What Modern Sprout does

Modern Sprout is a Chicago-based, woman-owned company founded in 2013 that designs, manufactures, and distributes indoor and outdoor gardening products through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront (modernsprout.com), Amazon via the Buy with Prime program, a wholesale distribution channel, and a B2B corporate gifting program. The product portfolio spans grow kits (Garden Jars and Modern Terracotta Grow Kits built on a simple immersion hydroponic setup that delivers water and nutrients to plant roots and supports up to 6 months of fresh herb yields), a 2025-launched Smart Grow Lights family (Smart Growbar, Smart Standard Growframe, Smart Growhouse, and Smart Landscape Growframe) connected via the Modern Sprout App, multi-functional candle-to-planter SKUs (Ember Earth Candle + Planter, Garden Vibes 2-in-1, Glow & Grow Kits, Rooted Candles), Seed Pops, Seed Bombs, and accessories such as pruning shears and watering cans.

The company monetizes through unit-priced one-time product sales with price points ranging from $6.99 for Seed Pops and Seed Bombs to $299 for premium smart grow light hardware, plus free shipping above $50. Its go-to-market is product-led DTC supported by content marketing (gardening blog, pollinator-week campaigns), organic social (Instagram @modsprout), email and SMS marketing, and earned media placements including an Oprah's Pick designation for Garden Jars and recurring features in Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, Country Living, Good Housekeeping, and The Pioneer Woman. Distribution has expanded beyond the website to Amazon Buy with Prime, a wholesale program for retailers, and a corporate gifting service for bulk orders. Operational signals include a carbon-neutral shipping partnership through Shopify Planet, sustainable and no-plastic packaging choices, and a reported 1,000+ positive customer reviews.

Operationally, Modern Sprout is a small team of 11-50 employees headquartered in Chicago and led by co-founder Sarah Burrows. No public funding rounds, institutional investors, or parent-company relationships are disclosed, and the business is classified as an independent private company. Technology differentiation is concentrated in the immersion hydroponic system, the app-connected smart grow light line, and the candle-to-planter 2-in-1 product format, with consumer brand recognition anchored by tier-1 earned media rather than paid acquisition at scale.

Name

Modern Sprout

Legal name

Modern Sprout

Website

https://modsprout.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Modern Sprout is a Chicago-based, woman-owned company founded in 2013 that designs, manufactures, and sells indoor gardening products — including immersion hydroponic grow kits, app-connected smart grow lights, and candle-to-planter SKUs — to consumers via DTC e-commerce, Amazon, wholesale, and B2B corporate gifting channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Gardening Products

NAICS

Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)

SIC

Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB)

Keywords

• Indoor gardening products
• Hydroponic grow kits
• Smart grow lights
• Home gardening supplies
• Plant care accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of grow kits, grow lights, plant care accessories, candles, live plants, and gift sets through the modernsprout.com website. One-time purchase model for physical products with varying price points from $6.99 to $299.
2. Amazon Buy with Prime: Sales through Amazon marketplace utilizing Buy with Prime program, expanding reach to Prime members.
3. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale program for retailers and partners to carry Modern Sprout products.
4. Corporate Gifting: B2B corporate gifts program for bulk orders, catering to businesses seeking sustainable and thoughtful gifting options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Modern Sprout designs, manufactures, and sells indoor and outdoor gardening products including hydroponic grow kits (Garden Jars, Terracotta Kits), app-connected LED Smart Grow Lights, candle-to-planter 2-in-1 products, Seed Pops, Flower Grow Kits, and plant care accessories. Offerings target home gardeners, culinary enthusiasts, kids, interior design consumers, and corporate gift buyers through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront with supporting Amazon, wholesale, and corporate gifting channels.

