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Weeds Never Sleep, LLC

Providing gardeners with a safe, organic alternative to toxic herbicides

Minimum target reached
Closed on 07/01/22

$30,472

amount committed 


$10,000

target amount 

$100,000

max amount 

Regulation CF

exemption used 

$2,500,000

pre money valuation 

$100.00

min investment 

46

investors 


Security Type
SAFE REV
Simple Agreement for Future Equity and Revenue Participation
Bonus

Special offer to Early Investors.

Invest $500 or more and receive a pre-production HotZot. 

 

Please note: Because we are still in the prototype stage it could be 12 months or more before you have a “Zot” in your hot little hands. 

 

Be the proud owner of a bright, shiny “Zot” and the envy of all your neighbors!

Pitch

Who are we

What problem do golf courses, parks and playgrounds, schools, business campuses, public and private gardens all have in common?

 

Weeds!

The HotZot is the first tool to effectively kill weeds organically with scalding hot water. So if you’re tired of weeding by hand and don’t want to use Roundup, the HotZot is the tool you’ve been waiting for.

 

Problem

Gardeners – are you tired of having to choose between weeding by hand and Roundup?

There are garden tasks which are rewarding and you look forward to and then there are those which are drudgery -- weeding is the later because the job is never done. As soon as you finish the task it is time to begin it again because weeds never sleep.

 

With a half-life of up to 9 months, toxic herbicides like Roundup continue to affect our health long after their application. Whether in our parks and schools or homes and gardens, the damage done by Roundup doesn’t stop with the death of the weed. Over the next week, toddlers will crawl, pets will chase balls, children will play tag on the lawn and flowers and produce will be brought into the house. With residential Roundup use at over 50,000 tons/year and municipal use many times greater, individual gardeners, as well as entire cities and states, are looking for safe, effective alternatives.

Studies regarding the environmental and health effects of Roundup;
Scientific American
National Institute of Health
The New York Times

 

Solution

Enter The HotZot, a revolutionary new tool in a very old market solving an ancient problem using new technology. The HotZot is a unique, organic, point-and-shoot weeding tool that is portable and scalable and crosses over from residential to light commercial and agricultural use.  

 

The Garden HotZot is designed specifically for gardeners. It is an organic point and shoot sprayer that kills weeds with jets of boiling water. No stooping, no kneeling or crawling in the mud – just point and shoot. No more compacting the soil while you step into your garden to pull the weeds, no more exposing new weed seeds to sunlight.

The HotZot is the first tool to effectively kill weeds organically with scalding hot water combined with organic herbicides. So if you’re tired of weeding by hand and don’t want to use Roundup, the HotZot is the tool you’ve been waiting for.

The HotZot is patented and will provide a necessary weed control tool for homeowners, gardeners, landscape crews, golf courses, schools, parks, sporting fields and business campuses. Heated by propane, it will be totally portable and can be used in the field wherever weeding is needed and can scale easily from residential use to commercial and small agriculture.

 

 

Achievement & Traction

Before this tool has even been produced for the retail market, we have support and keen interest in the HotZot. To date there have been over 300 requests to purchase the tool (once it is available).

  • Rainbird Golf and Contractor Divisions are interested and have followed development of the HotZot.
  • NDA signed by Chapin Sprayers – a major Lawn and Garden tool manufacturer which shows committed interest.
  • Aliabiosys - a major agricultural supplier in India requested details and pricing.  They are interested in using the HotZot for weed control in tea, coffee, palm and spice plantations.
  • Positec (Worx, Rockwell) is submitting the HotZot to their New Products Team.
  • TTI (Milwaukie, Ryobi) has submitted the HotZot to their New Products Development Committee.
  • True Value wants to discuss the opportunity of the HotZot becoming a vendor for True Value.

 

We’ve met with and received support from Congressman Kurt Schrader (D. Oregon 5th Congressional District) and from the Deputy Director for Earl Blumenauer (D. Oregon 3rd Congressional District). Both said that it was “the right tool at the right time.”

