Flower delivery service UrbanStems opens up shop in Philly

Looks like UrbanStems kept its promise.
Following a $6.8 million Series A raise back in April with participation from Center City’s Gabriel Investments, the D.C.-based flower delivery startup said that it would expand to Baltimore and Philly. Over the summer, the company opened in Baltimore and this week, the service went live in our fair city. It has three full-time staffers based out of a former bike shop on the 1800 block of Spring Garden Street. (That’s compared to five in Baltimore.)

Put on your party hats, we're now delivering in #Philly! #sendhappy pic.twitter.com/pNCVftgftd

— UrbanStems (@UrbanStems) October 24, 2016

The Philly market will be run by General Manager Hannah Marks, who most recently launched the local division of recreational sports league ZogSports. The office on Spring Garden is where the company “receives florals, fulfills orders, works and will hold some flower arranging workshops,” said spokeswoman Megan Bailey Darmody.
There’s an interesting backstory to the Philly launch: as Technical.ly DC reported when the company first launched in 2015, the concept for UrbanStems was born from the long-distance-relationship woes of cofounder Ajay Kori, who was living in New York while courting his Philly-based girlfriend.
“The idea for UrbanStems came from many failed flower delivery attempts in Philadelphia, so we’re so excited to finally fix the problem and bring the best possible flower delivery experience to a place where I’ve spent some of my favorite years,” Kori said.
Eighteen Philly neighborhoods, from Fishtown and South Philly to University City and Old City, are now in the company’s area of operation. Bouquets start at $35.