Funding moves Emergent Connext one step closer to digitally connecting the most underserved industries of rural America
PLANO, Texas, July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Emergent Connext, Inc., the nation’s first carrier-grade rural IoT network and solutions integrator, announced today the close of its oversubscribed $5.0 million seed funding round.
The seed round attracted a group of more than 20 agriculture and telecom investors who share Emergent’s vision to digitally connect underserved industries of rural America—unlocking a new era of profitability, sustainability, and operational efficiency across agriculture, climate, energy, utilities, municipalities, and the broader rural economy.
The injection of capital will scale Emergent’s national network deployment, expand operations, and accelerate sensor integration across agriculture and adjacent rural industries.
“Emergent was built to solve a massive connectivity challenge that has long held back rural innovation,” said Mike Roudi, CEO of Emergent. “Whether you’re a farmer, rancher, or co-op, you need real-time data to make informed decisions. That starts with affordable, scalable connectivity—and the ability to integrate devices and data across complex, disparate platforms, leading to immediate ROI. At Terranova Ranch, Emergent’s precision irrigation trial with Cal.net yielded water savings of 34%.”
The seed round was led by Bob Trogele, a global agriculture executive, ag-tech investor, and CEO of Verdelis Investments / ProAgInvest LLC and Jim Timmer, a telecom and digital infrastructure executive with expertise in large-scale infrastructure deployments.
“For years, agriculture has been promised digital transformation—but without a reliable data backbone, tools can’t function at scale”, said Trogele. “Emergent is delivering infrastructure we’ve been waiting for. It will fundamentally reshape how we farm, manage rural assets, and build resilience across the entire value chain.”
Timmer added, “Rural industries can’t digitize without a network operator that understands their unique challenges. Emergent has engineered a purpose-built solution for rural America. It’s rugged, scalable, and economically viable.”
Emergent achieved several key milestones:
- Network Deployment: Built and activated Emergent’s IoT network in California, Ohio, Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri, and Kentucky
- Product Development: Built a suite of solutions to support smart farming and rural communities that bundles world-class devices, persistent connectivity, and real-time interactive platforms.
- Strategic Partnerships: Microsoft Airband, Tektelic Communications, multiple rural Internet Service Providers, and IoT solution providers.
With the seed round complete, Emergent is poised to expand its footprint across key agricultural markets and rural municipalities.
Learn more at www.emergentconnext.com
SOURCE Emergent Connext
