Direct-to-consumer plant retailer Bloomscape has raised $7.5 million in Series A funding, with several high-profile D2C startup founders signing on as investors.
Founder and CEO Justin Mast told me that his family has five generations of experience as greenhouse owners and operators, and that he first tried to get Bloomscape off the ground more than a decade ago. Since then, Mast has worked at other startups, but he said, “Bloomscape was the one that got away. I would find myself dreaming about it.”
The current version of the startup launched just over a year ago, and has shipped more than 100,000 plants since then. The company is headquartered in Detroit, and ships plants from its greenhouses near Grand Rapids, Mich.
When asked what’s wrong with the existing brick-and-mortar plant-buying process, Mast said convenience is a big factor, particularly once you start talking about plants that are too big to carry in one hand — he said Bloomscape’s packing and shipping methods can accommodate everything from a 10-inch aloe plant to a five-foot bird of paradise.
Bloomscape also helps people care for their plants through its Plant Mom service, allowing customers to ask for advice from an expert. The Plant Mom is, in fact, Mast’s mother Joyce, who has more than 40 years of horticulture experience.