Lersha
Lersha is an Ethiopian phy-gital digital agriculture platform that connects 270,000+ smallholder farmers to farm inputs, mechanization, agro-climate advisory, microloans, insurance, and off-takers via a 2,000+ agent network and a mobile app with a 7860 call center.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersAddis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Lersha does
Lersha, operated by Green Agro Solution PLC, is an Ethiopian phy-gital digital agriculture platform founded around 2018–2019 and headquartered in Addis Ababa. It serves smallholder farmers with a bundled offering of farm inputs, mechanization services, dynamic agro-climate advisory, microloans, crop insurance, and output market linkage. Distribution combines a mobile/web app and a 7860 call center with a 2,000+ Lersha Agent network of trained youth (ages 18–35) who register farmers, take orders, deliver advisory, and aggregate produce across six Ethiopian regions and Kenya. The platform connects 270,000+ smallholder farmers with 250+ service providers, banks (e.g., Dashen Bank), insurers (Oromia Insurance, Abay Insurance), off-takers, and research institutes (CIMMYT, CIAT, AICCRA).
Lersha firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lersha
- Legal name
- Green Agro Solution PLC
- Website
- https://lersha.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Lersha is an Ethiopian phy-gital digital agriculture platform that connects 270,000+ smallholder farmers to farm inputs, mechanization, agro-climate advisory, microloans, insurance, and off-takers via a 2,000+ agent network and a mobile app with a 7860 call center.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lersha industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Agriculture Platform (AgriTech)
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Farm Finance, Input Procurement & Risk Tools (Budgeting, Inventory, Insurance Links) (AFAAAFAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Farm Data Management & Decision Support Services (FMIS Setup, Data Integration, Analytics) (AFACACAC)
Keywords
Where Lersha is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Addis Ababa
- HQ country
- Ethiopia
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices10 records
Markets served
Lersha business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Marketplace and Aggregation Services: Facilitates purchase of farm inputs and aggregation of outputs (including livestock) through the Lersha platform, enabling agents and service providers to earn commissions on transactions; off-takers place orders through the platform for aggregated produce.
- Access to Finance Platform Services: Provides financial institutions with farmer data, digital credit scoring, dashboards, and loan-monitoring tools in exchange for service fees or transaction share; supports in-kind loan distribution and crop insurance enrollment.
- Advisory and Data Services to Partners: Sells/discloses agro-climatic advisories, fertilizer recommendations, and farmer data insights to research institutes, insurance firms, banks, and development partners.
- Investment and Grant Capital: Receives development and impact investment (e.g., IFC $1M convertible loan) and grant/project funding (e.g., African Development Bank CREW project) to scale operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free farmer-facing services via the Lersha mobile app, Lersha Agents, and call center 7860 |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based B2B pricing for banks, microfinance, insurance, off-takers, and development partners |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels7 records
Lersha product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lersha operates a phy-gital digital agriculture platform that gives smallholder farmers access to farm inputs, mechanization services, agro-climate advisory, credit, insurance, and market linkage through the Lersha Mobile App, a 2,000+ Lersha Agent network, and a 7860 call center. The platform bundles three software modules—Access To Finance, Agri-Service Provision, and Market Linkage—together with digital credit scoring, an offline data collection app, and an API-driven agro-advisory engine that delivers location-specific fertilizer and bi-weekly climate recommendations translated into four local languages.
Product overview
Lersha is a platform-plus-modules architecture rather than a single product: the umbrella LERSHA Digital Platform (and mobile app), developed by Green Agro Solution PLC, sits on top of a 2,000+ Lersha Agent network and a Call Center (shortcode 7860), and bundles three core product modules — Access To Finance Digital Tools (farmers data management, credit scoring, dashboard for banks), Agri-Service Provision Digital Tools (farm inputs, mechanization, dynamic agroclimatic advisory/fertilizer recommendations), and Market Linkage Digital Tools (off-taker ordering, aggregation, delivery tracking) — together with a set of supporting apps and dashboards (Service Provider App, OSS App, Off-taker App, Contract Farming Dashboard, Data Collection App, Dashboard for Banks, and Credit Assessment Tools) that connect smallholder farmers to inputs, mechanization, finance, insurance, advisory, and buyers across Ethiopia and Kenya.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Access To Finance Digital Tools A digital lending suite that collects, analyzes, and scores farmer data to manage and distribute in-kind microloans, enabling financial institutions to confidently lend to smallholder farmers. Bundles the Farmers Data Management Tool, the Credit Score Tool, and a Dashboard for Banks. Targeted at banks, microfinance institutions, and crop insurers serving smallholder farmers in Ethiopia.
