*By Michael Teich*
Ethical issues could be the Achilles heel for Juul, the $15 billion company behind the vaping devices infiltrating college and high school campuses.
"The valuation is justified on the math," said Dan Primack, Business Editor at Axios. The real question, though, is, "Does it want to stop kids from getting these?"
The sleek and colorful design of the company's e-cigarettes, paired with appealing flavors such as mango and cool mint, has helped Juul emerge as a leader in the market with a 68 percent share, according to Wells Fargo. The company projects $940 million in revenue this year, but Primack said he's told that "they are blowing through those numbers." Those numbers helped Juul raise a fresh $1.2 billion in new funding last week.
But strong sales growth may not be enough to entice more traditional Silicon Valley investors to overlook the moral complexities of Juul's business, Primack said.
While the device was created as an alternative to cigarettes, he pointed out the product is falling into the hands of first-time smokers and serves as a "gateway smoke."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-ethical-issues-that-may-plague-juuls-future)
Freaks of Nature offers sustainable skincare for outdoor athletes, focusing on performance and eco-consciousness with innovative formulations and packaging.
JPMorgan Chase says profits jumped sharply ias the bank cashed in billions of dollars of its holdings in Visa Inc., also helped by higher interest rates.
Archegos's Bill Hwang turned $10 billion into $160 billion into nothing. Plus: Intuit's layoffs, Elon's travails, Boeing's bad week, Jerome Powell, and mor
Language learning apps surged in 2024, with Babbel offering interactive lessons, vocabulary practice, and grammar exercises for effective language acquisition.