Smart plant care is making its way into high street shops
The Bern-based Ecotech start-up Boum and the DIY and garden centre chain Hornbach have entered into a partnership. Under the agreement, the Boum Core plant care system will be available in selected Swiss Hornbach branches in future, making it accessible to a wide audience.
The Bern-based Ecotec start-up Boum AG and the DIY and garden centre operator Hornbach have announced a partnership in a press release. Under the agreement, the Boum Core smart plant care system will be available in selected Swiss branches from this spring.
Boum Core is a fully automatic, solar-powered plant care system that autonomously supplies plants with water over several weeks. Users can check the water level at any time via a dedicated app. The Ecotec start-up is firmly committed to sustainability: compared to conventional solutions, the Boum system reduces water consumption by up to 40 per cent and also acts as a rain collector for the efficient reuse of water.
The partnership brings benefits for both companies. For Hornbach, it marks an entry into a new, innovative product segment. “With the Boum Core plant care system, we can expand our range with a unique product. We are convinced that this innovation will enable us to meet our customers’ needs for sustainable and smart solutions that offer real added value,” says Sorin Nasture, Head of Garden Hardware at Hornbach, in the press release.
For Boum, availability in brick-and-mortar stores is being expanded. In a next step, the company is aiming to expand across Europe. “We have been working towards this moment for a long time. We are delighted about this partnership and see Hornbach as the ideal partner to bring Boum to the public,” says Dr Ludwig Auer, founder of Boum AG.
Boum AG, a spin-off from the University of Bern, has set itself the goal of enabling everyone to successfully grow and enjoy plants through the combination of technology and ecology.