Electric Plant raises $11.2 million seed round for Bombadil, an AI model built to read plant electrical signals

Electric Plant has raised $11.2 million in seed funding to expand Bombadil, a large language model designed to interpret subtle electrical signals moving through plant stems. The round was led by Onto Ventures and Climactic, with participation from Ponderosa, Endeavor Catalyst, and others. According to the company, its system combines stainless-steel screw sensors, low-power wireless transmission, and a cloud-based model to translate internal microvolt changes into signals growers can use to understand whether plants need water, nutrients, or light. Electric Plant said only a few sensors are needed per acre, and the setup can help improve crop yields while cutting water use by 20% or more. Bombadil currently reads electrical signals from about 125 plant species, including ferns, redwoods, tomatoes, and dahlias. Founder Justin Mast said the company has built the most diverse model based on bioelectrical signals.