Official Statement from PlantsIO Regarding Unauthorized Kickstarter Campaign by PlantsRobot

We would like to inform our valued customers and partners that we have recently discovered a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter claiming to be an iteration of our Ivy Smart Planter. The project (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ivyplus-smart-plant/ivy-plus-smart-planter-allow-your-plants-to-talk-to-you) and its initiator, PlantsRobot, is in no way affiliated with PlantsIO or the Ivy Smart Planter.

PlantsRobot initially used the name “Ivy Plus” for the campaign (which we recently discovered has since been changed to “Plantbot”) and continues to use the term in the URL of the project. Furthermore, PlantsRobot has misrepresented itself by impersonating the PlantsIO team and making false claims across their Kickstarter profile, project description, and comment section, as well as on their website (https://www.plantsrobot.com/) and social media channels.

In response to these deceptive practices, PlantsIO are pursuing a range of actions, including legal suits against PlantsRobot for identity theft, direct copying, malicious competition, and deceptive crowdfunding.

PlantsRobot served as a distributor for the Ivy Smart Planter from late 2023 to mid-2024. However, due to multiple breaches of our distribution agreement—such as the unauthorized use of the term “official” on their website and social media accounts and misuse of the PlantsIO brand name in their account names—we terminated our partnership and ceased supplying products to them in mid-2024. This is not the first instance of PlantsRobot attempting to impersonate the owner of Ivy. To date, they continue to feature the Ivy Smart Planter and related media materials on their website and social media channels without our permission.

In 2024, we shared our plans for the 2025 Ivy Series with several partners, which included the development of a larger Ivy product named “Ivy Plus” to be launched on Kickstarter. PlantsRobot’s current product not only appropriated this name but also copied product features, design elements, and product descriptions from our product, causing confusion among consumers and our distributors.

Given our expertise in R&D and manufacturing, and our familiarity with PlantsRobot, we have serious concerns about their current Kickstarter campaign. A thorough review of their product details and exploded-view images raises significant doubts about the legitimacy of their efforts. Their small team, which primarily consists of commerce-focused individuals with very limited R&D capabilities, appears to be running a deceptive crowdfunding campaign.

It is likely that their true intent is to either fail to deliver the promised product to backers or to supply a substandard version that does not meet the specifications advertised. We strongly caution potential backers to evaluate the situation critically and align themselves with verified and trustworthy sources.