OneSoil raises $1M after losing 70% of its market to war

War-driven market loss forced a pivot

OneSoil, founded in 2017, built its business on satellite imagery to help farmers monitor fields remotely. By early 2022, 70% of its user base was concentrated in Russia and Ukraine. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the startup faced an existential crisis: it chose not to monetize in Russia, effectively losing access to most of its market. Agriculture’s contribution to Ukraine’s GDP had already fallen from 10.9% pre-war to 7.6% by 2025, further weakening demand.

The company went through three rounds of layoffs, reducing its team from 70-80 employees to around 30. All three co-founders departed over the following two years, leaving the startup to rebuild its leadership under Katya Kheistver, who took on the roles of CPO and COO.

Global expansion and AI-driven growth

OneSoil shifted its focus to international markets, particularly Europe and Africa. South Africa emerged as its second-largest region by revenue, outperforming Latin America. The company also established teams in Brazil, Argentina, Poland, and other key markets.

To fuel recovery, OneSoil launched an AI agronomist feature in its mobile app. The tool provides farmers with real-time recommendations while avoiding inaccurate advice by requesting additional information when needed. The app, which allows farmers to start monitoring fields without providing an email address or speaking to sales, has grown to 140,000 annual users overseeing 70 million hectares.

The startup reached break-even in 2025 but expects negative EBITDA in 2026 due to deliberate investments in scaling its AI and market expansion.

Funding secured amid scaling push

OneSoil secured $1 million in funding in 2026, led by Yuriy Melnichek, a serial entrepreneur. The round included both existing and new investors. The capital will support the company’s expansion in Europe and Africa, where it sees significant growth potential due to increased investment in agriculture and a younger, digitally savvy generation of farmers.

The funding round reflects confidence in OneSoil’s pivot to AI-driven precision agriculture, despite the short-term profitability trade-offs.

What this means

Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.

OneSoil’s story is a rare case of a startup turning geopolitical catastrophe into a pivot point for global expansion. For founders, it underscores how quickly assumptions about markets can collapse—and how product-led growth (no sales calls, no email gates) can smooth entry into new regions when speed matters. The shift to AI-driven precision agriculture also signals where agtech is heading: tools that don’t just monitor fields but actively advise farmers, lowering the barrier to expertise. Investors may see this as a template for betting on resilience, especially in sectors like agriculture where digital adoption is accelerating but unevenly distributed.

Key takeaways

• The loss of 70% of its market forced OneSoil to rebuild its business model and leadership, demonstrating how external shocks can reshape startups.
• Expansion into Africa and Europe, particularly South Africa, became critical to recovery, highlighting opportunities in less saturated agtech markets.
• OneSoil’s AI agronomist feature reflects a broader trend toward AI-driven decision-making tools in agriculture, which could disrupt traditional consulting models.
• The $1 million funding round, led by a serial entrepreneur, suggests continued investor confidence in agtech despite near-term profitability trade-offs.

Related on Lazyfounder

• More startup news