AgroStar
AgroStar is a Pune-based agritech company serving 12+ million Indian smallholder farmers via an omnichannel platform that combines a mobile app, a 500-advisor call center, and 10,000+ partner-operated Saathi retail stores to deliver AI-driven farm advisory, branded agri-inputs, and Kimaye-branded fresh F&V exports to 25+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersPune, India
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What AgroStar does
AgroStar (legal entity ULink AgriTech Private Limited) is a Pune-based agritech company founded in 2013 that operates an integrated omnichannel platform serving Indian smallholder farmers across 12 states. The company combines three redundant farmer touchpoints — a free consumer-facing mobile application (AgroStar Farmer App), an in-house Agri Advisory Centre in Pune staffed by 500+ trained Agri Doctors, and a network of 10,000+ partner-operated retail stores branded 'AgroStar ki Laal Dukaan' (Saathi stores) — through which it delivers personalised agronomic advisory, distributes 200+ branded agri-input products (seeds, crop nutrition, crop protection, organic alternatives, bio-inputs), and offers embedded services such as the 'Kisan Raksha Kavach' personal accident insurance in partnership with Care Health Insurance and GramCover.
The company's technology stack layers an AI crop-diagnosis computer-vision pipeline, a proprietary AI recommendation engine ('What to buy next'), weather-data integration, and a digital agri-knowledge content platform on top of the farmer base; the in-house AgroStar Quality Assurance Lab (AQAL) in Pune validates seeds and crop-protection products with germination, purity, vigour, and AI-assisted analyses and is pursuing NABL and ISTA accreditations. AgroStar generates revenue through agri-input product sales at MRP (listed inclusive of taxes), marketplace transactions across the Saathi store network, embedded insurance referral commissions, and B2B export of fresh fruits and vegetables under the Kimaye brand, which shipped 100,000+ metric tonnes to retail chains across 25+ countries in FY25 with industry-leading sub-1% post-harvest loss; the export arm is operated through the wholly-owned subsidiary INI Farms.
AgroStar is privately held and venture-backed by Schroders Capital, Just Climate, Evolvence, Hero Enterprise, CDC Group, Accel India, Aavishkaar, Bertelsmann India Investments, Chiratae Ventures, IFC, and InnoVen Capital, having raised over $130 million cumulatively across rounds including a $70 million Series D in December 2021, a $6.7 million round in April 2025, and a $30 million equity round in November 2025 led by Just Climate. Its customer base is bimodal: 12+ million smallholder farmers on the input/advisory side (highly distributed) and a concentrated set of global retail chains (notably Lulu Group International since 2016) on the Kimaye export side.
AgroStar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AgroStar
- Legal name
- ULink AgriTech Private Limited
- Website
- https://corporate.agrostar.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- AgroStar is a Pune-based agritech company serving 12+ million Indian smallholder farmers via an omnichannel platform that combines a mobile app, a 500-advisor call center, and 10,000+ partner-operated Saathi retail stores to deliver AI-driven farm advisory, branded agri-inputs, and Kimaye-branded fresh F&V exports to 25+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AgroStar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agritech Platform
- NAICS
- Crop Production (111)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Supply Chain, Marketing & Contracting Advisory (Grain/Livestock Marketing) (AFACAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Agronomy Advisory & Field Services (Retailer-Affiliated) (AFABAJAH), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), Seed & Trait Distribution (Dealer Networks) (AFABAJAD)
Keywords
Where AgroStar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pune
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
AgroStar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Agri-input product sales: Sale of 200+ branded agri-input products (seeds, crop nutrition, crop protection, organic alternatives) to farmers via the AgroStar Farmer App and 10,000+ Saathi retail stores. Listed at MRP inclusive of taxes; ordering, payment and delivery handled through the platform.
- Fresh F&V export (Kimaye brand): B2B export of 100,000+ MT of fresh Indian fruits and vegetables annually under the 'Kimaye' brand to retail chains in 25+ countries. Disintermediates traditional distributors, enabling higher margins and farm-to-fork traceability.
- Marketplace commission from Saathi store partners: Saathi stores (10,000+) act as third-party retail touchpoints where AgroStar captures transaction value through product placement, pricing, and the AgroStar Saathi App's order placement and self-checkout flows.
- Embedded insurance distribution: Distribution of personal accident insurance ('Kisan Raksha Kavach') via Care Health Insurance through the AgroStar platform; farmers purchasing inputs are eligible for Rs. 2 lakh cover, generating referral/commission income.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Agri-input products priced at MRP inclusive of all taxes, displayed on product detail pages in the AgroStar App. |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Farmer advisory and AgroStar Farmer App — no subscription fee publicly disclosed. |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Marketing channels6 records
AgroStar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AgroStar operates an integrated agritech platform serving smallholder Indian farmers through an omnichannel stack combining a free mobile advisory app, a 500+ Agri Advisor call center, and 10,000+ partner-operated Saathi retail stores. It sells a portfolio of 200+ branded agri-inputs (seeds, crop nutrition, crop protection, bio-inputs) and, through its Kimaye brand, exports fresh fruits and vegetables to retail chains in 25+ countries.
