InnerPlant develops seed technologies that cause plants to emit separate, detectable optical signals when under stress, allowing identification of nutrient shortages, fungal pressure, or pest attack. The signals are detectable from as far away as space and can show stress as much as three weeks before existing technologies. Its first commercial product, InnerSoy—a soybean that signals fungal pressure—is currently piloting in Southern Illinois fields in partnership with GROWMARK. The company established plots across the Midwest this spring and expects an expanded number of plots over the next three years, with resolution improving as the technology is adopted more broadly in seed. InnerPlant has announced a collaboration with John Deere and Syngenta to build an integrated precision platform that links its signaling plants with optimized crop protection delivered via See & Spray technology. The company was founded in 2018 and positions its technology as a farmer‑centric tool to make farming more efficient and sustainable. InnerPlant develops genetically engineered plants that give off early 'signals' detectable by sensors and satellites, enabling farmers to act before issues escalate. The company combines plant physiology, sensing and satellite technologies so plants can communicate needs such as thirst, pest attack, or nitrogen deficiency. InnerPlant has spent several years in R&D and is preparing to launch its first soybean product in 2024 with field trials planned beforehand. The firm also plans to begin launching satellites to communicate with its sensors in 2023. Its Inner Circle program includes 75 farmers covering about 400,000 acres who paid $500 early for early access to products. Since its 2021 seed round the company has grown to 18 employees, moved into a larger laboratory earlier this year, and is hiring across R&D, data and engineering, business development, customer success and marketing. InnerPlant engineers seeds to express a fluorescent protein that lights up leaves when plants experience stress from pests, fungi or environmental challenges, allowing detection via field equipment, drones or satellites. The company’s core product, InnerTomato, is already available, and InnerSoy plus a cotton product are in development. In August InnerPlant launched InnerCircle, a farmer network that began with 50 founding members who provide feedback and participate in trials. InnerPlant was co-founded by Shely Aronov and Rod Kumimoto in 2018 and is based in Davis, California. The technology is positioned to reduce blanket pesticide use by enabling earlier, more precise interventions and to support more regenerative practices. The company has noted regulatory advantages for cotton (treated as non-GMO in some contexts) and the potential to create traceable, sustainably verifiable cotton for apparel brands.

Total raised

$53M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

Jul 2024