Never kill another plant.
Plant Mate is a soil sensor with a 2.9-inch e-ink screen on the front. A pixel-art plant mascot tells you, at a glance, whether your real plant is thriving or in trouble. No app required.
Lock in 33% off retail and Founder’s Edition perks when our Kickstarter goes live this fall.
The unspoken truth
47% of houseplants die in their first year.
Not from neglect. From guessing. Watering schedules from blogs are written for someone else’s apartment, in someone else’s climate, with someone else’s plant. Your monstera doesn’t read blogs.
A sensor that actually understands your plants.
Built by plant people who got tired of dead pothos.
A screen, not an app
A 2.9-inch e-ink display sits on the front. A pixel-art plant mascot reflects how your real plant is doing. Pick one from the library, or upload your own.
Reads soil, light, temp, humidity
Four sensors track the conditions your plant actually cares about. Thresholds are set per species, not by a generic blog post.
Snap a photo to set it up
Take a picture of your plant in the app. AI identifies the species and pushes the right care ranges to the sensor. No spreadsheets, no Reddit deep dives.
Months between charges
Rechargeable battery, USB-C. No disposable coin cells. Low-battery alert before it dies.
A face for every plant.
Pick a mascot in the app. Its expression changes based on what your real plant needs. Or skip the library and upload your own pixel-art design.
One mascot, every mood
happy
thirsty
cold
sunburnt
Plus these (and counting)
Sprout
Dewey
Blossom
Spike
Ivy
Bud
Or upload your own pixel-art design in the app. The screen is your plant’s face. Make it look how you want.
Set up in under 2 minutes.
Stick it in the soil
Place Plant Mate next to your plant. The 3D-printed shell is small enough to tuck in behind the leaves. Every unit is printed in the founder's workshop.
Pair and snap a photo
Scan the QR code on the sensor, then take a photo of your plant in the app. AI identifies the species and pushes the right care thresholds to the sensor.
Then mostly forget about it
The face on the screen changes when your plant needs attention. Push alerts are optional, not the point.
Reserve your spot for $1.
Refundable anytime. Applied directly to your Kickstarter pledge. Reserved for the first 100 supporters.
Fully refundable. Locks in 33% off retail and Founder’s Edition perks.
- 1
33% off retail price
Lock in the Kickstarter early-bird tier. Lowest price we'll ever offer. The $1 holds your slot until launch day.
- 2
Founder's Edition colorway
Moss-green matte. Only made for the first 100 reservations. Terracotta, bone, and slate join the lineup at retail.
- 3
Free second sensor
Back two or more on Kickstarter day and we'll throw in an extra sensor, yours to keep.
From the founder
“I killed more plants than I’d like to admit before I built Plant Mate. I’m an engineer, not a botanist. The advice online was vague, contradictory, and always written for some imaginary ‘average’ apartment. I wanted something that would just tell me what was going on in the soil. Two years and a bunch of prototypes later, here we are.”
Rafael Simoes, founder of Plant Mate
Questions, answered.
Do I need to use the app?+
No. The 2.9-inch e-ink screen shows a pixel-art plant whose face reflects how your real plant is doing. Most days, you just glance at it. The app is there for first-time setup, picking or uploading your own mascot, history, and push alerts if you want them.
Is the $1 deposit refundable?+
Yes. Fully refundable, anytime, no questions asked. If you change your mind before our Kickstarter goes live, reply to any of our emails and we'll send the dollar back. If you back the campaign, your $1 is applied to your pledge.
When will Plant Mate ship?+
Kickstarter goes live October 2026. First units ship late 2027. The wireless chip is already FCC and CE certified, and we 3D-print every shell in our own workshop. Rafael will email you a build update once a month from now until your box arrives.
Does it work for outdoor plants?+
The sensor is splash-resistant and designed for indoor pots, balcony planters, and small raised beds. It's not built to survive a full season of weather outdoors.
Do I need a subscription?+
No. The app is free, forever, with all core features. We may add an optional pro tier later for power users with 20+ plants.
What's the battery like?+
Rechargeable, charged via USB-C. No disposable coin cells to throw away. Early prototypes are running 6 to 12 months between charges. We'll push a low-battery alert before it runs out.
Your plants are trying to tell you something.
Be the first to listen. Join the waitlist and lock in the lowest price we’ll ever offer.