Product overview
AgroStar operates an integrated AgriTech platform-plus-modules architecture built around four pillars: Farm Advisory (the AI- and human-advisor-powered advisory core with 15M+ interactions), Agri Inputs (200+ product portfolio sourced from 200+ brand partners and validated by the in-house AQAL lab), Omnichannel Access (the three-touchpoint system combining the AgroStar Farmer App / Agri-Doctor App, the Agri Advisory Centre call centre, and the Saathi Stores physical retail network spanning 10,000+ stores), and Global Market Linkages (the Kimaye export brand shipping 100,000+ MT of F&V to 25+ countries). The Farmer App and the Saathi App serve as the consumer- and partner-facing front ends respectively, while AgroStar's AI capabilities (AI Crop Diagnosis, AI Recommended Cart, weather insights and digital agri knowledge) run as cross-cutting capabilities across the platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kimaye: AgroStar's flagship Fruits & Vegetables export-focused brand, taking Indian F&V (bananas, pomegranates, dragon fruit, guava, etc.) to global retail chains across 25+ countries.
- Saathi Stores ('Laal Dukaan')
- AgroStar Farmer App
Products and services
- Farm Advisory Real-time, personalised scientific agronomy advisory delivered to 12+ million Indian farmers via the AgroStar Farmer App, the Agri Advisory Centre (500+ Agri Doctors) and snackable digital agri knowledge content; 15 million advisory interactions logged annually.
- Agri Inputs Portfolio of 200+ branded farm inputs (seeds, crop nutrition, crop protection, organic alternatives, biostimulants, bio-inputs) sourced from 200+ brand partners and validated through the in-house AQAL lab; sold to farmers via the Farmer App and Saathi stores at MRP inclusive of taxes.
- Omnichannel Access Three-touchpoint access offering combining the AgroStar Farmer App, the Agri Advisory Centre call-center, and the 10,000+ Saathi ('Laal Dukaan') retail stores, enabling farmer access to advisory and inputs across 12 Indian states.
- Global Market Linkages (Kimaye) Export business under the Kimaye brand sourcing fresh Indian fruits and vegetables from farms and selling to global retail chains in 25+ countries; 100,000+ MT processed annually with farm-to-fork traceability and <1% post-harvest loss.
- AgroStar Quality Assurance Lab (AQAL) In-house R&D and quality testing facility in Pune running germination, purity, vigour, ODV, OCS, moisture, seed health, suspensibility, sieve, solubility, dispersion, portability, compatibility, dust, acidity/alkalinity, wettability, emulsion stability and AI analysis tests on agri-input products; pursuing NABL and ISTA accreditations.
- AgroStar Saathi App Mobile app for Saathi retail partners enabling local farmer connections, order placement, payments, self-checkout, offer discovery, complaint/return management and growth insights; majority of new partners onboarded via in-app referral programme.
- Kisan Raksha Kavach Personal Accident Insurance Embedded personal accident insurance product offered to any farmer purchasing Agri inputs on the AgroStar platform, delivering Rs. 2 lakh accident cover in collaboration with Care Health Insurance and GramCover.
- AgroStar Farmer App (AgroStar App / Kisaan App / Agri-Doctor App) Consumer-facing mobile application for Android and other platforms surfacing farm advisory, agri inputs marketplace, AI crop diagnosis, weather insights and digital agri knowledge content to 12+ million Indian farmers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 73% of farmers reported increased income
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use AgroStar
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AgroStar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability10 records
Feature6 records
AgroStar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Biorizon BiotechcorePartnership to introduce biological products (biostimulants and biological crop solutions) in India through AgroStar's omnichannel platform of 10,000+ stores and digital farmer network.
- ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)flagshipMoU signed with AgroStar to spread scientific farming practices for farmers' empowerment in India; enables collaboration with India's apex agricultural research body on agronomy knowledge dissemination.
- Care Health InsurancecoreCo-developed the 'Kisan Raksha Kavach' personal accident insurance programme on the AgroStar platform alongside GramCover; farmers purchasing agri-inputs from AgroStar are eligible for Rs. 2 lakh accident cover. As of April 2022, 75,000+ farmers were insured under the programme.
- GramCovercoreTech-enabled insurance marketplace for rural India co-developing the 'Kisan Raksha Kavach' personal accident insurance programme with AgroStar and Care Health Insurance.
- APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority)coreGovernment partner collaborating with AgroStar's INI Farms and Kay Bee Exports on India's first commercial sea shipments of premium pomegranates to Australia, enabling cost-efficient fresh produce exports.
