Gardening has long enjoyed widespread popularity in the Czech Republic, and the coronary crisis has only strengthened the willingness to invest money in it. A fifth of Czechs according to Equa Bank survey since the end of March this year, it is investing more in gardening than before the pandemic. In recent years, the trend of hydroponic pots, which are more compact and more efficient than conventional ones, has persisted in home cultivation.
However, some fruits or vegetables are almost impossible to grow in a normal interior, which the startup Plantee wants to change. “It occurred to me that we could develop a smart home greenhouse ourselves and offer it to anyone in the world,” Zbytek explains his journey from particle physics to plant cultivation.
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In the Plantee smart greenhouse, it will be possible to grow, for example, tomatoes, strawberries, chili peppers, aloe vera, roses or bonsai. Its added value lies in the possibility of advanced environmental control and automatic control of the entire process. The device can regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment as well as the amount of light depending on time. The built-in tank is used by a computer for irrigation and sensors in the soil check whether the plant has everything it needs at the moment.
The plant is controlled from the touch screen, which also informs whether the plant needs to add fertilizer or cut leaves. Therefore, the user does not have to be a plant care professional. “The only limits are the internal dimensions of the home greenhouse,” says Zbytek.
Whether there will be interest in the novelty, the founders of Plantee will test it in kickstarterové kampanithey are running. “If we sell three hundred pieces for a start, we will be satisfied, but that is not the goal. It’s just an imaginary boundary, which if we overcome, we will feel good, “explains Mezencev.
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The average price of a greenhouse should initially be around 25 thousand crowns. One day after the launch of the Plantee campaign, the startup project was supported by 42 people who will pay a total of $ 37,000 for Plantee products, around CZK 850,000.
They invested around five million crowns in the development of Mezencev and Zbytek. Part of the initial investment comes from their business with fog chambers, part was provided by the substrate and fertilizer manufacturer Agro CS, which invested higher units of millions in Plantee.
“Plantee cannot replace conventional cultivation, but it can attract enthusiasts of modern technology and novel design. We believe that the investment will be successful and will become a beautiful addition to our company’s standard core business, “explained David Macek, CFO of Agro CS.
