Ethiopian Agritech Startup Lersha Wins USD 100 K MIT Solve Prize

Lersha, an Addis Ababa-based Ethiopian agritech startup founded in 2018 by Abrhame Endrias, won the Heifer Prize for Smallholder Agricultural Transformation at the MIT Solve 2026 Challenge Finals and secured USD 100 K in unrestricted funding.

Operated by Green Agro Solution PLC, Lersha uses a “phygital” model that combines digital platforms with field agents and a call centre to provide smallholder farmers with agricultural inputs, mechanisation, financing, market access, and climate advisory services.

The company says it has onboarded about 380,000 farmers through more than 4,000 field agents, with 100% repayment on its closed-loop financing and reported gains of 24% in productivity and 30% in farmer incomes. Lersha plans to reach 1 million active farmers by 2030.