Could one of the hottest — and most secretive — startups courting Silicon Valley really be a juice company?
Apparently so. According to Business Insider, Juicero, a yet-to-be-unveiled startup is undergoing a $100 million round of funding on top of the almost $20 million it acquired throughout 2013 and 2014. Interested parties include Kleiner Perkins, which housed the early-stage startup, and Campbell’s Soup, Google Ventures, Thrive Capital and Vast Ventures.
Why the hoopla? It’s just juice after all. Sources close to the deal say the juice is the “freshest in the world,” created with a Keurig-like contraption and stored in a pouch. It’s rumored to be so good, in fact, that the “CEO of Campbell’s tried the juice and ran back to cut a $10 million check,” BI reports.
But that’s not all. Rumor has it that Juicero is inciting big interest due to its plan to change the produce supply-and-demand chain. The company might have its own farms to grow the fruits and veggies that are then packaged and directly delivered to stores for that extra fresh taste. Most produce sits around at least a week before consumers get to it.
Created in 2013 and based in New York, Juicero’s CEO Doug Evans is the former CEO/chairman of health-food outlet Organic Avenue. The Juicero website is pretty much blank, but BI says the company plans to be live by the end of the year.
That better be some juice.
