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Herb is a technology company operating as a media and information platform focused on cannabis, based in Berkeley, California, United States. The company specializes in creating and distributing authoritative content, information services, and live entertainment for cannabis enthusiasts and industry professionals. While specific financial metrics, such as funding raised or valuation, along with user counts or employee figures, are not publicly available, Herb has established a significant presence within the rapidly expanding cannabis sector. Its platform aims to be a comprehensive resource, offering insights and engagement opportunities for its target audience. The organization's content, spanning news, educational materials, and event coverage, positions it as a key information provider in the evolving legal cannabis market. Founded in 2010 by Matt Gray, who also serves as its CEO.
Herb has raised $4.0M across 1 funding round.
Herb has raised $4.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Herb has raised $4.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Herb's investors include Lerer Hippeau, Andreessen Horowitz, BDC Venture Capital, BoxGroup, Clearstone, CP Ventures, DCM, GPO Fund, GreaterGoodSociety, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Greycroft, Lazerow Ventures.
Herb has raised $4.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $4.0M Seed in August 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2017 | $4M Seed | Lerer Hippeau | Andreessen Horowitz, BDC Venture Capital, BoxGroup, Clearstone, CP Ventures, DCM, GPO Fund, Greatergoodsociety, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Greycroft, Lazerow Ventures, LOI Venture, LombardStreet Ventures, Mark Ventures, Pioneer Square Labs, Howard Lindzon, SoftBank Capital, Vayner RSE, Wasabi Ventures, Anthony Citrano, Greg Kidd, Gregory Coleman, Jason Cahill, KEY Compton, Scott Banister, Shane Neman, Adam Zeplain, Harley Finkelstein, Michael Lazerow, Shiva Rajaraman, Tobias Lütke, Bullpen Capital, JOE Montana, Slow Ventures | Announced |
Herb is a cannabis media and commerce company that operates a comprehensive online platform for enthusiasts, offering resources on weed strains, dispensaries, educational content, culture, and community.[2][3] It serves cannabis consumers worldwide by providing discovery tools, product sales like edibles, flower, oils, and accessories, and informative guides on legalities, health benefits, and industry trends, solving the problem of fragmented access to reliable cannabis information and products.[2][3] The company has shown growth momentum through expansions to cities like New York, Los Angeles, Barcelona, London, Miami, and headquarters in Toronto, a $4.1 million seed round in 2017, launches like the Herb Pickup app in 2020, and a team of over 40 employees as of recent records.[2][3]
Herb traces its roots to 2006, when New Zealand web developers Lucas Young and Daniel Crothers founded it as *The Stoner’s Cookbook*, an online database of user-generated cannabis recipes that became the most visited site of its kind by 2009.[2] In 2014, Matt Gray joined as CEO, bringing experience from co-founding Bitmaker (sold to General Assembly), and expanded the platform to include news, strain databases, videos, and the 2015 cookbook *Herb: Mastering The Art Of Cooking With Cannabis*.[2] Pivotal moments included a $4.1 million seed funding in 2017 from investors like Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Slow Ventures, Bullpen Capital, Joe Montana's Liquid 2 Ventures, and Shopify executives Tobi Lütke and Harley Finkelstein; a site redesign in 2018; relocation of headquarters to Toronto ahead of Canada's 2018 cannabis legalization; and the 2020 launch of Herb Pickup for local product discovery.[2]
Herb rides the global cannabis legalization trend, capitalizing on milestones like Canada's 2018 nationwide rollout and U.S. state expansions, which created demand for digital platforms bridging media, e-commerce, and discovery.[2] Timing was key: early recipe roots evolved into a full ecosystem just as cultural acceptance grew, positioning Herb ahead of mainstream adoption. Market forces like increasing medical recognition, dispensary proliferation, and consumer shift to informed purchasing favor its model, influencing the ecosystem by normalizing cannabis through education and commerce, much like tech platforms in emerging wellness sectors.[2][3]
Herb is poised for expansion as cannabis markets mature, potentially deepening e-commerce, international localization, and tech integrations like AI-driven strain recommendations or delivery partnerships. Trends like further U.S. federal reform, global decriminalization, and wellness-tech convergence will shape its path, amplifying its role from niche media to essential infrastructure. Its influence may evolve toward dominating digital cannabis discovery, building on early traction to capture a larger share of a projected multi-billion-dollar industry—echoing how it transformed a simple recipe site into a global hub.
