Money Tree

Maikel van Heugten and Luc Prijt
Ages: 23 and 20
Nuenen, Netherlands
Web site: www.money-tree.nl
With the global economy being pinched, financial heavy-hitters now realize that money doesn't grow on tress. Or does it? That's the hope of Dutch entrepreneurs Maikel van Heugten and Luc Prijt, who created novelty company Money Tree in 2006 to play on the old saying. Its main product is shaped like a euro coin and when planted in the ground, will grow into a flower or a tree. According to van Heugten, the product is targeted at the corporate gift market and can be personalized to include any type of plant. Along with the euro coin packaging, the company soon will launch a similar product shaped like a bank note that also blossoms into a flower when planted.