩 Pricing was far higher than alternative products with identical functions, with profits built on forcibly bound exclusive consumables (produce packs). The business model relied on customer lock-in rather than value.
• 🚩 The founder and financing pitch heavily used grandiose terms such as 'disruptive,' 'Steve Jobs-style,' and 'industry-changing,' while being unwilling to allow independent third-party live testing.
• 🚩 Top venture capital and sports celebrities were used to generate herd pressure, creating a psychological illusion among skeptics that 'industry heavyweights have already verified this.'
• 🚩 The company refused to explain technical details and, after being questioned, shifted its selling points to trivial auxiliary functions like 'networked expiration reminders.'

真实案例

• In April 2017, Bloomberg reporters conducted live tests and found that squeezing a Juicero produce pack by hand yielded juice just as fast as the $699 machine. After the test video was made public, there was an uproar, with multiple media outlets following up and forcing the company to admit that hand-squeezing also works.
• According to reports by outlets like Jiemian News, Juicero burned through approximately $120 million (commonly cited as about $118 million) in funding over its three years of operation. Investors included Google Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, and basketball star Kobe Bryant. After the bubble burst, most of the capital was completely lost.
• In September 2017, Juicero officially announced the suspension of operations, stating on its website that it would provide refunds and repurchase machines for users. Lasting less than a year and a half from launch to collapse, it became a signature case of Silicon Valley 'over-engineering' failure.
• Following the company's collapse, founder Doug Evans pivoted to marketing unhandled 'raw water' and other beverage concepts. According to public reports, his new project similarly alarmed public health experts, demonstrating how such marketing talking points are repeatedly recycled across different sectors.
• In January 2017, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office sued selfie drone company Lily Robotics in San Francisco Superior Court, alleging it collected over 60,000 orders and $34 million in pre-order funds using a falsified drone follow-cam promotional video, while never delivering a single product or processing refunds. (Source: [https://www.courthousenews.com/san-francisco-sues-drone-maker-for-34-million/](https://www.courthousenews.com/san-francisco-sues-drone-maker-for-34-million/))
• In November 2015, the Zano nano-drone by Welsh company Torquing Group—Europe's highest-funded Kickstarter project—failed. Over 12,000 backers collectively invested 2.335 million pounds, ultimately receiving neither the drone nor a refund. (Source: [https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35356147](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35356147))

Official Stance

• In April 2017, Bloomberg released live-testing videos and reports pointing out publicly that the juice extraction performance of the $699 juicer was equivalent to hand-squeezing, marking the signature public exposure that pierced the scam.
• The US FDA and California health departments have publicly warned about the risks of salmonella and E. coli in raw fruit and vegetable products and unpasteurized juices, indirectly highlighting the safety hazards associated with marketing claims like 'pasteurization-free fresh direct-pressed.'
• A similar alcohol/beverage case in the context of China's new consumption: In July 2026, The Beijing News and multiple local market regulation authorities exposed several so-called NFC juice production plants that 'contained no fruit whatsoever and relied entirely on concentrated syrup blends.' Authorities launched official investigations according to law, prompting consumers to maintain verification awareness regarding 'fresh-pressed, not from concentrate' claims.

How to Protect Yourself

• ✅ Before purchasing any 'smart' or 'connected' hardware, ask yourself: Can the same result be achieved by hand or with ordinary tools without this machine? If yes, firmly decide not to buy.
• ✅ Remain vigilant against hardware models tied to exclusive consumables, calculate the total three-year cost of consumables, and watch out for the lock-in trap of 'low-priced hardware paired with high-priced consumables.'
• ✅ Do not lower your guard on due diligence just because top venture capitalists, celebrities, or scientists endorse a product. Celebrities are frequently fooled by pitches, and independent third-party testing is far more reliable than an endorsement list.
• ✅ When purchasing high-priced healthy diet products, request verifiable test reports and production qualifications from merchants, and keep screenshots of promotional pages as evidence for rights protection.
• ✅ If false advertising is discovered, promptly file complaints with market regulation authorities or consumer associations and apply for refunds through normal channels, staying alert to manufacturers stalling under the guise of 'firmware upgrades' or 'new product replacements.'