Happy Birthday! In October 2025, the Boum idea will be 5 years old. Time to look back. From the Bernese balcony and the alpine hut where it all began, to flourishing balconies all over Switzerland and the vision of green cities. From the first prototypes to the newest family member, Boum Core.
The Boum Story at a glance:
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The backstory: Plant knowledge and engineering
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2020: The Boum story begins
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2021: "Boum" celebrates first successes
- 2022: Raised beds and cooperations
- 2023: Boum 2 and Switzerland's greenest alley
- 2025: Boum 3 and Boum on TV
- 2026: Boum Core – perfect for beginners
The backstory: Plant knowledge and engineering
Plant problems in Bern
Matthias has a problem: despite a lot of experience, the plants on his balcony don't survive because he travels too much. For a professor of plant biology, this is unacceptable. With his experience in plant physiology, he adapted a gentle and water-saving method of watering from below – the now patent-pending wick irrigation.
The Alpine Hut Prototype
At the same time, in the Austrian mountains. Geophysicist and engineer Ludwig is thinking with his father about how to water the tomatoes in front of their alpine hut. And how to do it independently and controllable via app from home. A simple prototype is created – a system inserted into plant pots: RASPALP, a RaspberryPi for the Alps.
2020: The Boum story begins
Matthias and Ludwig meet. The two now combine IT and plant science – a revolutionary irrigation system is created. The working title Balconia doesn't last long, the project is christened Boum and thoroughly tested. The foundation has been laid.
2021: "Boum" celebrates first successes
Now things are really getting started: The first ten pots are 3D printed, 5 of which we can already sell to the first customers. This means Boum is on the market! And the idea is well received: Boum wins 3rd prize in the "Stage-Up" start-up competition at the University of Bern. First investors join in and the two receive strong support from the Swiss ecosystem for start-ups, including Innosuisse, be-advanced and STI. And the team grows: We get to know Jeremias as a coach within the Stage-Up program and he supports us from then on as co-founder and CEO in business development, fundraising and team building. Soon, Johnny joins the team as another co-founder to take the software and our digital marketing to the next level. In November 2021, Boum is officially founded as a spin-off of the University of Bern.
2022: A brief excursion into the world of raised beds
With the first products on the market comes the first customer feedback. And in addition to praise, this also brings suggestions. From the beginning, we listen and try to implement what is possible. Raised beds are a frequent request. This is how Boum One is moved to airy heights – onto racks and with hangers on the balcony railing. Stability becomes a challenge for Swiss weather conditions. We therefore discard the raised bed idea for the time being. However, the hangers still exist today.
2023: Boum 2 hits the market
2023 stands for further developments. We are tinkering again and product designer Mihai gives Boum 2 a new look. We also present ourselves more to the public. We are at "Giardina", Switzerland's leading garden fair, for the first time! And we file three patents at once. Revolutionary ideas must be protected, after all!
The greenest alley in Switzerland – with Boum
In parallel, a project is launched at the University of Bern using Boum systems: the hottest alley in the city, the Postgasse, becomes the greenest alley in Switzerland with Boum systems. Since 2023, 199 Boum pots have been set up and planted together with the residents. The goal: to find out in a living lab whether this greening benefits the climate, biodiversity, and the well-being of the people. Spoiler: It does, and not insignificantly. The project will be successfully handed over to the residents in September 2025 - they will now take care of the greening.
2025: Your feedback leads to Boum 3
We collect your feedback and specifically ask: What do you want from Boum? What are you missing with Boum 2, is there another need? Some think the control looks like a toilet lid. That's rather suboptimal and even if not everyone sees it that way, the lid of Boum 3 gets a new design. While we're at it, a rain catcher is also integrated – for even more sustainability. In addition, Boum 3 is offered in three colors so that the system fits into any style.
Boum on TV
In 2025, Boum will be on TV! Special guest in the TV spot: Max Heinzer. The former fencing world champion has been an enthusiastic supporter from the start and grows the most beautiful tomatoes with Boum. We couldn't imagine a better face for the first commercial!
2026: Boum Core – perfect for beginners
Boum has now helped over 1,000 customers achieve a flourishing balcony! While we celebrate this success, we continue planning with our wonderful team – and want to make smart gardening accessible to even more people; also internationally. The proven technology remains. But for the youngest member of the family, Boum Core, more compact and lighter pots have been developed from a new material. This also makes the set more affordable – and, when filled with herbs, flowers or vegetable plants, also fits on small balconies. The perfect introduction to balcony greening and the ideal complement to Boum Pro, our high-end system!
