Electric Plant uses AI to decode the electrical signals of nature

The company’s model, dubbed Bombadil, processes microvolt changes collected by specialized sensors attached to plant tissue. By securing $11.2 million in seed funding led by Onto Ventures and Climactic, the team is moving to replace traditional, coarse monitoring tools like soil probes and satellite imagery with a more granular approach. These sensors, which cost only tens of dollars, penetrate the cambium layer to capture real-time data, which is then transmitted to the cloud for interpretation.

Bombadil currently supports approximately 125 species, ranging from redwoods to tomatoes. Mast argues that existing agricultural hardware lags behind the actual, immediate needs of the plant, whereas his system can theoretically reduce water consumption by 20% or more while boosting overall yields. By focusing on the plant's internal biological electrical activity, the startup aims to provide foresters and farmers with a direct line to the physiological state of their crops.