For Mr Thorben Linneberg and Ms Nadine Linneberg, a desire to grow their own tomatoes in their Singapore apartment sparked an interest in growing food sustainably. They devised a vertical hydroponic system that could automatically water and fertilise the plants, which then became the sleek, modular gardening system that their company, Aerospring Gardens, is known for today. The hydroponic system now supports different types of crops, including strawberries, corn, cauliflower and cotton.

“To be honest, we had no idea that this business would be profitable. It just seemed a good idea at the time,” said Mr Linneberg, who is both founder and CEO. Having seen an enthusiastic response to their gardening system on their Kickstarter fund-raising campaign, Mr Linneberg employed Amazon advertising tools like Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands, to create brand awareness in the US. Garnering positive reviews and positive word-of-mouth really helped to spread the word amongst gardening enthusiasts. 

“Amazon allows us to target competitive products that the consumer may be considering, while also targeting relevant keywords,” he said. “Our activity in the EU is still somewhat small, but we are leveraging Amazon Advertising as well as Google Search to raise brand awareness and consideration in the EU market.” 

Mr Mark Newton, Aerospring Gardens’ chief operating officer, said that Amazon empowers the company to reach global consumers: “Amazon continues to be our best sales channel globally, accounting for approximately 65 per cent of our global sales as of 2022.” 

One of the effects of COVID-19 was the heightened awareness of food sustainability and access to fresh produce. “In Singapore, we had empty shelves in supermarkets, and that triggered people into thinking more about growing their own food. It really turned our business around; we more than broke even”, commented Mr Linneberg. He has been surprised at the produce that can grow in his hydroponic systems, including strawberries, cotton, corn, cauliflower, broccoli, and root vegetables.

Amazon’s support goes beyond ensuring sellers can carry out cross-border e-commerce activities. It also assists sellers in growing their brands by expanding abroad: Selling partners in Singapore who are eager to pursue international expansion can tap on both Enterprise Singapore’s Market Readiness Assistance grant and Amazon’s New Seller Incentive package of up to S$50,000 in potential benefits for new sellers on Amazon.com and Amazon’s Europe stores. Resources for new sellers such as webinars and Amazon Seller University are also provided for entrepreneurs.

According to Mr Palit, an e-commerce background is not necessary to be successful on Amazon. “Our selling partners are from all backgrounds,” he said. “They include solopreneurs, traditional homegrown brand owners, ex-lawyers, tech executives, bankers and stay-at-home mothers.” 

“Some key ingredients of success that we see are passion, a keen understanding of customer needs and an entrepreneurial spirit. Successful sellers all have an ingenious spark, and they researched opportunities and took action to build their dreams. We are proud that Amazon is a part of their brand growth story, too.” 

Here’s how you can build a global brand with Amazon Global Selling. Amazon Seller University provides free resources for new sellers to understand cross-border e-commerce.