Aerulean™ Receives USDA Research Grant and Other Key Endorsements.

MENLO PARK, Calif., August 8, 2007 — Aerulean™ Plant Identification Systems, Inc. announced today that they have recently been awarded a USDA research grant to study various attributes of the retail horticulture industry. Aerulean is in the business of filling information gaps in the horticulture industry with modern identification, selection, and informational tools. It is Aerulean’s goal to create tools that will revolutionize the way consumers gather information about plants, leveraging their two pending patents for plant selection and identification.

”It is our goal to build on the current information flow between suppliers, retailers, consumers and horticultural information resources while creating new tools to address obstacles in the current system, infuse Aerulean’s proprietary identification and selection tools with targeted software solutions to these obstacles, and test this new version of our software with a targeted audience,” said CEO Susan Dunlap. “We plan to research key members of the Green Industry (both suppliers and retailers) in an effort to establish the initial configuration of these solutions.”

Additionally, Aerulean recently received endorsements from two key taxonomists, Dr. Joe DiTomaso of UC Davis, and Dr. Dean Kelch, Systematic Botanist for the State of California.

Dr. DiTomaso said “The early work with the many species of cactus shows great promise. I would like to see how well your key works with just the apical sections when it is completed. If it does hold up, it could prove to be very useful…”

Dr. Kelch remarked: “I have looked at your first pass at constructing an Aerulean guide to herbaceous plants and shrubs. Overall, the concept seems to be holding up quite well... Generally, most genera seem to be identifiable to species using this system. Subtle vegetative characters are great for determinations of sterile (leafy, non-floral) material, but are impossible to quantify or describe adequately in words.”

The primary focus of the USDA research will be on better understanding the horticulture business as practiced by retail nurseries with a goal of rejuvenating this market segment with better informational tools. Aerulean expects to create demand for more plant species from better-informed consumers, create an interest in offering more plant species by retailers, and to expand opportunities for growers to provide more plant species.

The grant monies will be used to survey regional consumers and plant suppliers, conduct consumer testing of Aerulean’s plant selection tools, and to conduct a broad investigation into the current practices of the retail and wholesale plant supply chain.

Co-Investigators CEO Susan Dunlap and Dr. David Dreyfuss began work on the grant in July and will continue throughout 2007.

For additional information, please contact admin@aerulean.com