– The public phase of our crowdfunding campaign opened today. We received a winged start for our round from our existing shareholders and anchor investors. They have already subscribed stocks to the value of more than 200.000 euros, which is 41% of the target amount, says CEO Karri Andersson from Plantui Oy.

Internationalising growth company

Plantui’s business is on a growth track. The company’s cumulative sales exceeded one million euros in April. Plantui’s retail network has expanded to cover 22 countries in Europe and Asia and the company webshop began deliveries to North America earlier this year.

In March, Plantui was admitted to the second round of an acceleration programme for rapidly growing startups by The Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation Tekes.

– We expect our business to grow especially in Asia along with new retail and distribution agreements. We set up a new Plantui team in Singapore recently with vast networks and insight on local consumer market. In June, we start test marketing with a new distribution partner in Japan.

Strength for market entry

Plantui’s core markets are Germany, Switzerland, the UK, Singapore and Japan. Operations concentrate now heavily on sales and marketing.

– With this campaign, we are raising funds for strengthening our sales and marketing on selected growth markets and for the launch of our new entry level product Plantui 3e in October, says Andersson.

The crowdfunding campaign is open until June 30^th.

Plantui is a software controlled concept of indoor hydroponics, where irrigation and light spectres change during different phases from germination to harvesting. This gives the plants optimal conditions to grow successfully, combined with special Plantui nutrients. The unique Plantui growth method and the Plantui 6 platform have been patented on all continents (IPR). Plantui smart garden has also gained a favourable response from the designer community: Plantui platform received the Red Dot design award in 2015.

More information

Karri Andersson, CEO, Plantui Oy | Tel. +358 50 371 8882, karri.andersson@plantui.com

Timo Ketonen, Chairman of the Board, Plantui Oy | Tel. +358 400 831 205, timo.ketonen@plantui.com

Plantui is a Finnish Smart Gardening company focused on the growth process in hydroponic gardening systems. Our products enable everyone to grow fresh, tasty, pure & healthy greens anywhere and anytime with zero effort – no green thumb needed. All our products are designed and partly manufactured in Finland. www.plantui.com

The post Crowdfunding campaign opens today: Plantui Smart Garden on the verge of an international break through appeared first on plantui.com.

1. Grow a wide variety of plants that you use often in your cooking – no tough choices anymore when you can’t decide what to grow next!

2. Combine plants from the same growth group – our timelines both online and on the Plant Capsule packaging help you to choose plants that grow at the same speed. We also color-coded them for you! Fast, medium or slow growers are marked in light green, green and pink so you don’t even have to read the fine print.

3. Use a boosting height block to make sure the plants are growing in the optimal environment: more light for the inner, lower leaves as you add height blocks and the plants grow taller!

4. Read the tips and tricks section of the plants you are choosing to optimize the growth process: some plants love when you pinch off the tops so they can develop into a fuller plant with more leaves.

5. Here’s one combination we love: Plant different types of Basil and Sage to spice up your Italian dishes! Using our Experiment Kits with your own seeds is also a great way to explore the world of gardening.

Let’s get started! Order your Booster Tray here.

The post 5 tips for gardening with the Booster Tray appeared first on plantui.com.

We need nature. Our health is strongly affected by the presence of nature, many researchers show. Fields making research about this subject include psychology, sociology and medicine. They research the effect of natural environments and indoor plants to for example stress levels, blood pressure and emotions.

It would be very good for our health to spend as much time as possible outdoors, in forests and parks, for example. But the fact is that city dwellers spend most of their time indoors. That’s why it’s important to bring the nature indoors, too!

Biophilia – the love for nature

The hypothesis that humans have an inborn tendency to prefer natural environments, is called biophilia. Cities and indoor environments consist mostly of man-made objects, so there is a lack of nature in the everyday life of many city dwellers. Therefore, we should actively add elements of nature: create parks, offer a view through windows, and use potted plants.

Recovery from stress is improved by looking at environments enriched by plants. You don’t need to think about that when you gaze outside the window or keep a houseplant on your desk. Just the presence of nature is enough to improve your mood. Try putting a plant related picture as a screensaver, or use a beautiful forest poster on your office wall! Looking at plants reduce blood pressure and muscle tension, improve mood and enhance vigilance and performance.

