Irrigreen Announces $15 Million in Seed Financing to Power Robotic Sprinkler Systems for Homeowners in the Age of Scarce, Expensive Water

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Mar 29, 2023, 08:00 ET

Patented robotic sprinkler system that "prints" water launches enhanced web design tool enabling homeowners to map perfect sprinkler system for their landscaping and see projected water savings in seconds
Financing led by Ulu Ventures to help fuel continued product innovation and commercial launch

SAN FRANCISCO and EDINA, Minn., March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Irrigreen, the leader in robotic irrigation systems, today announced it has secured $15M in Seed Financing. Ulu Ventures led the round, with Sage Hill Investors, Burnt Island Ventures, MFV Partners, Anorak Ventures, Echo River Capital, Tamiami, Catalyst Innovation Lab and Sum Ventures also participating.

Irrigreen Announces $15 Million in Seed Financing to Power Robotic Sprinkler Systems for Homeowners in the Age of Scarce, Expensive Water

Homeowners across the United States are struggling to maintain their landscaping with rising water costs. At the same time, many household irrigation systems are imprecise, low-tech, and not customized to the specifics of the yard, resulting in sprinkler systems that inadvertently water hardscapes while also under or overwatering large sections of lawn. With irrigation systems contributing to the 8 billion gallons of water used daily for outdoor landscaping – more than showering and washing clothes combined – traditional sprinklers leave households wasting tens of thousands of gallons each year as water bills skyrocket.

In the fight against water waste, Irrigreen arms consumers with a revolutionary smart sprinkler system that leverages inkjet printing technology to deliver perfectly irrigated landscaping that saves water with less equipment. With Irrigreen, homeowners use approximately 50% less water compared to conventional technology and can save about 50% on outdoor water bills annually.

"We've seen smart products inside the home drive meaningful resource savings by engaging the consumer. Irrigreen can become that platform for outside the home," said Kathy Chen, Partner at Ulu Ventures and Irrigreen board member. "While landscapes consume a lot of water, they contribute to quality of life and even help keep our cities cool. Finding ways to keep our surroundings green while using less water is a massive opportunity."

With enhancements to Irrigreen's Web Design Tool, homeowners can enter their address, design a smart sprinkler system matching their yard's exact shape and contour and see their potential water savings in seconds. It can also simulate spraying angles around obstacles to ensure the entire yard is covered without waste. This tool gives homeowners the power to automate and streamline their irrigation design without using expensive professional software or finding and hiring designers.

"Designing irrigation systems has traditionally been expensive, manual and imprecise," said Shane Dyer, CEO of Irrigreen. "Because of the flexibility and elegance of Irrigreen's robotic heads, we democratized the process by enabling anyone to design an efficient irrigation system from the convenience of their computer while also instantly calculating how much water they'll save annually."

After homeowners map out their irrigation system, they can choose to purchase a system for self-installation or work with an install partner. Once installed, Irrigreen customers can benefit from key product features, including:

Simple design with seamless installation: Irrigreen uses a patent-pending nozzle design that eliminates wasteful overlap. Each digital sprinkler head replaces 6-10 mechanical heads from traditional systems and is configured with the Irrigreen app to trace the contours of the landscaping perfectly. Irrigreen uses 80% less underground piping, while eliminating the need for problematic valves and wiring, making it simple and easy for anyone to install.
Adaptive climate software: Unlike traditional irrigation systems, Irrigreen matches each landscape's specific precipitation needs (including water volume and when water should be applied) based on live integrations with weather data that feed into software on each sprinkler head. Unlike current "smart" controllers, the Irrigreen system uses its smart robotic head to print the exact amount of water, weather, and soil conditions called for.
Digital experience for maximum convenience: From designing an irrigation layout to controlling water pressure and flow and monitoring and maintenance, Irrigreen is built on software that learns and adapts over time for enhanced performance. Homeowners can control their irrigation system from the comfort of their smartphone with Irrigreen's app, making it easier than ever to water and maintain landscaping.

With this new investment, Irrigreen plans to further develop the company's product and software. Irrigreen serves homeowners nationally, including California, Texas, Florida, Colorado, and Utah.

For more information about Irrigreen or to speak with an Irrigation Pro to learn more about purchasing a system in your area, please visit www.irrigreen.com

About Irrigreen
Irrigreen is the most efficient sprinkler system on the planet. Using approximately 50% less water, a single head maps and precisely irrigates where needed, saving users about 50% annually on their outdoor water bill. Controlled from an app, five Irrigreen heads can replace a forty-head traditional system, offering streamlined installation at a comparable price. Irrigreen is better for your lawn, your wallet, and the planet. Irrigreen is based in San Francisco, California and Edina, Minnesota.

About Ulu Ventures:
Ulu Ventures is a top seed stage venture fund in Silicon Valley focused on innovation across enterprise, fintech, consumer, health, and sustainability. Ulu generates great financial results using a disciplined, repeatable decision-making process that analyzes risk-reward trade-offs and also reduces cognitive bias. The majority of Ulu portfolio companies are founded by diverse teams that include women, minority, URM and/or immigrant founders. Ulu's investment thesis is based on the concept that diversity is profitable. The firm has more than $200M AUM, 10 unicorns in the portfolio and is dedicated to increasing diversity in the entrepreneurial and assets under management communities.

SOURCE Irrigreen