Organizations wishing to test the HotZot;

  • Wildlife Conservation and Environmental Health Safety
  • Trillium Primary School, West Linn, OR
  • City of Irvine, CA
  • Denver “March Against Monsanto”

 

Market

In 2018 American gardeners reported spending a record $47.8 billion on lawn and garden retail sales.

 

Our Market targets School Playgrounds, Landscape Maintenance Contractors, Golf Courses, Public Gardens, Parks, Residential gardeners and Business Campuses to name a few. 

  • 35% of households in the US grow food either at home or in community gardens. 1 in 3 households participate in food or flower gardening.
  • 90 million households participated in do-it-yourself lawn and gardening activities last year. 
  • In 2017 there were over 2,055,000 acres of land devoted to public parks, many of which contain public gardens.
  • In 2017 there were 731 dog parks and 23,883 community garden plots in the US.
  • 2018 US gardeners spent $47.8 billion on lawn and garden sales.

(Source – National Gardening Association)

"Demand for clean food, clean water, clean air, clean medicine and clean environments is dramatically shifting how people buy plants and products, and garden both inside and out."

 

Mintel report

“CLEAN” and “GARDENING” are words that normally don’t go together. Clean gardening means using only products that come from natural origins – no synthetic fertilizers, no synthetic pesticides and no GMO seeds. Concern about chemicals in the lawn and garden followed a concern of cost and time as the top three gardening challenges, according to the 2016 Mintel Report.

 

Garden Media Group

"Overall, in 2018 American gardeners reported spending a record $47.8 billion on lawn and garden retail sales, the highest ever, with a record average household spend of $503 – up nearly $100 over the previous year."

 

National Gardening Association (NGA) Report

"A new, national survey shows more American households are gardening than ever before (77%), and increasingly the gardener is a young man*.

The annual National Gardening Survey finds the proportion of older gardeners is holding steady (35%) but younger households reached an all-time high in gardening participation. “From small beginnings with a succulent here and a houseplant there, the under 35s are now truly engaged in the full range of gardening activities.” says industry analyst Ian Baldwin, who participated in the survey."

 

“18 to 34-year-olds now occupy 29% of all gardening households. It’s a strong sign that they are finally ‘in,’” Baldwin says.

The power tools market segment is the fastest growing segment of the global garden and lawn tools market, driven by the fast and efficient nature of their operation. Some of the popular power tools used in this segment are hedge trimmers, shredders, and grass trimmers. Currently, there is a growing demand for electric and cordless garden tools, which is being catered to by prominent vendors such as MTD, Robert Bosch, and Techtronic Industries. With an increasing preference for do-it-yourself (DIY) activities and gardening, the demand for garden power tools will increase in the individual consumer segment during the forecast period.  

Source - Businesswire

 

The global gardening tools market is projected to register 1.6% CAGR during the forecast period 2017 to 2025, according to a recent report by Persistence Market Research (PMR). PMR’s report estimates the global sales of gardening tools to expand from nearly 280,000 ‘000 units in 2017 to surpass 300,000 ‘000 units by 2025-end.

Source - Persistence Market Research 

  

 

Competition

Heat Lamp (NatureZap)
Effectiveness: 25%, does not kill plant roots -- multiple applications needed, clumsy to use and the housing becomes very hot and can cause burns, does not work in wet weather.  Cost: $100

Tertill (Franklin Robotics)
Effectiveness - 100% on weeds smaller than 1 inch, does not work on larger weeds. only works on level ground, requires 1 Tertill per 100 sq. ft. of garden.  Cost - $248

 

Residential Weed Steamer (DynaSteam)
Effectiveness: 25%, does not kill plant roots -- multiple applications are needed, cumbersome to use, must wear protective clothing -- 300F live steam under pressure is used.  Cost: $230

 

String Trimmer (Weed Eater)
Effectiveness: 25%, does not kill plant roots, multiple applications are needed.  Application area: 16 s.in. safe for the environment, people and pets.  Cost: $79 - $289

 

Residential Weed Torch (Red Dragon)
Effectiveness: 25%, does not kill plant roots --multiple applications are needed, must wear protective clothing and store propane safely, can cause fires if misused.  Cost: $61-$310 (plus cost of tank, fuel, hand truck and fire extinguisher.)

