Chicago-based startup LandscapeHub, an online platform for buying and selling nursery and landscape goods, raised $4.4 million in seed funding led by Chicago Ventures with participation from Hyde Park Venture Partners, Hyde Park Angels and individual investors. LandscapeHub also secured $1 million in venture debt from Silicon Valley Bank.
The company will use the funding to continue building its platform, fuel growth and to support sales, marketing and logistics.
“Our vision is to improve the lives of green industry professionals,” said Lisa Fiore, founder and CEO. Fiore is also chairperson for Fiore Nursery & Landscape Supply. “Growing up in this industry, I understand the challenges that face buyers and suppliers. This industry is fragmented, with limited use of technology, which results in vast inefficiencies. I saw the opportunity to build a solution that would connect both sides of the market and provide tools to improve the way the industry works together. Our platform avails everyone the opportunity to expand their business and network—all while creating a stronger, more connected industry.”
LandscapeHub said it’s designed to alleviate the inefficiencies with buying and selling plants and hardscape products for landscape projects. The platform addresses other problems between buyers and sellers, such as the standardization of plant nomenclature.
Buyers must request an invitation to be accepted onto the platform. Then, registered buyers can access LandscapeHub and search products at no cost. Sellers pay a transaction fee upon the sale of their products.
Through LandscapeHub, buyers currently have access to more than six million plants provided by 85-plus suppliers with representation in 12 states. The suppliers—including nurseries, distributors, quarries, manufacturers and brokers—publish their inventories and pricing onto the platform, enabling buyers to source, quote and build orders with multiple suppliers from one platform.
“When building LandscapeHub, we decided to standardize the naming conventions for plants for ease of use for the buyer and seamless integration of all suppliers’ inventories,” said Chad Cooper, co-founder and CTO. “Buyers and suppliers now have a digital source for product information, procurement and fulfillment tools, supply chain visibility and market data and insights. Providing supply chain visibility and market data is especially critical, as it can help identify trends and improve product forecasting. LandscapeHub uniquely serves and benefits both sides of the marketplace.”
Chicago Ventures, who led the round for LandscapeHub, said this platform presented an opportunity to “digitize an entire industry.”
“Lisa’s insight and experience in this legacy industry and her resolve to build an open, transparent marketplace, rather than be disrupted, is what attracted us to her company—she’s committed to creating a new trajectory for the landscape and nursery space,” said Rob Chesney from Chicago Ventures. “She and the team have already demonstrated an ability to transition customers and suppliers of the legacy business onto the LandscapeHub platform, and they’re now primed to empower the marketplace for growth.”