- Agri-Service Provision Digital Tools A service-provision module that connects smallholder farmers to farm inputs, dynamic agroclimatic advisory, fertilizer recommendations, and mechanization services through the Lersha Agent network and Lersha mobile app. Targeted at smallholder farmers in Ethiopia and Kenya needing access to inputs, mechanization, and advisory.
- Market Linkage Digital Tools A market-linkage module that connects livestock producers and other value-chain actors with large-scale off-takers; supports off-taker registration, one-click ordering, agent-led aggregation, delivery tracking, and quality assurance. Targeted at off-takers, processors, and large-scale buyers sourcing livestock and crops from Ethiopian smallholders.
- Lersha Mobile App / Lersha Digital Platform The umbrella Lersha Digital Platform and mobile app that bundles Access To Finance, Agri-Service Provision, and Market Linkage modules, plus the Lersha Agent Network and Call Center 7860. Targeted at smallholder farmers, Lersha Agents, service providers, financial institutions, and off-takers across Ethiopia and Kenya.
- Lersha Agent Network and Call Center (shortcode 7860) Phy-gital distribution layer of 2,000+ Lersha Agents across Ethiopia and Kenya, supported by a call center (shortcode 7860) for inbound and outbound advisory. Agents onboard farmers, deliver advisory, take input orders, hire mechanization services, and aggregate produce. Targeted at smallholder farmers lacking smartphones or literacy.
Quantifiable outcome
- 270,000+ smallholder farmers connected to the platform
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Lersha
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Lersha technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability8 records
Feature7 records
Lersha partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / core, strategic and minor.
- CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center)flagship / coreUnder the AICCRA initiative, Lersha partners with CIMMYT and Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture to deliver Digital Climate Advisory Services to smallholder wheat farmers. The program has reached 2,470 farmers and trained 65 LERSHA field agents as part of the African Development Bank-funded CREW project (Dec 2024–May 2026).
- Global Center on Adaptation (GCA)strategicSupports the Digital Climate Advisory Services initiative alongside CIMMYT to help Ethiopian wheat farmers anticipate climate risks and build resilience.
- Alliance Bioversity International and CIATflagship / coreCo-developed a Location-Specific Fertilizer Recommendation (LSFR) / NextGen agro-advisory bundle with insurance and credit; piloted in Oromia and Amhara Woredas. Lersha extracts advisory recommendations via API and delivers them in four local languages. Joint field day held on November 4, 2023 in Digelu Tijo District.
- Oromia InsurancestrategicProvides area-yield-index agricultural insurance to smallholders enrolled through the Lersha platform as part of the bundling pilot.
- Abay InsurancestrategicProvides area-yield-index agricultural insurance to smallholders enrolled through the Lersha platform as part of the bundling pilot.
- ATI (Agricultural Transformation Institute)strategicDisplayed among Lersha's partners and clients, supporting Ethiopia's agricultural transformation agenda.
- ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute)strategicResearch partner displayed in the Lersha partners and clients section, supporting livestock and value-chain work.
- GSMAstrategicDisplayed in the partners and clients section; supports mobile-based agriculture and digital inclusion initiatives.
- AICCRA (Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa)flagship / coreCGIAR climate research initiative under which Lersha partners with CIMMYT to digitally disseminate agro-climate information.
- German Cooperation (GIZ / German Coop)strategicListed in the Lersha partners and clients section as a development cooperation partner.
- GFA Consulting GroupstrategicListed in the Lersha partners and clients section as a consulting/implementation partner.
- GIC (German Insurance Confederation)minorListed among Lersha's partners and clients.
- Arsi UniversitystrategicRepresented in the partner logos and participated in the Digelu Tijo field day with farmers, agents, and insurance experts.
- Wolkite UniversityminorListed as a partner in the Lersha partner logos section.
- Bahir Dar University (BDU)strategicListed as a partner in the Lersha partner logos section, supporting research and capacity in the Amhara region.
- Hawassa UniversitystrategicListed as a partner in the Lersha partner logos section, supporting work in the Sidama / Southern regions.