 

Roundup (glyphosate) 

Effectiveness: 90%, kills plant roots, easy to use. Dangerous for people and pets - must be kept out of treated area for 24-72 hrs. longer if the area is moist. All clothing worn while treating the area must be washed immediately.  Do not use near waterways, do not use when rain is expected within 24 hrs., protect eyes and skin from contact, do not inhale spray, avoid contact with treated plants, wash hands after contact and spray on a windless day to avoid drift, Minimum application area 4 s.in., Not safe for the environment, the active ingredients (glyphosate and POEA) are toxic to aquatic life, not safe for people or pets.

Cost: $35.00 

 

 
Business Model

Revenues will initially be generated through sales of the Zot through Ecommerce – we already have preorders lined up and production is scheduled to start in summer of 2020. After we have sales figures to validate our market we will consider licensing fees and royalties from major Lawn and Garden tool manufacturers – FlowZone (https://www.fzspray.com/ ) has already said that they want to talk to us when we reach this milestone. Sale of the IP will provide a substantial ROI for investors. 

 

We see this as a scalable product that can span the Lawn and Garden industry from commercial use to the urban, residential gardener. Our goal is to license different models of the HotZot to different segments of the Lawn and Garden industry.  Therefore we intend to focus on backpack spray tank manufacturers, golf cart manufacturers (cart-mounted tanks) and residential power tool manufacturers.

 

What do we offer a licensee?
The HotZot offers dual income streams!

HotZot sales - expected production cost of $50 
Expected market price of $200

 

The HotZot is well-positioned as an organic alternative to existing powered gardening tools and toxic herbicides

 

Team

Founders Michael Peterson (Inventor) and Bonnie Bruce (Instigator) have been involved with environmental and sustainability issues since 1972 and are passionate advocates of the HotZot. They are committed to every gardener in America having a Zot in their garage or toolshed.

FOUNDERS

Bonnie Bruce - Co-Founder

Landscape Designer who has also practiced commercial interior design for many years. With over 30 years of plantsmanship and 20 years of focus on environmental stewardship to her landscape practice. 

 

Experience: Interior designer for projects from $2 million - $50 + million, adjunct university instructor, landscape designer, lecturer, and design coach.

 

Education: BA Sociology, AA Interior Design, post-graduate work in Horticulture.

 

Prof. Member of APLD, LEED AP, Master Gardener, FIIDA

 

 

 

Michael Peterson - Co-Founder

Inventor of the HotZot, IT Consultant, Event Manager (US Rowing Association), Adjunct College Instructor (Marylhurst College, Oregon Institute of Technology, Oregon Culinary Institute) and co-founder of Portland/Vancouver Rowing Association, Residential General Contractor.

Education: BA in Psychology, MA Business Management

 

 

 

 

 ADVISOR

Zen Parry - Advisor

Industry Experience: International Corporate Leadership • Project Management • Operations and Strategic Management • SME – Small and Medium Enterprises • Contracts Administration • Policy Development • Enterprise Capacity Building • Troubleshooting & Turnaround Assignments • Strategic Planning • Marketing • Business Modeling • Scenario and Contingency Development

 

 

 

Use of Funds

Updates

Michael Peterson
Michael Peterson4 years ago

We recently sent our pitch and information to FlowZone ( https://www.fzspray.com/ ), a major manufacturer of sprayers and they're "definitely interested" but have already scheduled product launches for 2020 so they've asked for an opportunity to work with us for the 2021 product year.