Working environment that has natural elements, is considered pleasant and harmonic. Green environment is beneficial for a company in many ways: it improves the mood of the employees, gives a positive image for both employees and clients, and increases productivity.

In addition to improve mood, plants can reduce our physiological symptoms, too. Keeping plants in the office can significantly reduce neuropsychological symptoms, like headache, concentration problems and fatigue. Also cough and blocked nose may be relieved by adding plants to the office. These results are caused probably by both biophilia and the improvement of indoor air quality.

Cleaner indoor air by the presence of plants

City dwellers often spend over 80 % of their time indoors. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the quality of indoor air. Plants improve the quality of indoor air by moisturizing and cooling it, and by binding dust and harmful substances, for example benzene.

In addition to homes and offices, also public spaces, like libraries, waiting rooms, hospitals, retirement homes, schools and kindergartens would benefit from these attributes.

Sources & further reading:

Biophilia: Does Visual Contact with Nature Impact on Health and Well-Being?
Bjørn Grinde and Grete Grindal Patil http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/6/9/2332/htm

Influence of Limitedly Visible Leafy Indoor Plants on the Psychology, Behavior, and Health of Students at a Junior High School in Taiwan. Ke-Tsung Han. http://eab.sagepub.com/content/41/5/658.short

Puisto, puutarha ja hyvinvointi. Rappe, E. & Lindén, L. & Koivunen, T.

Relf, D. The Role of Horticulture in Human Wellbeing and Social Development. Portland: Timber Press, 93–105.

Lohr, V. & Pearson-Mims, C. 2000. Physical Discomfort May Be Reduced in the Presence of Interior Plants. HortTechnology 10, 53–58.

Fjeld, T. 2000. The effect of interior planting on health and discomfort among workers and school children. HortTechnology 10, 46–52.

The post Green creates well-being appeared first on plantui.com.

Let’s start with you Sari (Sales Manager for Finland at Plantui), how do you start off your day to get that energy boost and feel ready to be active? 

Sari: After morning washes, I always drink a large 0,5l glass of lemon water. I always feel dehydrated after the night and lemon is good for your metabolism and skin. I also like to have one hour for myself in the morning before the kids wake up. Finally, I eat a healthy breakfast with lots of greens on top of dark bread, and drink some green tea with it. Usually I bike to work, so that will wake me up if nothing else did so far!

Andrew (Sales Manager for Exports at Plantui) and Kari (CTO at Plantui), how about you?

Andrew: Just like Italians, I start the day with a coffee in order to be able to open my eyes. Afterwards, I go for a short walk with my puppy. Traditionally, like most of the Finns, I eat porridge as the first meal of the day. Then I am usually in a hurry to get ready and I get going to work which is my morning cardio.

Kari: Simple and short: Morning cardio such as push-ups and crunches, a refreshing shower, porridge & coffee, and cycling to work!

The second question is for all three of you: What do you suggest to stay productive (and awake) at work when sitting at a desk for 8 houes? Any tips?

Kari: It’s important to stay hydrated during the day, so drinking plenty of water is key. Also, whenever I am talking on the phone, I get up and walk around the office. Of course drinking some coffee every now and then helps too!

Sari: It is good to change your working space once in a while, which is easy at our office. It is also great to go out during the day, especially after lunch when you might feel full and tired. Just a walk around the block!

Andrew:  Have a short chat with your colleagues to cheer everyone up! I try to keep switching between sitting and standing while I work. Last but not least, find time to have a proper lunch and snacks during the day to stay fueled.

On to our third topic: What’s the best activity to relax and recharge?

Andrew: Playing with my dog! Also going to sauna, getting a massage and exercising generally work for me.

Kari: Badminton, running, skiing… any kind of sports.

Sari: When I have time I go for a run. Running is good because you also get some fresh air. I try to bike to work and back so that will give me more than a one hour long workout fives times a week. I have to admit tho that I don’t bike when it is too icy or too cold…

Final question! How do you use your Smart Garden to follow a healthy and balanced diet?

Kari: I use herbs like Parsley and Basil on my sandwich, and also on for example bean and tomato soups. When there is time to make good food on the weekends, I get creative and use the more exotic herbs as well.

