Lersha
Digital agri-platform connecting smallholder farmers in Ethiopia with crop insurance, agricultural finance, and farm advisory services.
Overview
Lersha is an agri-insurtech platform operated by Green Agro-Solution PLC that serves smallholder farmers in Ethiopia with bundled crop insurance, agricultural credit, and climate advisory services. The platform targets unbanked rural populations across multiple Ethiopian regions, including Oromia, Amhara, SNNPR, Sidama, Somali, and Tigray, as well as operations in Kenya, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The platform delivers services through three channels: a mobile app, a call center, and a network of embedded community agents (Lersha Agents). Core offerings include climate-risk index insurance, farm input procurement, mechanization service access, and agricultural credit. The index insurance model pays out automatically based on measurable climate triggers rather than individual loss assessments, reducing administrative overhead and claim delays for farmers with limited documentation.
As of September 2024, over 620,000 farmers actively use the platform. The company has extended agricultural finance to 76,000 farmers and bundled insurance with credit for more than 19,000 farmers, with over 11,000 farmers having received insurance payouts. In March 2026, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) provided a USD 1 million convertible loan to expand agrifinance operations. Lersha also partnered with the Ethiopian Agricultural Corporation in 2026 to digitize farm services for an additional 1 million farmers.
Products & Services
Mobile App Platform
Digital interface enabling smallholder farmers to access agro-climate advisory, order farm inputs, request mechanization services, and apply for financial products. Primary interaction channel for end users across Ethiopia and East Africa.
Key Features
- Agro-climate advisory tailored to seasonal forecasts
- Farm input ordering (seeds, fertilizers)
- Agricultural credit application and management
- Crop insurance enrollment and payout tracking
Target Users: Smallholder farmers in Ethiopia and East Africa
Crop Insurance (Index-Based)
Climate-risk index insurance products that protect farmers from weather-related yield losses. Payouts are triggered by measurable climate indices rather than individual loss assessments, enabling efficient claims processing for remote farming populations.
Key Features
- Index-based payout triggers tied to climate data
- Bundled with agricultural credit products
- Over 11,000 farmers have received payouts to date
- Operates within Ethiopia's broader Agricultural Insurance Consortium (AICE) framework
Target Users: Smallholder farmers in Ethiopian agricultural regions
Agricultural Finance & Credit
Credit products designed for smallholder farmers with terms adapted to agricultural cycles. Finance is typically bundled with insurance coverage to reduce default risk and improve uptake.
Key Features
- Flexible repayment aligned with harvest cycles
- Bundled insurance to mitigate credit risk
- Over 76,000 farmers financed as of September 2024
- Partnered with Hibret Bank for credit delivery
Target Users: Smallholder farmers seeking input finance
Lersha Agent Network
Community-embedded agents who provide face-to-face support, last-mile service delivery, and customer acquisition in rural areas with limited digital access or literacy.
Key Features
- Agent model for populations with low smartphone penetration
- Supports all platform products (insurance, credit, advisory, inputs)
- Embedded in farming communities across Ethiopia
Target Users: Rural farmers in areas with limited connectivity
Mechanization Services
Digital marketplace connecting farmers with mechanization service providers such as tractor operators and threshers. Addresses labor and productivity constraints during planting and harvest seasons.
Key Features
- On-demand booking of mechanization services
- Aggregates supply of service providers in rural areas
- Integrated with overall farm management workflow
Target Users: Smallholder farmers requiring mechanization support
At a Glance
- Founded
- 2016
- Headquarters
- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Employees
- 11-50
- Funding
- Seed
Category & Focus
- Category
- Specialty Solutions
- Subcategories
- Agri-insurance Parametric/Index Insurance Agricultural Finance Climate Risk
- Insurance Verticals
- Specialty/E&S
- Target Customers
- Consumers
Customers
- Smallholder farmers in Oromia, Amhara, SNNPR, Sidama, Somali, and Tigray regions (Ethiopia)
- Farmers in Kenya, South Sudan, and Democratic Republic of the Congo
Links
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Last updated: 2026-06-15