Michael Peterson
Michael Peterson4 years ago

7/21/19 - We have been in contact with Cushman (golf/utility cart folks) and they're interested in our product and have asked for more information.

Load More

Q&A


Unfortunately, this securities offering is closed. For questions, please email support@trucrowd.com. Thanks!

Anne Smith
Anne Smith - Investorone year ago
What has happened in the past two years? I can’t find any updates or market test results?
Michael Peterson
Michael Peterson - Issuer    
Anne - 4 steps forward, three steps back. We've had discussions with Chapin (backpack tank manufacturer) and they declined. Sent terms sheet to WeedTechnics (AU) and they were briefly interested as were My4sons (manufacturer/sales) and an English company. Currently talking to a rep from NZ. The quest continues - Cheers.

one year ago
Alan Olsen
Alan Olsen - Investor3 years ago
You mention in your video that it takes 10-15 seconds to kill a weed. Is there a visual indication that the user has cooked the weed sufficiently to kill it? Has your bonus program expired, and if not, how long do you plan to run it?
Michael Peterson
Michael Peterson - Issuer    
Hi Alan - Yes, there is a visual indication of killing the weed, but it can be specific to the weed. Weeds that are held up by hydraulic pressure (dandelions, Canada thistle, etc) will visibly collapse and the crown will turn brown. Weeds like oxalis need to have all their leaves treated - the leaves turn brown and fall off. The tops of Bishop's weed wilt away allowing you to treat the stem/crown. It kind of depends on the weed, but all of them except weeds with a distributed root system show damage in some way. Single shoots of ivy, blackberry, and morning glory will turn brown and wilt. Depending on the weather and how much of the weed you've treated, parts of the leaves may remain green for a few days - much like lettuce will remain green in your fridge.

Our bonus program - invest $500 or more and get an early production HotZot is still in force and we intend to keep it running for the entire life of the offering.

Thanks for your interest.

3 years ago
Mark Nelson
Mark Nelson - Investor4 years ago
You mention organic herbicides are also used, can you tell us more about them. What are they, and how much cost are the organic herbicides adding to the use of the tool?
Michael Peterson
Michael Peterson - Issuer    
Sure, Mark - The only organic herbicide that we've tested is citric acid in a granular form. Because the Zot is not used for food preparation, we can specify industrial grade citric acid instead of food grade and that will help keep the cost down. The minimum use of the citric acid will be about 2 lbs/year and will be necessary because of scale deposits in the heater and spray tip (Note - just like a coffee maker, scale removal will be required.) Cost of the citric acid will be in the $10 - $15/ lb range.


4 years ago
Richard Li
Richard Li - Investor4 years ago
Any reason you do not convert to a C-Corp in order to make the investment Qualified Small Business Stock?
Michael Peterson
Michael Peterson - Issuer    
Our original incorporation was handled by a lawyer who recommended an LLC filing so we did what he recommended. We may be changing that in the future so - thanks for the heads-up.

4 years ago
Oneshin Aiken
Oneshin Aiken - Investor4 years ago
What happens to invested proceeds if you do not meet your funding target ?
Michael Peterson
Michael Peterson - Issuer    
All investing commitments are canceled and no funds change hands.

4 years ago

Documents

Form C Download
Offering Statement Download
Valuation Download

Other Disclosures

Read the Form C filed with the SEC for other important disclosures, like financial statements, Directors, Officers, shareholders with more than 20% of voting rights, and more.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This offering contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. We caution investors that any forward-looking statements presented in this offering, or which management may make orally or in writing from time to time, are based on the Company’s beliefs and assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company. When used, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “result” and similar expressions, which do not relate solely to historical matters, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are not guarantees of future performance, which may be affected by known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties and factors that are beyond the Company’s control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. While forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s good faith belief when made, they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company expressly disclaims any responsibility to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment, and new risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this offering may not occur, and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to revise or publically release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Given these risks and uncertainties, prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.
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