- Ag breakdowns
- Posts
- Seso
Seso
The Solution to the Labor Shortage
Good Morning, It’s Sunday 6th and this week’s company is a vertical farm management software platform that addresses the critical labor shortage in US agriculture.
As always, if you have any feedback or ideas on how to improve the newsletter, just hit reply - I’d love to hear from you!
First time reading? Sign up here
Don’t keep us a secret! Share this email with friends(copy URL here)
Ag Breakdowns covers the companies revolutionizing the agriculture value chain. If that’s you, apply here
THE BIG PICTURE
With labor shortages creeping through agricultural America like an invasive weed, farm management software is a necessity.
This market is in increasingly fertile ground where:
A declining interest in farming careers and competition with other industries like construction have created workforce challenges globally.
Internet dependence and compatibility with existing systems remain an issue, especially in rural areas where connectivity may be limited.
Regulatory mazes trap farmers between federal labor laws and local requirements, which can lead to penalties if not adhered to properly.
The paperwork burden alone has farms drowning in documentation when they should be focused on actual cultivation. That’s why management software is so needed.
In 2024, the farming management software market stands at a healthy $3.1 billion and is projected to bulk up to $7 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual rate of 8.96%. (Source)
Other Players in the Industry
Forecast Calls For Continued Growth
IoT, AI, and cloud computing are fertilizing innovation in labor management and precision farming tools.
Green initiatives are pushing farms toward software that balances productivity with planetary concerns
Labor shortages show no signs of reversing course, making automated workforce tools as essential to modern farming as tractors.
THE BUSINESS
Seso has planted its flag squarely in agriculture's labor desert, offering a technological oasis that connects farms with qualified workers without the usual migration headaches.
Their AI-powered digital platform opens gates to thousands of pre-vetted workers, slashing hiring costs by up to 24% per worker and transforming the visa process from bureaucratic nightmare to manageable task.
By bundling HR tools, visa automation, and financial services into one digital barn, Seso creates a rare win-win-win where farmers get reliable labor, workers secure fair employment, and consumers don't face empty grocery shelves due to rotting unharvested crops.
Business Breakdown
Industry: Farm Management Software / Human Capital Services
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
Year funded: 2019
Funding: Total Funding $57.5M. Latest Round: Series B, 27-Feb-24, $26M (Pitchbook)
Investors: Index Ventures, NFX, Bond,,Founders Fund, and others
Business model: Vertical software company solving agricultural labor shortages and inefficiencies in farmworker hiring and management through their workforce management platform.
Traction: They are one of 2025’s most innovative companies by Fast Company | Since 2021, Seso has signed 10 of the 20 largest U.S. agricultural employers and tripled its customer base.
Website: www.sesolabor.com
Socials: LinkedIn
Founder Profile
Michael Guirguis (Co-Founder & CEO) brings expertise in labor policy and economics with a BA from Stanford. He interned at the White House National Economic Council during the Great Recession and worked at McKinsey on public sector job creation initiatives. As VP of Operations at Yup Math Tutoring, he gained marketplace experience connecting students and tutors. His cousin's struggles finding farm labor inspired him to launch Seso to modernize agricultural workforce management.
Jordan Taylor (Co-Founder & Head of Product) is a University of Pennsylvania honors graduate, he worked summers on his family's Montana farm, giving him firsthand agricultural insight. As a Product Manager at Dropbox and Director of Product at Farmer's Business Network, he developed solutions used by thousands of farmers worldwide. His personal farming background and ag-tech expertise drive his passion for building technology solutions for agricultural employers.
Opportunities
They have 15 job openings. You can apply HERE
THE ESSENCE
The platform tackles America's farm labor crisis with the subtlety of a combine harvester, creating an end-to-end solution that finally drags seasonal worker hiring out of the paper age.
At its core, Seso is waging war on the H-2A visa process - that bureaucratic labyrinth that has farms drowning in paperwork and watching their crops wither. A staggering 72% of farms previously received workers late due to application nightmares.
Their tech is like spraying a digital weedkiller for this process, slashing errors and fast-tracking recruitment.
The platform functions as a digital farmer's market connecting fields with fieldworkers.
It maintains a vast database of pre-vetted agricultural talent, eliminating the usual parade of middlemen who've been skimming cream off the top for decades.
The Products
Seso covers virtually every aspect of workforce management:
Simplifies and accelerates the H-2A visa application process
Integrates multiple workforce management functions
Connects farms with qualified workers
Helps integrate new workers smoothly
Handles financial transactions for employers and workers
Ensures adherence to labor laws and regulations
Provides banking and financial tools for migrant workers
Uses artificial intelligence to improve worker-farm connections
Problem-Product Fit
The math is agricultural brutality: two job openings for every applicant and $3.1 billion in crops rotting annually while paperwork piles higher than corn in August.
The platform solves this bureaucratic barriers with digital efficiency by creating a streamlined, technology-driven solution that makes hiring easier for farms and provides better opportunities for workers. They are irrigating a labor desert that's been parched for decades.
Unique Value Proposition
Reduces hiring costs by up to 24% per worker
Simplifies complex visa and labor compliance processes
Provides end-to-end workforce management
Offers financial tools for both employers and workers
Creates direct farm-worker connections that cut out the usual parade of middlemen
Great things
It uses AI and cloud tech to modernize agricultural labor management, transforming a traditionally manual process into a high-tech solution that dramatically simplifies workforce recruitment and management.
They've already corralled 27 of the top 100 agricultural employers. This proves their platform's effectiveness and shows massive potential for growth and expansion.
Unlike traditional point solutions scattered like seeds in the wind, Seso bundles everything from visa paperwork to payday in one digital barn, creating a rare one-stop solution.
This may cause problems
Immigration laws change direction fast, creating a compliance tornado that requires constant vigilance and platform updates.
The agricultural sector is sensitive to economic fluctuations, trade policies, and immigration regulations, which is not exactly stable ground for building a business.
By focusing exclusively on agriculture, Seso makes itself vulnerable to sector-specific economic downturns. If markets contract or face significant challenges, the company's business model could be at risk.
What do you think of this week's company? |
Want to learn more?
Explore More
Curious about past breakdowns?: Click here
Explore our growing database of companies: Check it out
Connect with me on LinkedIn: Follow here
What did you think of today’s edition? Any feedback for this company, or ways to improve the newsletter in general?
Have a company you’d like us to cover?
Reply to this email and let me know!
If you enjoyed today's breakdown, forward this email to a friend!
If you're just seeing this email now, subscribe here.