1 Smart Business Story: This Joke Just Sold for $1.2 Billion | Inc.

Back when Chad Janis was in graduate school, his little gummy bear company was the butt of his Stanford classmates’ jokes. Now, nobody’s laughing. Except maybe the wise few who invested early in Grüns and saw their money multiply by 100x. Janis’ gummy bear supplement brand, Grüns, was recently acquired by Unilever for a reported $1.2 billion. Close listeners to The Business Model feed will note that’s more than double the company’s $500 million valuation, which we covered with shock and awe a mere six months ago. It’s been a frenzied rise for a brand that first went for sale just three years ago. Inc.’s Jennifer Conrad has the story on Grüns’ explosive path and she joins Tim Crino to talk it over on this episode of 1 Smart Business Story. Inc. Magazine delivers advice, tools, and services to help business owners, entrepreneurs and CEOs grow their businesses more successfully. You'll find information and advice covering virtually every business and management task including marketing, sales, finding capital, managing people, and much more. Visit Inc.com for the latest! Get social with Inc. on: Facebook: http://on.inc.com/ilqUryJ Twitter: http://on.inc.com/8FGInRj LinkedIn: http://on.inc.com/gt7KsIn Instagram: http://on.inc.com/wLObvE2 Pinterest: http://on.inc.com/8lPoT0r