Start-up Thriving Design launches equity crowdfunding campaign on WeFunder

(Fort Collins, CO) – Thriving Design, the creator of C-BITEs, announces its first official registered equity crowdfunding campaign in partnership with WeFunder. Co-founders and siblings Jason Rider and Morgan Rider are raising capital to grow the brand from its retail debut as an industry and consumer favorite to an international garden brand.

The brand’s signature C-BITE garden clips make gardening a snap by cleverly connecting garden stakes and ties into custom shapes and structures. Like Tinkertoys for the garden, C-BITEs connect into simple, sturdy plant supports and protection systems that can be rebuilt and reimagined season after season.

From trellises to tomato cages, C-BITEs’ multiple points of connection and sturdy designs are limited only by the imagination. Working seamlessly with standard steel stakes, natural cane, netting, plant ties, and other accessories to create custom support solutions, C-BITEs are upending the clunky tomato cages and single-use supports that have limited gardeners for generations.

Jason Rider, Founder and CEO says, “Supporting plants fulfills our mission: to support the planet and the people who live there. C-BITEs speak to a universal need for creativity, customization, and the flexibility for growth in gardening, which is why they’ve been a breakout success.” Rider adds, “Historically, the garden industry hasn’t seen the kind of innovation other industries have seen - particularly when it comes to plant support and protection. But with the pandemic ‘boom’ in new gardeners driving major growth for the sector, the opportunity is tremendous.”

Gardening businesses were among the big winners during the pandemic, with sales at home and lawn care and gardening businesses shooting up in the past two years, according to data from the National Garden Survey. Surveys estimate over 45M gardeners in North America, with 4.1% growth year over year.

That surge in business galvanized the co-founders to debut Thriving Design to the consumer market in 2020–the height of the pandemic. It’s a decision that has paid off. An industry hungry for innovation has embraced C-BITEs as a long-needed solution to the problem of clunky, cumbersome tomato cages. Over fifty retailers and distributors now carry C-BITEs to augment and enhance products they already carry, and as many increasingly seek Made in the USA products to avoid pandemic shipping delays and empty shelves, C-BITEs offer a 100% Colorado-made product that speaks to today’s customization-craving consumers.

The founders will use the capital from this campaign to expand into new and existing territories and develop new products. The WeFunder campaign has raised almost $40,000 so far. Investment is open to the public until they reach their goal of $500,000. Investments are being accepted at: https://wefunder.com/thriving.design.

Highlights of Thriving Design

1. 1 million C-BITEs sold to-date, 300K+ in revenue in 2021
2. Available online via Shopify, Amazon, and several DTC websites, including Williams Sonoma in 2022
3. Orders from 25% of the top 100 independent garden centers in the U.S.
4. Carried by 10 of the largest lawn & garden distributors in North America in 2021
5. Seasoned team with experience in the garden industry, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and marketing
6. Globally, plant and gardening spending is expected to hit $26.3B by 2030
7. Sustainability focused: a 1% for the Planet company that creates durable, recyclable products with the ultimate goal of zero waste certification and carbon neutrality.

COMPANY BACKGROUND

Behind the C-BITE is Thriving Design, a visionary family business that followed a time-honored entrepreneurial path to success. Thriving Design was founded in 2014 by Jason Rider in his basement. He envisioned a gadget that would make growing plants easier and more fun, eliminating the massive frustration of single-size tomato cages & twist ties. From its origins as a prototype on a home 3D printer, the C-BITE today is a patented product with over one million units sold.

As a public benefit corporation and 1% for the Planet member, Thriving Design proudly donates a portion of its sales to helping our planet, healthy food, and a greener future. The company is committed to planting the seeds of hope and positive, lasting change now and in the future.

C-BITEs are available online at thrivingdesign.com, Amazon.com, and in select garden centers and hardware stores nationwide.

Investments are now being accepted at: https://wefunder.com/thriving.design.