Gardenuity – the first and only curated platform bringing gardening and its wellness benefits to companies and consumers – recently announced $5.5 million in seed funding. This milestone round was led by Michael Mann of Anchor Capital and Alan Shor of Retail Connection, with participation from industry-leading investors, including Bonnie Plants, Deason Capital, Ross Jones from Berkshire Partners, JFO Group, Revtech Ventures, Gray’s Creek Capital and North Texas Angel Network, with other individuals including Ram Velidi, Ann Berry, Jon Ledecky, Raj Shah, etc.
The funding will enhance Gardenuity’s technology platforms and expand the brand’s suite of gardens and gardening kits, advancing its mission to optimize social determinants of health by making gardening’s benefits more accessible. This round will also support the accelerated growth of the business and bolster team growth across all company functions.
The funding round will also help introduce new technology, including Match 2.0, an improved version of Gardenuity’s patent-pending Match Technology – which expertly pairs growers with a garden best suited for their location and lifestyle. Gardenuity will also expand its Digital Greenhouse Community, connecting growers and providing a platform to ask questions, share harvesting tips and recipes, and more.
Gardenuity has seen year-over-year growth well beyond the global gardening boom due to the pandemic (55% of Americans claim to be active gardeners). And Gardenuity offers experienced and novice gardeners the tools needed for successful growing, making it easier to harness gardening’s evidence-based mental and physical health benefits. Since its 2017 founding, Gardenuity has celebrated over 5 million harvests across the country and raised $7.5 million in funding.
The funding round will also help support the brand’s Gardenuity for Business platform, which has helped over 500 companies, including Google, Cigna, Amdocs, and Meta, bring mental, physical, and community health to their employees. And Gardenuity has an impressive 85% retention rate with the companies and organizations that it works with. Gardenuity is available to corporations through all major health insurance and benefits providers like Cigna, BCBS, United Healthcare, and Aetna, with more to come.
KEY QUOTES:
“We’re thrilled to have the support of passionate and conscientious investors, all of whom I admire as an entrepreneur. With our scientific approach to product development, and with an emphasis on mental health, nutritional health, community growth, the health of the planet, and our ability to grow communities of support, we are excited about sharing and growing with leaders, customers, and clients across the country.”
“This financing round will advance our efforts in building a stronger platform and meeting the needs of the global workforce. Our Gardenuity for Business platform is a priority offering as employers investment in mental health, physical health, and the health of the planet increases. We’ve only just begun supporting companies on their journey to increase employee well-being and engagement.”
— Co-founder and CEO Donna Letier
“Gardenuity is bringing a fresh alternative to the wellness category, innovating with product, technology, and distribution channels. With Gardenuity’s focus on employee wellness through gardens and gardening experiences, Gardenuity is on track to be a leader in the employee wellness space.”
— Michael Mann, lead investor and Managing Partner at Anchor Capital