Sari: I literally eat greens every day. I love to have different salads and herbs on top of my bread. Adding salads and herbs to almost every food I eat is what keeps me healthy and fit. The taste and crunch of Plantui herbs is so different compared to the ones that I buy from the store.

Andrew: I’m always growing something, and use it for everyday cooking as well as on the top of bread.

We hope you got inspired to take a small step towards a healthier and fitter you in 2017, and make it a great year! If you enjoyed this post, read about the super food kale now. 

If you are looking for exclusive cool content, don’t forget to sign up here for our newsletter – of course free of charge.

The post Healthy living with Plantui appeared first on plantui.com.

Starter: Mixed salad greens topped with fresh figs, goat’s cheese, sautéed mushrooms and a mustard vinaigrette

Ingredients: 2-3 fresh & ripe figs, 100g of goat’s cheese, 175g g of mushrooms (e.g. champions), ca. 100g mixed salad greens (we used lettuce, baby spinach and bloody sorrel), butter or a plant-based alternative for the pan.

Mustard, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper for the vinaigrette, to taste

Preparation: Wash the salad greens (if needed) and divide onto two plates. Heat butter in a pan and add the cleaned and sliced mushrooms. Sautée until soft and brown. Slice the goat’s cheese and wash and quarter the figs. Add all salad ingredients on top of the greens.

For the vinaigrette, mix mustard, white wine vinegar, olive oil, pepper and salt. Spoon over the salad and serve right away.

Main course: Smoked salmon with roasted potatoes and carrots and a creamy herb sauce

Ingredients: 250g smoked salmon, butter for frying, 500g of potatoes, 2-3 large carrots, olive oil, salt & pepper to taste, fresh thyme and oregano, 200 ml cream for cooking, plain or with herbs

Preparation: Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut into halves or quarters depending on their size so they cook through equally. Peel the carrots and cut them into thick sticks. Prepare a baking tray with olive oil, and add potatoes and carrots. Add some more olive oil on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste before baking at 175 degrees celcius for ca. 30-40 minutes. To prepare the salmon, heat a small amount of butter in a pan. Add the salmon and let it warm up on low heat

Lastly, heat up the cream for cooking in a small pot and flavor with salt, pepper and fresh herbs such as thyme and oregano – your taste buds are the limit. Add more fresh herbs on top of the roasted potatoes and carrots when serving.

Dessert: Vanilla quark with raspberries, crumbled gingerbread and fresh mint leaves

Ingredients: 350g quark with vanilla flavour, 150g Frozen raspberries, 4 flat gingerbread cookies, Fresh mint leaves to taste

Preparation: Spoon the vanilla quark into two decorative glasses or dessert bowls. Let the raspberries defrost slightly and add on top of the quark. Finish with crumbled gingerbread cookies and the mint leaves before serving.

As an alternative, use plain quark or yoghurt and mix with a few drops of vanilla extract. Add the cookie crumbles right before serving to keep them crunchy.

Enjoy with family and friends! Tried the recipes? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Plantui Christmas Menu appeared first on plantui.com.

The smart garden manufacturer Plantui has expanded into new markets in Europe and Asia, with sales operations already in 18 countries. Sales in Europe have been boosted by a retail agreement with the luxury department store Harrods. During the year, Plantui has raised more than one million euros in equity investments. With the funding, Plantui is aiming for strong growth in the Southeast Asian market.

The Finnish smart garden start-up Plantui Oy successfully closed its newest funding round. In 2016, Plantui has raised more than one million euros in funding, with a third of it coming from private investors in Asia.

The company is aiming for strong growth in Southeast Asia, having established Plantui Asia LLP in December. A new sales hub will also be opened in Singapore at the beginning of 2017 to meet local demand more efficiently. An online shop, which was launched in November, is already actively serving the Singapore market.

“In Asia, the market for smart and indoor gardens is at a completely different level than in Finland, because many people lack the space to grow plants outdoors. Our device also saves significant amounts of water compared to traditional gardening, and Plantui grown plants contain up to five times more vitamins than plants grown using traditional methods. Indoor gardening is a fast-growing trend, and Plantui is one of the first players in the market,” says Karri Andersson, CEO of Plantui.

