PlantVillage
PlantVillage is a Penn State-affiliated non-profit building AI- and satellite-enabled agricultural advisory platforms for smallholder farmers across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. It operates free mobile, SMS, TV, and field-extension channels across 12 countries, funded primarily by institutional grants and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersState College, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What PlantVillage does
PlantVillage is a non-profit agricultural technology initiative originated at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) that builds AI- and satellite-enabled platforms to help smallholder farmers in Africa, Asia, and the Americas adapt to climate change, pests, and diseases. Its core products include the PlantVillage Mobile App for farmer data collection and pest/disease identification, PlantVillage AI (in beta as of 2024, combining multiple AI models with third-party weather and soil datasets for tailored advice), the eLocust3m device built for UN FAO to crowdsource desert locust occurrence data, the Locust Map, a Pest & Diseases Observatory System used by researchers and extension officers, and an AI-driven diet tracking app co-developed with IFPRI. Delivery is multi-modal, spanning smartphones, SMS, television broadcasts, real-world social networks, and a network of PlantVillage extension officers physically present across 12 countries (with a stated target of more than 50 countries by late 2025).
The business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than commercially priced; all services are provided free of charge to farmers, and revenue details are not publicly disclosed. Institutional partnerships are central to operations and distribution: PlantVillage is part of the US State Department Feed the Future Innovation Lab (which has up to $64 million in grants), participates in the XPRIZE gigatonne-scale carbon removal competition (with $1,000,000 from the Musk Foundation and XPRIZE in April 2022), collaborates with IFPRI on nutrition, leverages FEWS NET for pastoralist forecasts, and contributes to the CGIAR/TAAT digital agriculture ecosystem that has reached 12 million farmers across 27 countries. PlantVillage sits under Pennsylvania State University as its parent institution rather than as an independent venture-backed entity, and operates with 11-50 employees from University Park, Pennsylvania.
Customer segments are segmented by use case: smallholder farmers are the primary end users, while governments (Malawi DAES, Chitipa District Council), international organizations (UN FAO), pastoralist communities in rangelands, and adolescents/school feeding programs constitute secondary segments. The organization does not monetize access to its technology directly; instead, it relies on multi-year institutional grants, donations, and prize funding to sustain operations, with a separately structured cooperative sub-brand (PV+ at plantvillageplus.coop) as a potential commercial vehicle.
PlantVillage firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PlantVillage
- Legal name
- PlantVillage
- Website
- https://plantvillage.psu.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PlantVillage is a Penn State-affiliated non-profit building AI- and satellite-enabled agricultural advisory platforms for smallholder farmers across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. It operates free mobile, SMS, TV, and field-extension channels across 12 countries, funded primarily by institutional grants and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PlantVillage industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Agriculture Technology
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pest/Disease/Weed Detection & Forecasting Analytics (AFABAMAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Crop Scouting & Pest/Disease Detection (Digital Scouting, Computer Vision, Alerts) (AFAGALAI), Satellite Imagery & Monitoring Platforms (AFAAAFAI), Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support) (AFACAJAG), Remote Sensing & Imagery Analytics (Satellite, Drone, Aerial) (AFABAMAB)
Keywords
Where PlantVillage is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- State College
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
PlantVillage business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Agricultural Technology Services: PlantVillage operates as a non-profit agricultural technology initiative originating from Penn State University, providing free AI-powered tools to smallholder farmers. Revenue generation mechanisms are not explicitly disclosed in available sources; the organization appears to be primarily grant and donation funded.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
PlantVillage product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PlantVillage combines AI, cloud computing, and satellite technology with a global network of field extension officers to deliver agricultural advice to smallholder farmers. Once a farmer inputs crop type, location, and planting date, the platform's algorithms deliver personalized recommendations via smartphone, SMS, TV, or real-world social networks. Its core offerings include the PlantVillage AI assistant, a mobile app for crop disease and pest identification, the eLocust3m device for UN FAO locust monitoring, and a pest and disease observatory system.
Product overview
PlantVillage is an AI-powered agricultural technology platform that helps smallholder farmers across Africa, Asia, and the Americas adapt to climate change. The core product is PlantVillage AI, which combines multiple AI models with third-party datasets (weather forecasts, soil data) to provide tailored farming advice. This is supported by the PlantVillage Mobile App for farmer data collection, the Pest & Diseases Observatory System for research monitoring, and specialized tools like eLocust3m (for UN FAO locust tracking) and the Locust Map. A separate sub-brand, PV+, operates at plantvillageplus.coop. The platform also includes an AI-driven diet tracking app developed with IFPRI. PlantVillage's extension officers work across 12 countries, and the system delivers advice via smartphone, SMS, TV, or social networks based on crop type, location, and planting date.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PV+ (PlantVillage Plus): A cooperative offering additional services under the PlantVillage brand, with its own website at plantvillageplus.coop.
Products and services
- PlantVillage AI An AI-powered advisory tool that combines multiple AI models and third-party datasets (weather forecasts, soil data) to provide specific farming advice to smallholder farmers. Currently in beta testing with active evaluation of multiple AI models for accuracy, relevance, and cost.
- PlantVillage Mobile App Mobile application used by farmers to report pest and disease observations, access crop management advice, and participate in data collection for agricultural research. Aggregates data from farms worldwide to enable collaborative research.
- PV+ (PlantVillage Plus) A separate cooperative offering under the PlantVillage brand providing additional services, with its own website at plantvillageplus.coop.
