Houseplant startup Flora used clever negotiation to get offer [Video]

A self-proclaimed “serial plant killer” went on ABC’s “Shark Tank” — and came away with a $300,000 offer for his houseplant health company Flora.

Flora was founded in 2022 by Aabesh De, a former Microsoft employee who quit his “cushy” six-figure job to build a soil meter and accompanying app that alerts people about the health of their houseplants. De got the idea during the Covid-19 pandemic, when his lack of a green thumb ruined one of his mom’s favorite plants.

“My dear mother gave me her prized rose bush plant that she had for years,” De, 29, said on the show. “And I ended up killing it in eight short days.”

He described his $64 soil meter and free app as taking “the guesswork out of plant care, by telling you exactly what moisture, temperature, light and other vitals your plans need.” Customers can subscribe to a premium version of the app, which costs $9.99 per month or …