Berlin/Hamburg, Germany (April 27th, 2023) Plantix (“Plantix”) and HELM AG (“HELM”) have agreed on joining forces by HELM becoming majority shareholder as of now. HELM, a globally leading, family-owned multifunctional distributor, already invested in the agritech startup Plantix (registered as: PEAT GmbH) in 2020, based on the shared ambition to enable smallholder farmers worldwide to farm more efficiently and sustainably.
Core value of Plantix’s fully digital solution is the picture-based app for disease recognition and a platform to spread best farming practices. The app covers 30 major crops, detects over 600 plant damages, is available in 18 languages, and has over 20 million downloads worldwide already. In addition, Plantix has built an ecosystem for retailers to connect the farmer’s needs with supply and financing. The services are offered for free.
HELM and Plantix are dedicated to making technology accessible, reducing environmental impact and enhancing productivity. The potential is vast: The UN estimate that more than 500 million smallholder farmers are forming the backbone of local food production today.
“We’re proud to partner with Plantix, which already serves nearly six million farmers in India. With HELM’s global network, we will grow Plantix’s presence to support more farmers. At the same time, HELM expands its digital agri technology capabilities to decrease the footprint of agriculture and especially the misuse of crop protection products”, says Daniel Tepe, VP Corporate Development at HELM.
“Today is a great day for us and the farmers and suppliers we serve. Together with HELM, we can strongly continue our vision to lead the digital transformation in agriculture towards environmentally and economically sustainable farming”, adds Simone Strey, founder and CEO of Plantix.
The invest in Plantix is one of many steps to shape and proof HELM`s future impact - within the agri industry and beyond. To have an impact, socially and environmentally, through major investments is HELM`s way to go. Both parties are very excited for the joined future of AI in agriculture ahead.
Top technology investors, including Atlantic Labs, Happiness Capital, Index Ventures, Piton Capital and RTP Global, among others, had backed Plantix so far. "We are proud to have supported the purpose-driven Plantix team from the very start and believe that Helm AG is the perfect partner for the next stage” says Marc-Olivier Lücke, Managing Partner of Atlantic Labs.
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About Plantix
Founded in 2015 as PEAT GmbH, the agritech startup Plantix has established itself as a digital plant disease diagnosis and crop advisory expert. Today, Plantix connects small-scale farmers and suppliers in one digital ecosystem with it’s two mobile apps, Plantix and Plantix Partner. Building customized solutions, reliable products and trusted services are the primary goals that the 250 employees in Berlin and Indore strive for. Last year, Plantix answered more than 40 million questions related to crop cultivation and digitally connected more than 60,000 retailers in India. https://plantix.net/en/press-media/
About HELM
HELM is a Hamburg, Germany, based family-owned company established in 1900. HELM is one of the world’s largest chemicals marketing companies and committed to providing solutions to its partners worldwide that support a successful transformation to a sustainable economy and society. The company secures access to the world’s key markets through its specific regional knowledge and its multinational presence. As a multifunctional marketing organization HELM is active in the chemicals industry, in the crop protection industry, in pharmaceuticals and in the fertilizer industry.
Plantix
Media contact
Korbinian Hartberger
korbi@plantix.net
+49-176 23513605
HELM AG
Media contact
Janneke Menzel
janneke.menzel@helmag.com
+49-2375-1857