In Asia, Plantui’s growth strategy involves strengthening local marketing and sales efforts, thereby raising awareness about the brand. A partner in Plantui Asia LLP, John Cheah, a Singapore-based investor with extensive experience in gardening, feels that the Asian market has enormous potential.

“Plantui combines two aspects of international interest: food tech and Finnish design. People value Finnish design particularly in Asia. As food technology develops, vegetables will increasingly be grown where they are eaten. Plantui makes that possible in an ecological and chemical-free way,” Cheah says.

Plantui is also actively expanding its business in Europe. This autumn, the London high-end department store Harrods became a Plantui retailer and has been selling smart gardens since November. Harrods, which is particularly popular among Asian consumers, has been an important avenue for raising awareness about the Plantui brand before the busy Christmas season, and the collaboration has aroused interest in Plantui in other markets as well.

Plantui was established in 2012, and its smart gardens are currently sold in 18 countries. Sales have grown strongly during 2016 and the company is expected to double its turnover in 2017.

For more information, please contact:

 Mr Karri Andersson

CEO, Plantui Oy

Tel. +358 50 3718 882, karri.andersson@plantui.com

Plantui is a Design & Food Tech company that focuses on the growth process in hydroponic indoor gardening. We believe that everyone deserves a garden.

The post Plantui sales grow in Europe and Southeast Asia – new equity investments support growth appeared first on plantui.com.

Helsinki, Finland – the products of Finnish start-up company Plantui Oy are now available at Harrods in London. The Christmas season offers a huge potential to make their hydroponic Smart Gardens a success in the United Kingdom. About Harrods Harrods, a privately-owned department store located in central London, opened its doors in 1834. Up to 300,000 customers visit the 90,000 m2 big store across its 330 departments on peak days. Harrod’s yearly revenue accounted to £ 769 million in 2015.

Plantui CEO Karri Andersson states that due to its fame for quality and luxury goods, Harrods London is expected to strengthen the brand awareness of Plantui inside the United Kingdom and globally. The Smart Gardens, Plant Capsules and accessories are presented in the Home Appliance area of the department store. Harrod’s sales staff is excited to offer a unique, innovative indoor gardening solution to its customers.

About Plantui Oy

Plantui Oy was founded in Turku in 2012 by Janne Loiske. The vision of enabling local gardening independent from location and climate led the designer to create the very first Smart Garden of its kind. Plantui now offers a range of automated, hydroponic indoor gardens combined with a selection of plant capsules that allows you to grow healthy, fresh, tasty and pure greens anywhere, anytime. Plantui forecasts that in the future, food, herbs and vegetables will be grown where it is consumed. Plantui believes that everyone deserves a garden. The young business combines innovative technology with stylish, Nordic design that was rewarded with the Red Dot Design Award in 2015.

Plantui is now stretching across borders and has successfully entered international markets. The United Kingdom is following Switzerland, Denmark, Japan and Singapore. Plantui Smart Gardens are for sale in 15 countries and in more than 15 online shops in Europe and Asia.

The rapidly growing Food-Tech segment has attracted a lot of interest among investors. Plantui’s key target is to build a profitable business globally together with its distribution and retail partners.

For more information, please contact CEO Karri Andersson, +35850 3718882

The post Finnish start-up enters UK market through Harrods London appeared first on plantui.com.

Q1: What type of light source do the Plantui Smart Gardens use?

CTO: All Plantui devices are using a very high-quality professional LED light which is tailored for plants and their photosynthetic process in particular.

Q2: The light seems pink-ish or blue/white and quite intense. Can you explain more about the light intensity and colours?

CTO: From the plants’ point of view, the lights equal the power of the summer sun without any of the harmful spectrums or UV radiation. Everybody knows that berries and herbs which are growing for example in Lapland (Norther Finland) are full of vital vitamins and flavours. One reason for this is that the sunlight in this region contains 40% more blue light spectrum than here in south, let’s say in Helsinki (Southern Finland).  The light in a Plantui Smart Garden is close to the light in the north.

