Flowering: from producer to consumer

Turning traditional businesses sustainable is no easy task. Just ask Artin Hodanloo and Johan Vang Wildt – founders of Flowering, the startup trying to transform a thousand-year-old industry: floristry.

FROM PRODUCER TO CONSUMER

In 2019, the two Danish friends founded Flowering, an online delivery service that provides flowers for all occasions, from birth to funeral. What sets them apart is their focus on sustainability and their control over as much of the value chain as possible, from producer to customer. As a result, they conduct business more transparently and sustainably. Their sustainability approach focusses on three key elements: using surplus stocks of flowers that would normally go to waste as the basis for their bouquets, promoting local gardeners who are close to their customers, and using flowers from sustainability-certified gardeners. “We're looking at how to reduce and filter water now, aiming for 95% less water usage,” explains current CEO Artin Hodanloo.

Building their business around surplus stocks of flowers has led them to adopt a creative approach to flower arrangements. "Our modern take on flower arrangements means we often work with unexpected varieties, requiring bold and creative designs. This has positioned us as trendsetters in the industry," says Artin. It’s also why most of their employees are skilled florists dedicated to creating these distinctive bouquets.

ACADEMIC EVIDENCE

To increase transparency in their business model, Flowering collaborated with the Danish Technological Institute from the start-up phase to conduct a life cycle assessment of their value chain. “We brought in academic evidence as a way to strengthen our case for transparency and accountability,” explains Artin. This approach is quite uncommon for SMEs, especially outside of STEM and life sciences.

With EIF financing through EIFO in the form an EU-guaranteed loan, they aim to expand their operations in Copenhagen and eventually to other countries. "Before you expand, you need to fix all your errors. This way you can take your finished blueprint and scale-up," says COO Johan Vang Wildt. One of the challenges they face in controlling their value chain is the need for their own software system to manage both the physical and digital aspects of their operations. "This would help us be more efficient and is necessary for our scale-up."

That being said, Flowering Aps sees room to bloom – especially in cities across Europe where floral culture is strong and sustainable options are still limited. "There are many more cities in Europe that consume large amounts of flowers and need more options," smiles Johan. 

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Financial Intermediary: EIFO
SME: Flowering
Sector: retail
Number of employees: 30
Financing purpose: expansion
EIF financing: InvestEU