Electric Plant raises $11.2m seed for plant-signal intelligence
Onto Ventures and Climactic led the financing to commercialize sensors and the Bombadil model for growers.
Electric Plant has raised an $11.2m seed round led by Onto Ventures and Climactic. Ponderosa Ventures, Endeavor Catalyst, Ludlow Ventures, Michigan Rise, Everywhere Ventures, Schox VC and Dug Song also participated. The financing will help bring its sensors and Bombadil AI model to market.
Co-founders Justin Mast and Lee von Kraus are building a way to interpret the electrical activity inside plants. A probe sends readings over a low-power wireless network for cloud analysis, giving growers information they can use to adjust watering and other care.
The company spent three years collecting data for the model, which Mast told TechCrunch can interpret signals across about 125 species. Its approach measures the plant itself, adding a different view of crop condition to tools such as soil probes and satellite imagery.
Use of funds
Commercialize Bud sensors and Bombadil plant intelligence model