Everyone who partied in college knows that Jello shots are tasty—but they take a frustratingly long time to set up. That’s why you typically make a big batch ahead of time, then accept the fact that you will run out. But what if there was a machine that automated the process? Better yet, what if that machine could crank out 20 Jello shots in just 10 minutes?
That’s exactly what Oregon entrepreneur Jeff Jetton has done with Jevo, his newest creation. The contraption is not just for college kids; your shots can be either alcoholic or non-alcoholic, which Jetton envisions having big impacts in the medical field.
Jetton will officially launch Jevo at the 2015 Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas next week. He aims to have 20,000 to 25,000 units within the U.S. market, with initial units hitting retail locations in the first quarter of 2016. Of additional interest to retailers are the programmable digital signs and accompanying app that will make Jevo machines a potentially lucrative place to advertise products.
The trade show unveiling and subsequent orders will just apply to the nightclub and bar side of the equation; Jetton’s still working on getting the non-alcoholic setup to work for healthcare applications. The company envisions using gelatin to deliver dietary supplements like protein powders, vitamins, or even medications. According to Jetton, more than 60 percent of Americans have difficulty swallowing medications on their own.
For that reason, Jetton sees plenty of healthcare and senior care opportunities for Jevo. The company currently has several patents and pending patents in play for all the technological innovations that went into creating the machine.
Jevo flavors include margarita and piña colada
Of course, as Keurig can tell you, the real money will be in creating proprietary flavor pods for Jevo machines. The company is working with long-established gelatin product manufacturer Jel Sert to make its pods. Hopefully, Jetton’s company will consider the damage K-cups are already doing to the environment and come up with a brilliant solution.