Connectivity: Solving Agriculture’s Biggest Bottleneck

Emergent Connext, based in Plano, TX, recently announced the close of its oversubscribed $5 million seed funding round that attracted more than 20 agriculture and telecom investors. Core to Emergent Connext is something practitioners of precision ag have sought for decades: good, reliable connectivity in more remote parts of the country that are not currently well served by traditional connectivity providers. Emergent says it delivers on that promise with the first carrier-grade IoT network purpose-built for rural America.

Mike Roudi, CEO, Emergent Connext, recently talked about the company’s plans for the network, joined by long-time agribusiness executive Bob Trogele, who as CEO of Verdelis Investments / ProAgInvest LLC includes Emergent Connext among the portfolio companies of his recently launched ag-tech venture management firm.

Mike, what is Emergent Connext and how does the network differ from other IoT offerings?

Mike Roudi (MR): Emergent Connext is the first carrier-grade IoT network purpose-built for rural America. What sets us apart is our full-stack approach — we don’t just deploy network infrastructure, we also integrate the devices, data, and platforms that make the technology usable. Our Connext Network combines multiple IoT technologies to ensure connectivity across the entire farm. Field Vision, a device- and connectivity-agnostic platform, integrates the data together in real-time so a farmer has a holistic view of his farm. We’re not just connecting sensors — we’re enabling real-time insights that help farmers manage crops, livestock, equipment, and water systems from anywhere.

How will the network work? How are other tech providers becoming involved or will become involved?

MR: The network we deploy uses a technology called LoRaWAN, which is one of the leading industry standards for IoT networks and is tailor-made for the agricultural industry due to its long-range (which is what LoRa stands for) coverage and low-power mode protocol, which means device battery life can last for years. We also support cellular IoT to ensure full-farm coverage. In building our network we actively partner with key organizations — rural internet service providers (ISPs) such as Cal.Net in California and MetaLINK in northwestern Ohio; leading ag-tech sensor providers such as Tektelic, Soiltech Wireless, and Smart Paddock; and strategic partners such as Microsoft — to deliver plug-and-play solutions that ride on our network.

What will be the role of ag retailers and the ag supply channel in the network longer term?

MR: Ag retailers are absolutely central. We don’t bypass them — we enable them. Our goal is to empower retailers and co-ops to bring IoT solutions to their growers without asking them to be network and IoT device experts. With our Connext Network and Field Vision platform, joint go-to-market programs, and recurring revenue models, we’re helping retailers deepen customer relationships and modernize their service offerings

What will retailers and other tech partners need to join, or prepare to join, the team on Emergent Connext’s network?

MR: We make it easy. Emergent will be a curated suite of solutions for our ag retailer partners to sell to their customers. Retailers and co-ops can join by identifying areas where their growers need better data — whether it’s tank monitoring, irrigation automation, or grain storage — and we’ll handle the rest. We offer training and integration support and will provide all technical and troubleshooting support.

Emergent Connext is still in its early stages, but when might you project the network to begin to reach some critical mass in U.S. agriculture?

MR: We’re already live in six states and scaling rapidly. With our recent $5 million seed round closed, we expect to hit critical mass within the next 12–18 months. This means sustained deployments across multiple geographies, partnerships with major ag retailers and co-ops, and IoT visibility across millions of acres. Once we reach thousands of connected acres and millions of deployed devices, we’ll be in a position to drive true transformation across the ag value chain. But what’s most important is that the farmer generates ROI immediately and doesn’t need Emergent to hit critical mass.

Talk about the team that’s taking Emergent Connext to market. Is it steeped mostly in telecom, agriculture, or both?

MR: Our team is a unique blend of both. We’ve brought together telecom engineers who’ve built national networks; agribusiness veterans who have deep domain knowledge across row crop, specialty crop, and livestock; and systems integrators who know how to make tech work in the real world. Furthermore, as we stated in our press release about the closing of our seed round, our investors group also spans telecom and agriculture equally. That cross-functional DNA is critical — our employees, investors, and advisors understand the problem of connectivity in rural America from both sides: telecom and ag.

Bob, you’re involved with Emergent Connext through Verdelis Investments. What in particular does Verdelis find appealing about Emergent Connext and its technology?

Bob Trogele (BT): We see Emergent as solving the single biggest bottleneck in rural innovation: connectivity. You can’t digitize what you can’t connect. What impressed us was not only the technical approach — carrier-grade infrastructure, network uptime, and ag IoT solutions — but also the business model. Emergent is building a recurring revenue engine that is grounded in the realities of ag and rural economics and with a clear path to scale.

You’ve been involved in the crop inputs industry for decades. What impact do you think connectivity in U.S. agriculture such as Emergent Connext offers could have on the overall crop inputs market?

BT: I think it’ll have a big impact. When growers have real-time data on soil health, farm operations, and microclimates, they can optimize timing and dosage of inputs like never before. This leads to smarter use of fertilizers, crop protection, and biologicals. It also enables ag retailers to offer new precision services that weren’t possible without always-on connectivity. Ultimately, this makes input usage more efficient, sustainable, and drives more profits to the farmer.

From your own perspective looking at the progress of ag-tech / precision agriculture to date through the years — will Emergent Connext’s network be a game changer?

BT: Yes, it’ll be a game changer, and here’s why: Technology matters only if it works on the entire farm, and Emergent is uniquely positioned to make this happen. Precision ag has been stuck at approximately 25% adoption for years — not because the tools aren’t good, but because they weren’t connected. Emergent is delivering a reliable, affordable, and scalable foundation to support the next generation of digital agriculture. That’s what makes it transformational.