- Jigjiga UniversityminorListed as a partner in the Lersha partner logos section, supporting engagement in the Somali region.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lersha competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Twiga Foods: Kenyan B2B food distribution platform that aggregates produce from smallholder farmers and delivers to off-takers via technology-enabled logistics. Directly comparable to Lersha's Market Linkage Digital Tools and off-taker registration workflow.
- AgroStar: India-based agri-input marketplace and advisory platform serving smallholders via mobile and a last-mile agent network. Comparable input-procurement-plus-advisory bundle and agent-led distribution approach.
- ThriveAgric: Nigeria-based agritech platform providing input financing, extension advisory, and market access to smallholder farmers across multiple value chains. Comparable bundled services and African smallholder focus.
- Hello Tractor: Nigeria-headquartered mechanization marketplace connecting smallholder farmers to tractor owners via a digital platform and agent network. Directly comparable to Lersha's mechanization-services module and last-mile distribution approach for African smallholders.
- Apollo Agriculture: Kenya-based digital agriculture platform that bundles input financing, advisory, and market access for smallholder farmers using a hybrid agent-plus-mobile model. Closest functional analog to Lersha's phy-gital smallholder platform in East Africa.
Emerging players
- iShamba: Kenyan mobile-based agricultural advisory service delivering weather alerts, agronomy tips, and market prices to smallholder farmers via SMS and call center. Closely comparable to Lersha's bi-weekly climate advisory and call-center-based farmer engagement model.
- DigiCow: Kenyan digital platform providing livestock and crop farmers with agronomy advisory, record-keeping, and access to services via mobile. Overlaps with Lersha's agro-advisory and livestock market linkage offerings in East Africa.
Broad incumbents
- DeHaat: India-based full-stack platform offering inputs, agronomy advisory, financing, and market linkage to smallholders through a micro-enterprise network. Operates at much larger scale than Lersha but is the canonical bundled smallholder-services platform in an emerging market.
- Cropin: Global agri-intelligence platform offering farm data management, predictive analytics, and traceability to agribusinesses and financial institutions. Comparable to Lersha's farm data management and credit scoring capabilities, but oriented toward enterprise customers rather than smallholders.
- One Acre Fund (Tupande): Large Africa-focused social enterprise delivering inputs on credit, agronomic training, and market support to smallholders through a field-officer network. Comparable in farmer-facing services and bundled credit-plus-advisory model, though operates as a non-profit at much larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lersha social profiles
Digital presenceLersha financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lersha leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Lersha funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lersha 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 Lersha
What does Lersha do?
Lersha operates a phy-gital digital agriculture platform that gives smallholder farmers access to farm inputs, mechanization services, agro-climate advisory, credit, insurance, and market linkage through the Lersha Mobile App, a 2,000+ Lersha Agent network, and a 7860 call center. The platform bundles three software modules—Access To Finance, Agri-Service Provision, and Market Linkage—together with digital credit scoring, an offline data collection app, and an API-driven agro-advisory engine that delivers location-specific fertilizer and bi-weekly climate recommendations translated into four local languages.
Is Lersha a public or private company?
Lersha is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Lersha founded?
Lersha was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Lersha based?
Lersha is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in the Africa region.
How does Lersha make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Marketplace and Aggregation Services are the primary driver. The others are access to Finance Platform Services, advisory and Data Services to Partners and investment and Grant Capital.
Who are Lersha's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Twiga Foods, AgroStar, ThriveAgric, Hello Tractor and Apollo Agriculture. Emerging players are iShamba and DigiCow. Broad incumbents are DeHaat, Cropin and One Acre Fund (Tupande).
Does Lersha have an API?
Yes. Lersha consumes agro-advisory recommendations via an API from research institutes such as Alliance Bioversity and CIAT (and CIMMYT); the recommendations are then translated into four local languages and disseminated to Lersha Agents through the Lersha mobile app via SMS, voice blasts, and call-center follow-up calls. The API is used for ingesting third-party advisory/fertilizer-recommendation data; no public developer documentation, auth method, rate limits, or sandbox details are disclosed.
What industry is Lersha in?
Lersha's product category is Digital Agriculture Platform (AgriTech). Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAAAFAO, Farm Finance, Input Procurement & Risk Tools (Budgeting, Inventory, Insurance Links), with a secondary code of AFACACAC, Farm Data Management & Decision Support Services (FMIS Setup, Data Integration, Analytics). Its NAICS code is 11511 and its SIC code is 700.