Q3: The light looks quite like the light of specific lamps that can help to minimize darkness depression and other effects of the long, dark winters in the nordic countries. Can the Plantui Smart Garden be used in a similar way?

CTO: The light intensity is similar to these lamps, but of course the main purpose of a Smart Garden is to grow plants  and provide them with the light they need to grow optimally. But yes, it effects in the same way.

Q4: Is the intense actually dangerous for your eyes? Is it safe to look at it for a longer period of time?

CTO: We developed the light hat in a way that you can’t see the light source directly. Powerful light is always the same, and if you look directly into the light source, you might see black spots for a while. That’s why we designed the light hat in a way that it guides the light to the plants instead your eyes. There is no harmful light like UV, so the light is not dangerous.

We hope you found this post interesting & relevant for you! You could now read our recent blog entry about the Growth Light Height Block – which provides even more light for optimal plant growth.

If you are looking for exclusive cool content, don’t forget to sign up here for our newsletter – of course free of charge.

The post The light in our Smart Gardens: an interview with CTO Kari appeared first on plantui.com.

When growing big and tall plants in your Smart Garden, the lower and inner leaves don’t always get enough light to grow optimally, even tho we are using very powerful LED lights in three different colors. Imagine – the light source, in our case the light hat, is simply too far away from these parts of the plant.

So how could you bring additional light into the game? Right, with a height block that contains professional blue and red lights that are great for the plants’ photosynthesis! As a result, the inner and lower leaves become much tastier and fresher.

We recommend you to take a look at the newest accessory especially if you like to grow herbs and salad greens such as sage, shiso, thyme or even basil. You like to experiment with chilies or tomatoes in your Plantui 6 Smart Garden? The Growth Light Height Block is definitely a must have for you!

Have a look at this infographic that explains how you can optimally make use of our brand new product throughout the growth process: 

Please note: You can use max. 2 Growth Light Height Blocks at a time on one Plantui 6 Smart Garden.

The Growth Light Height Block is now available in the web shop for 35€/£32. Selected retailers will offer the accessory in the coming weeks and months.

We hope you found this post interesting & relevant for you! Now on our previous blog entry about vitamins and the cold season – take care of your health.

If you are looking for exclusive cool content, don’t forget to sign up here for our newsletter – of course free of charge.

The post Plantui Growth Light Height Block appeared first on plantui.com.

Plantui Smart Gardens are designed for growing herb and salad plants. As most of us know, chili plants grow much bigger than those plants. However, you can experiment with chili seeds if you make a couple of hacks to your Plantui 6 Smart Garden.

Choosing the right variety

There are loads of different chili varieties available. For your Plantui growing experiment, choose a very compact growing variety. Ask your seed supplier for the most compact chili varieties they have. You can try compact sweet pepper varieties, too!

Plantui has now ready Chili plant capsules, get them here.

Hack your Plantui 6 for chili

Chili plants need a lot of space and light. In order to get the best results, use only 3 capsules leaving every other capsule place empty. When there are no capsules in the tray holes, light can get into the water, and that creates algae growth. To prevent this, cover the empty holes completely, for example with pieces of cardboard. See picture below:

Sowing seeds

Now you have a hacked Plantui 6 and chili seeds! Take three capsules from the Experimental Kit, and put 2 chili seeds into each of them. Start the growing normally with the germination phase. The simplest way is of course to use Plantui Chili Demon Red capsules.

Height Blocks

Add the first Height Block when you see the first leaves appear. When the plants have grown taller and you will need to add the second Height Block, you can use the Growth Light Height Block. You can add up to 5 Height Blocks in total, but only 2 Growth Light Height Blocks on one Smart Garden. Remember that if the plants grow really tall (3 Height Blocks or more), you will need at least one Growth Light Height Block, to provide enough light to the lower leaves. Read more about the Growth Light Height Block here.

Pollinating flowers

When you see the first flowers open, shake the whole plant (see picture below). That will spread the pollen between the flowers. Repeat this every few days, so new flowers will get pollinated, too.

Harvesting!

Caution! Hot! Harvest your chili peppers as soon as they are ripe. Sometimes they can be hiding behind the leaves, so make sure to inspect your plants regularly.

The post How to grow chili in Plantui 6 appeared first on plantui.com.