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posted by martyb on Tuesday July 03 2018, @07:54AM   Printer-friendly
from the new-definition-of-vaporware dept.

E-cig startup Juul plans to go global by raising $1.2 billion

"Juuling" might be a thing around the world in the future, because the e-cig-maker has big plans to go global. According to Bloomberg, Juul is raising $1.2 billion in a financing round, which would put the startup's value at a whopping $15 or $16 billion. If you need something to compare that to, Lyft recently reached a $15 billion valuation after raising $600 million. The publication says the company is hoping to use the money it raises from investors to make its USB vape pens available outside the US and Israel. Currently, if you want to buy its trendy pens and nicotine pods outside those two countries, you'd have to find resellers.

Does this story make you want to sell drugs flavored water to children?

Related: Tobacco Roundup (U.S. to Crack Down on Tobacco, Electronic Cigarettes)


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @09:57AM (9 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @09:57AM (#701819)

    You've got to remember we're in a tech bubble quite similar to the one 2 decades back

    Aye, and this lot are probably well aware of that fact, and they (more to the point, anyone foolish enough to actually give this lot the $1.2 billion they're asking for and from which, naturally, they'll then want to pay themselves large 'bonuses' for expanding their market before the inevitable titsup occurs) will find that there's already quite a healthy(sic) e-cig market out here in the rest of the world and they'll be just a wee bit late to this particular party in these markets..

    Besides, seriously?, they think people will want to be walking around toking from something which looks like an old scool USB WLAN/3G dongle?, locally, the e-ciggies I've seen people using either look like normal cigarettes or look (at best) like the bastard offspring of the good Doctor's sonic screwdriver and Varian's 'Sonic Energiser'.
     

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @10:21AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 03 2018, @10:21AM (#701827)

    an old scool USB WLAN/3G dongle?

    s/scool/school/

    I plead lack of Rum..which I'll now rectify..and a duurrty keyboard..which I'll get round to at some point.

    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday July 03 2018, @10:28AM

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday July 03 2018, @10:28AM (#701831) Journal

      and a duurrty keyboard..which I'll get uround to at some point.

      FTFY

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  • (Score: 2) by KritonK on Tuesday July 03 2018, @11:58AM

    by KritonK (465) on Tuesday July 03 2018, @11:58AM (#701853)

    looks like an old scool USB WLAN/3G dongle

    ...and even has a USB connector (for charging).

  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday July 03 2018, @12:39PM (4 children)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday July 03 2018, @12:39PM (#701861) Journal

    Part of the appeal seems to be the USB stick-like nature of the device. Easy to conceal, especially at school.

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    • (Score: 2) by Alfred on Tuesday July 03 2018, @01:49PM (3 children)

      by Alfred (4006) on Tuesday July 03 2018, @01:49PM (#701894) Journal
      That is the only appeal that other devices don't have, plausible camouflage. And compared to any USB stick i use they are noticeably larger. But I wouldn't expect a teacher to be savvy enough to know the difference.
      • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday July 03 2018, @01:57PM (2 children)

        by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday July 03 2018, @01:57PM (#701897) Journal

        Pretty soon to be found at your local gas station: Juul knock-offs such as "Jemm" and "Cristal (like the champagne)". Let's hope they can successfully sue for... design patents? Trademark infringement?

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        • (Score: 2) by Alfred on Tuesday July 03 2018, @03:45PM

          by Alfred (4006) on Tuesday July 03 2018, @03:45PM (#701962) Journal
          Or they branch out, Juul Diamond for the girls and Juul Ti for the guys. I mostly just hope the whole nicotine industry fails. At least with traditional tobacco you know where it is by the stink.
        • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday July 03 2018, @03:57PM

          by FatPhil (863) <pc-soylentNO@SPAMasdf.fi> on Tuesday July 03 2018, @03:57PM (#701969) Homepage
          Apropos of not very much at all, a tiny anecdote which doesn't count as actual data.

          I live downtown in the capital city, streets are full of people, and there's plenty of youth, as I'm right on top of the bar district. Downstairs in my building, after a boutique clothing store, about 9 months ago, we got a vape shop. It closed over 6 months ago, there's a bar there now. Does that mean we're past peak vape? I really can't think of many other vape shops in town, but I don't travel far from the centre often. It might just be the rents in the building, of course, the landlord's a greedy cunt, and apparently there's no shortage of stupid renters who think their business will succeed where every other one has failed.
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  • (Score: 2) by sjames on Tuesday July 03 2018, @01:13PM

    by sjames (2882) on Tuesday July 03 2018, @01:13PM (#701878) Journal

    Not to mention non-refillable cartridges for "health and safety" reasons. And damned expensive cartridges at that.

    As for the fear for the children angle, 10 years ago, the kids using e-cigs would have been smoking regular cigarettes (possibly with a five finger discount if the cashier carded).