“I will not kill my plants today” e-commerce startup Sproutl raises £6.5 million in seed funding

Building upon the gardening renaissance in full bloom, London’s Sproutl has raised £6.5 million in seed funding. The platform provides a curated marketplace of gardening products and plants, and perhaps more importantly, a resource dedicated to keeping said greenery alive. With the funding, Sproutl aims to further expand the team.

Founded by Farfetch executives Anni Noel-Johnson and Andy Done, Sproutl is aiming to cover two bases: provide a simple, one-stop-shop for would-be UK-based green thumbs, and reduce the online selling hassle for local garden centres, shops, and nurseries. The startup handles all logistics, packaging, and delivery services, as well as marketing and customer services for partners.

Garden centres Rosebourne, Polhill, and Millbrook are already onboard, as are peat-free compost provider Fertile Fibre and living wall maker Horticus. The startup reports that a number of partners will be added over the coming months.

“This is gardening made easy. The best plants and products, sitting alongside advice, inspiration, easy-to-shop edits, and high profile limited edition collections. It’s gardening for a new generation,” comments creative director turned gardening author and Sproutl chief creative officer Hollie Newton.

Sproutl is sewing the seeds with optimal timing, as the Horticultural Trade Association reports that over the past year the number of gardeners in the UK rose by three million, almost half of whom are under the age of 45. Likewise, GlobalData indicated that gardening is the second most popular lockdown activity; a bumper crop that Sproutl intends to harvest.

Sproutl’s seed round was planted by Index Ventures, with additional watering and sunlight provided by Ada Ventures. C-suite angel investors from firms including Farfetch, Airbnb, Made.com, and Slack also provided substrata.

“The notion of who is a gardener, and what it means to be a grower, has been transformed in the past few years, with a whole new generation of young people breaking the long-held stereotypes,” commented Index Ventures’ Danny Rimer. “More than anyone we’ve met, Anni and Andy have understood this cultural change and built Sproutl, a gardening destination that’s like no other.”

Photo: Phil Taylor