Deere invests in farm equipment sharing app

Deere & Company made a minority investment in Hello Tractor, an ag-tech company based in Nairobi, Kenya. Hello Tractor connects tractor owners with smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia through a farm-equipment-sharing app, which allows farmers to track and manage their fleet, book customers, and access financing options.

A screen capture from Hello Tractor, a Kenya-based smartphone app that connects small-scale farmers with nearby tractor owners. (Photo: Hello Tractor)

Hello Tractor was among the first group of companies to participate in John Deere’s Startup Collaborator program, launched in 2019 to enhance and deepen Deere’s interaction with startup companies whose technology could add value for customers.

“John Deere sees this as an opportunity to support Hello Tractor’s innovative work to provide technologies and solutions to agricultural entrepreneurs in Africa and Asia,” said Jason Brantley, Director, Ag & Turf Sales & Marketing – Africa and Asia, at John Deere. “Hello Tractor’s work also aligns with the John Deere Strategy and the Ag & Turf Division’s Leap Ambitions to ensure 100% of new small ag equipment is connectivity-enabled by 2026.”

“The partnership between Hello Tractor and John Deere has been building since our participation in John Deere’s Startup Collaborator program,” said Jehiel Oliver, Hello Tractor founder. “We look forward to continuing to work together to ultimately help drive better economic outcomes for smallholder farmers.”

Hello Tractor has approximately 25 employees and will continue to operate from its current location in Kenya.