Launched in 2015, initially funded via Kickstarter, Genius Juice grew rapidly into over 1,000 stores by the time Alex Bayer appeared on Shark Tank in January 2020. Although he accepted an on‑air offer from Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran, the deal ultimately fell through post-show.
But, The Shark Tank exposure proved invaluable—bringing in $120K in online sales within 24 hours, plus $1.1M in funding through WeFunder and angel investors (including LifeCandy and Jay Van Ginneken).
At its peak, Genius Juice was carried in ~2,800–4,000 stores including major retailers like Whole Foods, Target, Costco, Walmart, and Albertsons—pulling in around $8–12M in lifetime revenue by early 2023.
Failed. What happened?
In mid‑2023, Bayer announced on LinkedIn that Genius Juice had shut down smoothie production, offloading remaining inventory at a discount. This was due to unsustainable costs, supply-chain issues, and heavy cash burn.
The brand pivoted to a line of wellness shots, which were more profitable and manageable, though still challenging.
A February 2024 LinkedIn update from Bayer confirmed that after 10 years, Genius Juice had officially ceased operations, with the decision made earlier that year.