Flow Hive

About Flow Hive

Beekeeping has been a part of the Anderson family for three generations. A love for bees and the natural world has been a significant part of the lives of the father-and-son inventor team, Stuart and Cedar Anderson.

It all started because Cedar felt bad about crushing bees during honey harvests. He was also tired of being stung and spending a whole week harvesting honey. From a very young age, Cedar thought there had to be a better way.

After nearly a decade of experimentation in the workshop, Cedar and Stu developed the revolutionary Flow system to harvest honey more easily and without stress for the bees. This invention not only changed beekeeping but also connected people to the natural world.

In February 2015, they launched a campaign on Indiegogo with a goal of USD 70,000. The response was overwhelming, reaching the goal in minutes and raising USD 250,000 in the first 15 minutes, breaking crowdfunding records.

The campaign ended with more than 20,000 kits ordered from around the world. Despite logistical challenges, Flow fulfilled its commitments with only a few weeks of delay.

Five years later, in 2020, there are 75,000 Flow Hives in use in over 130 countries. Flow has won multiple awards for innovation, design, marketing, and business, and has become a prominent advocate for bees and the natural environment. Flow is now a certified B Corp™ company, meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance.

The Invention

The Flow system is a completely new way to extract honey from Langstroth-style hives with European honeybees. Flow frames have revolutionized the honey extraction process.

We have built a food-grade, BPA- and BPS-free plastic artificial foundation, manufactured in Australia, on which bees build their honeycomb. The innovation of Flow lies in the fact that the cells are almost complete. The bees fill the cells with honey and seal them.

When you insert the Flow key and split the honey cells, gravity does the rest of the work, and the honey simply flows into the channel, down the tube, and into your jar. Thanks to the unique view from the transparent end and the side observation window of the Flow frames, you can see inside without removing the lid or disturbing the bees.

Additionally, the design ensures that no bees are crushed when the mechanism is activated, with small spaces where they can take refuge while the honey flows. It’s easy and amazing to watch.

Flow Hive has not only become a revolution in beekeeping but also a bridge that connects people with the natural world, encouraging the care of bees and the environment.