- LuLu Group InternationalflagshipMoU with AgroStar's INI Farms to build a direct farm-to-retail partnership; Lulu has sourced Kimaye's premium pomegranates, dragon fruit, banana and guava for retail markets since 2016.
- Kay Bee ExportscoreCollaboration partner on India's first commercial sea shipment of pomegranates to Australia alongside APEDA and AgroStar's INI Farms.
- 200+ Agri-input Brand PartnerscoreAgroStar partners with more than 200 agri-input brands whose high-quality seeds, crop nutrition, crop protection and fertilizer products are distributed through AgroStar's Saathi stores and digital platform.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
AgroStar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DeHaat: DeHaat is an Indian agritech platform offering farm advisory, agri-inputs, and market linkage to smallholder farmers via a franchise-led micro-entrepreneur model — the closest direct peer to AgroStar across both input and output sides of the value chain.
- Ninjacart: Ninjacart is an Indian fresh produce supply chain company moving F&V from farms to retailers — directly comparable to AgroStar's Kimaye export and domestic F&V business, with overlap in farmgate procurement and global/domestic retail contracts.
- BigHaat: BigHaat is an Indian agri-input e-commerce platform selling seeds, crop protection and crop nutrition to farmers online — directly comparable to AgroStar's Farmer App and Saathi-store input distribution model on the inputs side.
- BharatAgri: BharatAgri is an Indian agritech platform combining personalized farm advisory with agri-input commerce — closely comparable to AgroStar's dual farm advisory + input retail offering for smallholder farmers.
- Gramophone: Gramophone is an Indian agri-tech platform offering agronomy advisory and an agri-input marketplace to farmers — directly comparable to AgroStar's advisory + input commerce model with similar smallholder farmer focus.
- WayCool Foods: WayCool is an Indian F&V and food distribution platform connecting farmers to retailers and HoReCa — directly comparable to AgroStar's Kimaye output business on the farm-to-retail supply chain side.
Emerging players
- Fasal: Fasal is an Indian precision farming startup using IoT and AI for farm-level crop advisories — comparable to AgroStar's AI Crop Diagnosis and weather insights capabilities, though narrower in scope (no retail or export arms).
- CropIn: CropIn is an Indian agritech SaaS provider offering farm management and predictive analytics to agribusinesses — adjacent to AgroStar's AI-driven advisory and predictive analytics stack but serving B2B agribusiness customers rather than smallholders directly.
- Clover Ventures: Clover Ventures is an Indian agritech specializing in fresh produce supply chain and brand-building for F&V — comparable to AgroStar's Kimaye brand-led approach to farm-to-retail F&V distribution.
Others
- Samunnati: Samunnati is an Indian agri-finance and market linkage platform serving FPOs and smallholders — adjacent to AgroStar's ecosystem given the embedded insurance and financial services partnerships (Care Health, GramCover) and farmer reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
AgroStar social profiles
Digital presenceAgroStar compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
AgroStar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AgroStar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
AgroStar subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
AgroStar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds14 records
Investors15 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AgroStar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AgroStar
What does AgroStar do?
AgroStar operates an integrated agritech platform serving smallholder Indian farmers through an omnichannel stack combining a free mobile advisory app, a 500+ Agri Advisor call center, and 10,000+ partner-operated Saathi retail stores. It sells a portfolio of 200+ branded agri-inputs (seeds, crop nutrition, crop protection, bio-inputs) and, through its Kimaye brand, exports fresh fruits and vegetables to retail chains in 25+ countries.
Is AgroStar a public or private company?
AgroStar is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was AgroStar founded?
AgroStar was founded in 2013. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is AgroStar based?
AgroStar is headquartered in Pune, India, in the Asia region.
How does AgroStar make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Agri-input product sales are the primary driver. The others are fresh F&V export (Kimaye brand), marketplace commission from Saathi store partners and embedded insurance distribution.
Who are AgroStar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DeHaat, Ninjacart, BigHaat, BharatAgri, Gramophone and WayCool Foods. Emerging players are Fasal, CropIn and Clover Ventures. Samunnati is listed as an others.
Does AgroStar have an API?
Yes. AgroStar operates partner-facing API endpoints secured with SSL (Let's Encrypt). Partners access external API endpoints to send data to AgroStar, generating valuable customer leads. The company mentions 'AgroStar partner accessed our external API endpoints' indicating partner-only API access rather than a fully public developer API. Specific API type (REST/GraphQL), authentication methods, rate limits, or versioning are not documented in the source content.
What industry is AgroStar in?
AgroStar's product category is Agritech Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFACAJAH, Supply Chain, Marketing & Contracting Advisory (Grain/Livestock Marketing), with a secondary code of AFABAJAH, Agronomy Advisory & Field Services (Retailer-Affiliated). Its NAICS code is 111 and its SIC code is 700.