Plants can speak using electricity, so this startup built an AI model to decipher their language
A startup named Electric Plant has raised $11.2 million in seed funding to develop a large language model that interprets electrical signals inside plants. Co-founders Mast and Lee von Kraus spent three years collecting biological data to build the model, named Bombadil.
A startup named Electric Plant has raised $11.2 million in seed funding to develop a large language model that interprets electrical signals inside plants. Co-founders Mast and Lee von Kraus spent three years collecting biological data to build the model, named Bombadil.
The system relies on iPhone-sized sensors attached to plants using stainless steel screws that penetrate the living tissue beneath the bark. These sensors use a low-power wireless network to transmit microvolt data to a cloud-based artificial intelligence model.
Traditional farming tools like soil probes and satellite imagery often lag behind a plant's real-time needs. Electric Plant states its model currently interprets electrical signals in about 125 species, ranging from redwoods to tomatoes. The startup claims the technology can boost crop yields while cutting water use by 20% or more.
Onto Ventures and Climactic led the $11.2 million seed round, with participation from several other firms and individual investors. Mast declined to name the startup's initial customers, and the company did not disclose a timeline for a commercial launch.
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Original publication: 20 October 2026 21:30
