The TV series "IT Dog" reflects the most "famous" crowdfunding story in the history of Hong Kong's innovation and technology. The two brothers, Nelson and Benson, have crowdfunded "smart coffee machines" and "magnetic energy lines" since 2014. A total of more than 20 million yuan, but the product has not been shipped.
After the two brothers made a high-profile statement in 2016 that they would ship, there was no following, and there are still people seeking refunds on crowdfunding websites.
"Hong Kong 01" investigation found that the two companies have been dissolved, and the two brothers have also opened new companies. The younger brother, Zhao Gongliang, said that he had resigned, and there was nothing to respond. He also said that he did not watch TV dramas.
▼"IT Dog" maps the plot of the crowdfunding brothers▼
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Crowdfunding for coffee machines and magnetic energy lines raised more than 25 million yuan
In 2014, the Zhao brothers started crowdfunding the development of "Arist Smart Coffee Machine" and "Znap Magnetic Energy Line" on Kickstarter, an American website, and received 845,000 US dollars (about 6.6 million Hong Kong dollars) and 3 million Canadian dollars (about 18.65 million Hong Kong dollars) respectively. A total of more than HK$25.25 million.
It promised that if you crowdfunded US$349 (about HK$2,722), you will get a smart coffee machine that can be controlled and mixed with different flavors with a mobile app.
Zhao Gongyun Nelson (left) and Zhao Gongliang Benson (right) two brothers, who started crowdfunding smart coffee machines in 2014, and obtained millions of yuan. They were chased in 2016, and they still said that they would ship the machine in an interview that year.
(File photo / Photo by Luo Junhao)
Arrears lawsuit lost
But today, eight years later, there are still people who leave messages to chase goods or ask for refunds.
Arist also owed more than 3.8 million in design fees, lost the lawsuit, and his appeal was rejected in 2019.
The coffee machine was originally scheduled to be shipped in April 2015, but the Zhao brothers delayed the delivery several times due to computer data theft and patent registration.
By 2016, the two brothers had held a press conference and released the professional version of the coffee machine. At that time, it was questioned that the product was not the correct version, but it was questioned that the body was more than twice the size of the crowdfunded version, and it did not have the function of making milk. As for the crowdfunded home use The version has never been shipped.
Coffee Machine Company Disbanded Last Year
The magnetic energy line company "Znaps Limited" was dissolved in 2018; the coffee machine company "Arist Home Limited" was also dissolved in October 2021.
Before the dissolution of the two companies, Liu Zhifang, the wife of his elder brother Zhao Gongyun, served as a director.
▼Crowdfunding sites are still chasing money for goods▼
Brother refused to respond to crowdfunding matters: no interest in watching TV series
In 2017, his younger brother Zhao Gongliang published a self-report on his blog, saying that he could not stand living in a scam environment and had resigned.
He is currently the CEO of ShiftCam, an iPhone lens accessories company, but he is not a shareholder or director.
"I don't know, because I left the company a long time ago, and there is nothing to respond to." The reporter of "Hong Kong 01" asked about the two crowdfunding projects. watching TV."
Two brothers, Zhao Gongyun and Zhao Gongliang, participated in the Hong Kong Information and Communication Technology Award in the name of the company Nbition Development Limited in 2015, and the smart coffee machine won the annual award.
(Hong Kong ICT Awards facebook)
Brother co-founded company won government award, brother still serves as director
In 2015, the Zhao brothers participated in the "Hong Kong Information and Communication Technology Award" organized by the OGCIO under the name of "Nbition Development Limited", and won the annual award and the best information technology start-up award for their smart coffee machine.
Zhao Gongyun has resigned as a director. At present, the only shareholder and director of the company is Zhao Gongliang.
Zhao Gongliang currently serves as the CEO of Shiftcam, a mobile phone lens accessories company, but does not serve as a director or shareholder.
(online picture)
Nbition was also questioned and related to another crowdfunding project "Toasteroid Smart Toaster", because the third-party 3D design drawing website used by the crowdfunding project used "Nbition" as the user name for the domain name registration.
The crowdfunding page of the smart toaster machine Toasteroid is embedded in a third-party 3D design website, and the domain name is registered in the name of "Nbition".
(Screenshot of sketchfab website)
Brother is a director of another company
When asked if he still serves as a director of Nbition and whether it has anything to do with past crowdfunding projects, Zhao Gongliang distanced himself from the relationship. I have contacted my brother Zhao Gongyun.
Zhao Gongyun is currently a director of another company "Nettle Print Limited", but the reporter went to the registered address in Tsuen Wan. The scene was a secretarial company, and the company did not have a registered phone number, so he could not find a response from Zhao Gongyun.
The registered address of Nettle Print Limited is on-site as a secretarial company.
(Photo by Lao Xianliang)
Zhao Gongliang wrote a confession in 2017, saying that he could not stand living in a scam environment and had resigned.
(Zhao Gongliang medium)
Juice machine really does raise $120 million with regular juice packs
Although in the "IT Dog" TV series, the smart coffee machine is alluded to as a juice machine, the play also explains that the "smart juice pack" is actually just an ordinary ready-made juice.
In fact, a "smart juice machine" scam has actually occurred in the United States. In 2013, the Silicon Valley company Juicero launched a smart juice machine, which sold for $699 each, and the high-pressure material package sold for $5 to $8 each. You can drink it with the juice machine to decompress it. To Fresh Juice, received financing of 120 million US dollars.
However, it was later revealed that the so-called high-pressure material package is just ordinary ready-made juice, which can be drunk directly.
▼The Zhao brothers interviewed pictures in 2016▼
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Winning the Bronze Award for Start-up Znaps Crowdfunding Magnetic Energy Charging Cable Chased Over 1,000 Buyers in Hong Kong
Dawn in July
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