GIMA’s Innovators Seed Corn Fund (GISCF), set up in 2014 to encourage new businesses, designers and innovators to enter the garden retail market, has helped its 2015 winner to unexpected first-year success.
Dan Robson, founder of Green Digit, was the recipient of last year’s £5,000 prize fund plus business support and made his debut at Glee 2015 to launch his SeedCell concept to the trade. Each seeds is encased in its own natural-pulp cell, packaged together to make a ‘wheel of seeds’, easily snapped off and pushed directly into the soil.
Glee, he says, has been pivotal for the business, which has snowballed ever since. “The GIMA team were really hands-on, introducing us to key retailers and influencers throughout the show. Of course we wanted to make sales and develop routes to market, but for us our main aim was to introduce the SeedCell concept to the market, possibly gaining some insight into how we can further develop our offering. Little did we know what impact our three days at Glee would have on our business.”
Since Glee 2015, says Dan, he and his colleagues have been on “a rollercoaster ride”. The concept for SeedCell was sown in June 2014, with the first finished item coming off the production line in July last year. Since then, they have launched a Christmas-themed SeedCell (grow your own Christmas Tree) and secured listings in more than 175 stockists. Homebase are to list it shortly, while B&Q are planning a trial across 120 stores. “These are opportunities we never imagined would be possible in year one of business,” Dan said.
SeedCell is now also stocked in Germany, Switzerland, France and Dubai and he hopes to appoint a distributor for the United States.
A move into new premises last September, fitted out with food-grade production lines, will enable further new product development, with vegetable varieties like courgette and cucumber in the pipeline.
“It’s safe to say that winning the GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund has opened doors for us that we never imagined would be possible at the beginning of our journey,” added Dan. “The award has not only been a great conversation starter with key retailers, but the business support that comes as part of the prize package has been invaluable. We are really excited about what the future holds for us, and have no doubt that the garden retail industry will be seeing a lot more from Green Digit and SeedCell!”
GIMA director Vicky Nuttall said: “It’s great to hear that the GISCF has played a part in this success story, however we can’t take all the credit – far from it! The SeedCell is quite simply a great product. During the judging process for the 2015 GISCF, the judges were unanimous in their verdict that the product’s simplicity, coupled with the design and creative flair with which it had been put together, combine to create a concept that has been well thought out and delivers a finished, shelf-ready product all wrapped up in a competitive price point. Not only this, but the SeedCell is designed to make growing-your-own accessible to all, and firmly flies the flag for true British innovation with its proud ‘Made in Britain’ status. That is a lot wrapped up in a single product – an impressive feat that we are only too happy to support.”