Product overview

Modern Sprout is a Chicago-based, woman-owned company offering a diversified portfolio of indoor gardening and plant care products. The core product lines include Smart Grow Lights (Smart Growbar, Smart Standard Growframe, Smart Growhouse, Smart Landscape Growframe) — LED grow lights with app connectivity via the Modern Sprout App — and Grow Kits encompassing Garden Jars with immersion hydroponic systems, Terracotta Kits, Candle Grow Kits, Complimentary Colors, Flower Grow Kits, and various Seed Pops (Flowers, Pollinator, Garden). Additional offerings include gardening tools, watering accessories, and corporate/wholesale services. The product ecosystem emphasizes sustainability with carbon-neutral shipping, reusable packaging, and organic seed certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smart Growbar App-connected LED grow light bar designed for countertop and space-constrained growing, connecting to the Modern Sprout App for automated plant care.
• Smart Standard Growframe App-connected LED grow light frame with multiple color options, designed to provide full nourishment to plants while complementing home decor.
• Smart Growhouse App-connected LED grow light greenhouse-style product with multiple color options, designed for indoor plant cultivation.
• Smart Landscape Growframe App-connected LED grow light designed for wall-mounted or landscape orientation growing, available in multiple color options.
• Garden Jars Immersion hydroponic grow kit delivering water and nutrients directly to plant roots, yielding up to 6 months of fresh herbs using certified organic seeds.
• Modern Terracotta Grow Kits Terracotta-based grow kits featuring the immersion hydroponic setup, available in multiple modern shapes for growing aloe, desert rose bonsai, or prickly pear cactus.
• Candle Grow Kits Multi-functional soy candles that transform into grow kits or planters when finished burning, combining ambiance with sustainable gifting.
• Complimentary Colors Grow Kits Colorful half-pint paint planter grow kits featuring a playful design twist on plant care, reusable as storage containers after growing.
• Flower Grow Kits Complete grow kits for fresh flowers in fluted ceramic vessels that are reusable as planters after growing.
• Altered Herb Mug Grow Kits Ceramic mugs with built-in grow kit functionality for growing soothing and digestive herbs.
• Tapered Tumbler Grow Kits Tapered tumbler grow kits in various colors with stainless steel mesh insert for easy drainage.
• Tiny Terracotta Kits Small-scale terracotta grow kits suitable for compact spaces and beginner gardeners.
• Glow & Grow Kits Combined candle and grow kit products featuring colorful ceramic pots.
• Ember Earth Candle + Planter 100% soy wax candle that transforms into a planter when finished burning, featuring a 2-in-1 design.
• Rooted Candles Colorful candles in ceramic pots that can be replanted with herbs or plants after burning.
• Seed Pops - Flowers Flower seed packets designed as pops with no-plastic packaging and planting instructions.
• Seed Pops - Pollinator Pollinator-friendly seed pops including Butterfly, Humble Bee, and Song Bird varieties with colorful floral designs.
• Seed Pops - Garden Garden vegetable seed pops including basil, strawberries, and carrots with no plastic packaging.
• Seed Bombs Clay and soil seed bombs ready for planting in gardens or green spaces.
• Magical Minds Garden Kits Garden kits designed for kids, promoting educational and engaging plant growing experiences.
• Corporate Gifts Program Bulk ordering and customization services for businesses seeking sustainable corporate gifts for employees, clients, and events.
• Wholesale Program Wholesale distribution program for retailers and business partners to carry Modern Sprout products.
• Gardening Shears & Pruners Professional-grade gardening shears and pruners with ergonomic design and sharp blades for plant care.

Quantifiable outcome

• Yield up to 6 months of fresh herbs using certified organic seeds with immersion hydroponic setup
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Shopify PlanetcoreTechnology or IntegrationCarbon-neutral shipping partnership through Shopify's Planet program. All orders ship carbon-neutral with emissions calculated based on weight, shipping method, and distance. Modern Sprout has neutralized emissions for over 81 million deliveries and removed 57+ tonnes of carbon.
• Amazon (Buy with Prime)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProducts available through Amazon marketplace utilizing Buy with Prime program, providing Prime shipping benefits to Amazon customers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bloomscape: Bloomscape is a DTC online plant retailer selling potted houseplants with branded planters, targeting similar indoor plant parents and gift buyers that Modern Sprout reaches through its indoor gardening kits and decorative planters.
• Scotts Miracle-Gro: Scotts Miracle-Gro owns AeroGarden and Hawthorne Gardening, dominating consumer hydroponics and indoor gardening via mass retail — the largest incumbent against which Modern Sprout's premium DTC positioning must differentiate.
• The Sill: The Sill is a DTC online plant retailer that sells potted houseplants alongside planters and care accessories, sharing Modern Sprout's indoor-plant-parent customer base and gifting-driven merchandising approach.
• Gardener's Supply Company: Gardener's Supply is an established direct-to-consumer garden supply retailer offering grow kits, lights, seed starting products, and planters, overlapping with Modern Sprout's full catalog of indoor and outdoor gardening SKUs.
• Burpee: Burpee is a legacy seed and gardening company selling seeds, plants, and gardening tools through DTC and retail channels, providing a traditional incumbent comparison for Modern Sprout's Seed Pops and grow kit lines.

Direct peers

• AeroGarden: AeroGarden (owned by Scotts Miracle-Gro) sells countertop hydroponic indoor gardens with built-in LED grow lights and seed pod kits — the closest direct competitor to Modern Sprout's Garden Jars, Terracotta Kits, and Smart Grow Light lineup.
• Click & Grow: Click & Grow makes smart indoor garden devices with proprietary seed pods and app-connected LED lighting, directly comparable to Modern Sprout's app-enabled Smart Growframe, Growbar, and Growhouse products.
• Back to the Roots: Back to the Roots sells organic indoor grow kits (mushroom kits, herb kits, seed starters) with a sustainability-focused DTC model, overlapping Modern Sprout's Garden Jars, Seed Pops, and pollinator-themed product lines.

Emerging players

• Lettuce Grow: Lettuce Grow offers app-connected hydroponic Farmstand units for indoor/outdoor growing, competing in the same smart-garden space as Modern Sprout's premium Smart Grow Lights, with a stronger emphasis on produce versus herbs and decor.
• Sustee: Sustee makes moisture-indicator-based plant care tools (including watering aids) that target the same indoor plant parent segment as Modern Sprout's watering bulbs, glass watering cans, and ergonomic shears.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/modsprout
• Xx.com/modsprout

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Modern Sprout