CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LandscapeHub, the intelligent marketplace that enables wholesale buyers and sellers to connect to save time sourcing and procuring plants and landscaping material, announced the closing of a $9 million Series A round of funding. The funding round was co-led by a Klaff Realty, LP affiliate and Hyde Park Venture Partners. In addition to co-leading the financing round, Hersch Klaff of Klaff Realty, LP will be joining the company's Board of Directors. Additional investors include the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, Concentric Equity Partners, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Hyde Park Angels and Frank Mariani of Mariani Landscape. LandscapeHub will use the funds to expand its US footprint and increase platform capabilities to source everything from plants and patio pavers to drainage and irrigation supplies in 17 activated markets.
"At LandscapeHub, we believe digital and real-time access to pricing and availability is the future of our industry," said Lisa Fiore, Co-founder and CEO of LandscapeHub. "We are building a reality where buyers can find everything they need from their favorite suppliers in less than the time it takes to pick up the phone to call for availability."
LandscapeHub's marketplace and proprietary data algorithms enable wholesale buyers to find thousands of products from hundreds of suppliers available to quote and purchase instantly. Buyers can source and select products one by one or easily upload a list of materials automatically matched in LandscapeHub's database and generated into a real-time estimate. Buyers can aggregate materials from multiple suppliers and arrange for easy pickup or delivery using LandscapeHub's logistics network. With approximately 100,000 product searches monthly, LandscapeHub has become the leading online marketplace for finding plants and landscape goods.
“We believe that LandscapeHub is well-positioned to drive change in the landscaping sector as evidenced by its strong growth in just the first few years since going to market,” said Hersch Klaff. “We look forward to supporting the team to accelerate their growth.”
"I am thrilled to support an ambitious, successful team who sees the potential of building an intelligent marketplace in the landscaping space," stated Frank Mariani, Owner at Mariani Landscape in Lake Bluff, Illinois. "The need for transparent access to product information and streamlined logistics has never been greater."
The Loving Companies, Everde Growers, and Manor View Farms are among the landscaping, grower, and distributor companies using LandscapeHub's platform to streamline operations, save time, and increase customer satisfaction.
"The impact LandscapeHub had in automating green industry buyer and supplier interactions during the pandemic speaks to the effectiveness and timeliness of its platform," stated Ryan Dammeyer, Partner at Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund. "We're excited to support the team to continue building technology that automates the tedious, time-consuming processes of sourcing, estimating, and procuring landscaping material which we understand is a significant challenge particularly for rural suppliers who need this digital support."
Founded in 2017, LandscapeHub has experienced impressive growth over the past four years, working with over 7,900 users and 300 supplier organizations to expand the availability of landscape supply to 17 markets in the US and growing. Since securing the latest round of funding, LandscapeHub has expanded its team to support growing demand in the MidAtlantic, the Northeast, and the Southern US markets, with plans to double its headcount within the upcoming year.
For more information, visit landscapehub.com.
About LandscapeHub
LandscapeHub is streamlining the procurement process in the green industry. The Chicago-based technology company's wholesale marketplace connects landscape and nursery buyers with a network of trusted suppliers on one platform. To learn more, visit www.landscapehub.com.
About the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund
The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund is an $81 million private equity fund licensed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC). With a collaborative partnership comprised of investors from Farm Credit institutions, commercial and community banks, strategics, family offices, and high net worth individuals committed to advancing rural America, the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund is focused on providing debt and equity capital of $2 - $10 million to growth companies in food and agriculture. For more information on the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, please visit www.openprairie.com.