- eLocust3m Digital reporting tool created for UN FAO to gather data on desert locust occurrence, designed to engage communities with limited locust surveying experience.
- Pest and Diseases Observatory System Research platform for monitoring, predicting, and combating current and emerging threats to crops in a climate-changed world. Used by researchers, government agencies, and agricultural extension officers.
- Locust Map Interactive mapping tool for tracking locust surveys and occurrences, providing real-time visualization of locust data for monitoring and response efforts.
- AI-Driven Diet Tracking App AI-driven diet habit tracking application developed with IFPRI, focused on improving diets of adolescents and ensuring school meals are healthy.
Quantifiable outcome
- 12 million farmers reached with climate-smart agriculture through TAAT program (CGIAR)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use PlantVillage
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
PlantVillage technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability9 records
Feature6 records
PlantVillage partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- UN FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)corePlantVillage at Penn State created the eLocust3m device for UN FAO to help gather data on locust occurrence. A simple reporting tool was created to engage communities with limited locust surveying experience in desert locust monitoring and control.
- IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute)majorPartnership with IFPRI to launch an AI-driven diet habit tracking app focused on improving diets of adolescents and ensuring school meals are healthy.
- FEWS NET (Famine Early Warning Systems Network)majorPlantVillage supports pastoralists with advanced forecasts from FEWS NET and UN on where they can find vegetation and water, as well as how to treat their animals. Connects vets and pastoralists in rangelands.
- CGIARmajorCGIAR leads digital agriculture efforts across Africa, deploying AI, blockchain, and IoT technologies. CGIAR's Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program has delivered climate-smart seeds to 12 million farmers in 27 countries. PlantVillage contributes to this ecosystem with digital soil mapping and AI-powered crop disease detection.
- Penn State UniversitycorePlantVillage originated at Penn State (Pennsylvania State University) and maintains its primary operations at this land-grant university. The institution provides research infrastructure, academic credibility, and student involvement in the project.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PlantVillage competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- One Acre Fund: Non-profit serving smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa with inputs, training, and market access. Comparable as a mission-driven organization delivering agronomic services at scale to the same end customer.
- Farmerline: Provides AI-based agronomic advisory and market access tools to smallholder farmers in Africa via SMS and voice. Directly comparable last-mile delivery model and smallholder farmer focus.
- aWhere: Agricultural intelligence platform combining weather, satellite, and crop data for decision support. Comparable on the data-driven advisory layer that PlantVillage wraps around its extension officer network.
- Taranis: AI-powered aerial imagery and field intelligence for crop monitoring and threat detection. Comparable on AI-driven pest/disease detection enabled by satellite and aerial sources.
Direct peers
- Plantix: AI-powered crop disease and pest diagnosis app for smallholder farmers globally. Closest direct peer given shared computer-vision disease detection, smartphone-first delivery, and smallholder farmer focus.
- CropX: Precision agriculture platform combining soil sensors, satellite imagery, and AI-driven irrigation and agronomy recommendations. Comparable on integrating satellite, soil, and AI layers to deliver farm-level advice.
Broad incumbents
- CGIAR: Global agricultural research consortium whose TAAT program delivered climate-smart inputs to 12M farmers across 27 countries. Comparable as the larger institutional counterpart driving digital agriculture in the same geographies.
- Climate FieldView (Bayer): Bayer's digital agriculture platform offering AI-driven agronomic recommendations and farm analytics. Overlaps with PlantVillage on AI advisory but serves larger commercial growers and via a paid B2B model.
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT): CGIAR-affiliated research center developing digital and AI tools for smallholder farmers in semi-arid Africa and Asia. Comparable as a public-good research body overlapping PlantVillage's extension and advisory work.
Others
- AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa): Africa-focused agricultural development organization funding digital extension and smallholder programs. Comparable as a funder/ecosystem participant in the same farmer-facing digital agriculture programs PlantVillage participates in.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PlantVillage social profiles
Digital presencePlantVillage financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PlantVillage leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
PlantVillage funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PlantVillage M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PlantVillage
What does PlantVillage do?
PlantVillage combines AI, cloud computing, and satellite technology with a global network of field extension officers to deliver agricultural advice to smallholder farmers. Once a farmer inputs crop type, location, and planting date, the platform's algorithms deliver personalized recommendations via smartphone, SMS, TV, or real-world social networks. Its core offerings include the PlantVillage AI assistant, a mobile app for crop disease and pest identification, the eLocust3m device for UN FAO locust monitoring, and a pest and disease observatory system.
Is PlantVillage a public or private company?
PlantVillage is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was PlantVillage founded?
PlantVillage was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PlantVillage based?
PlantVillage is headquartered in State College, United States, in the North America region.
How does PlantVillage make money?
One revenue line is on record: agricultural Technology Services.
Who are PlantVillage's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are One Acre Fund, Farmerline, aWhere and Taranis. Direct peers are Plantix and CropX. Broad incumbents are CGIAR, Climate FieldView (Bayer) and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) is listed as an others.
Does PlantVillage have an API?
No public API is recorded for PlantVillage.
What industry is PlantVillage in?
PlantVillage's product category is Digital Agriculture Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABAMAI, Pest/Disease/Weed Detection & Forecasting Analytics, with a secondary code of AFAGALAI, Crop Scouting & Pest/Disease Detection (Digital Scouting, Computer Vision, Alerts). Its NAICS code is 11511 and its SIC code is 700.