Inaho Co., Ltd., which develops automatic vegetable harvesting robots, aims to manufacture, expand, develop human resources, and market automatic vegetable harvesting robots from multiple individual investors such as ITOCHU Technology Ventures Co., Ltd., Creation Planning Co., Ltd., and Dofu Co., Ltd. Completed funding.
Currently, asparagus is the only crop that can be used, but with this funding, we will gradually support selected harvested vegetables such as cucumbers and tomatoes, which must be judged by the human eye whether it is the right time to harvest.
Inaho Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Representative Director: Yutaka Hishiki / Muneya Oyama), which develops automatic vegetable harvesting robots, is ITOCHU Technology Ventures Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President: Shinzo Nakano), Creation Plan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Representative Director: Gen Takano), Dofu Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Taro Saito), Completed financing from multiple individual investors I will inform you.
■ The world that inaho aims for
We are developing a RaaS (Robot as a Service) model service that utilizes an automatic vegetable harvesting robot. We support agricultural work that requires the judgment of the person who represents the harvest with “AI” and “robotics”, and utilize the data acquired by the robot to solve labor shortages and problems in agricultural management.
[Mission]
Make time and deliver options and possibilities
[Vision]
– What people don’t have to do is technology
– Make time to do what they want to do
– Change the future of agriculture
■ List of funding sources (in alphabetical order)
・ Itochu Technology Ventures Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President: Shinzo Nakano)
・ Creation Planning Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Representative Director: Gen Takano)
・ Dofu Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato, Tokyo) Ward, CEO: Taro Saito)
・ Multiple individual investors
■ Purpose of financing
With this funding, we will strengthen the following points.
・ Manufacturing of automatic vegetable harvesting robots and expansion of compatible crops
・ Recruitment of advanced engineer personnel
・ Marketing measures aimed at market development and strengthening alliances
■ Future prospects
Currently, asparagus is the only crop we can handle, but we will broadly support selected harvested vegetables such as cucumbers and tomatoes, for which we must visually judge whether or not the harvest is appropriate.
In addition, the aging of farmers and labor shortages are not unique to Japan. Similar challenges are occurring in countries around the world, and we aim to expand globally in the future in order to take on this global challenge.
We believe that people can be more creative in the time created by automation by AI and robots. Going forward, we will continue to take on the challenge of “creating time and delivering options and possibilities” beyond the agricultural field.
■ Comments from funding sources
Mr. Takeshi Abe, Vice President / Partner, ITOCHU Technology Ventures Co., Ltd. The
Japanese agricultural sector, in which inaho operates, faces major issues such as “aging” and “labor shortage”. The company’s service provides a fast-acting solution to the rigorous “manual harvesting” that is the biggest pane in the farmer’s selective harvesting process, for farmers who cannot expand or continue farming due to labor shortages and aging. We hope that we will be able to resolve urgent issues and contribute to the sustainable growth of Japanese agriculture.
The company, which continues to improve products while carefully responding to the on-site needs of client farmers and continues to create new added value by utilizing data, is convinced that it will grow significantly together with farmers, and decided to invest this time. In the future, we will continue to support ITV by making full use of its resources and networks.
Mr. Mototaka Takano, CEO of Emergent Plan Co., Ltd.
My roots are rice farmers, and I am interested in Japanese agriculture, which is aging and declining, and I thought that mechanization and scale-up were necessary. It was. inaho is trying to solve human problems with a technology called harvesting robots. I also thought that the RaaS model could help motivated farmers to scale up. It is attractive not only to develop products using the latest AI technology, but also to develop customers with aglyco communicators on both wheels.
Mr. Hishiki, the representative, has been acquainted with me for a long time, and I have felt that he is a person who can cherish the emotions that erupt from his heart and face them. I decided to invest in order to support the talented friends who gather around him.
Mr. Taro Saito, CEO of Dofu Co., Ltd.
and a friend of a venture capitalist said that it is important to identify not only the first impression but also the essence of the person or business. I did. At that time, the first thing that came to my mind was Mr. Hishiki. When I participated in the pitch contest as a judge, when I heard Mr. Hishiki’s presentation, which had a refreshing and naughty atmosphere, with sparkling eyes, he said, “Oh, I want to support the company this person is doing.” I fell in love with just the first impression (laughs) So that the business led by Mr. Hishiki and the challenges of his colleagues will produce results and change the world. I pray from the bottom of my heart!
■ Representative message
CEO Yutaka Hishiki We will
soon be in service and will start full-scale mass production. We raised funds this time as the first step to hire talented people and mass-produce them from several to dozens, hundreds, and thousands while repeating development and verification. Currently, we are receiving encouragement from producers of various vegetables and fruit trees, saying, “I want you to proceed with the development of robots as soon as possible.”
As a future robot development goal, we will first aim to expand the corresponding crops and accelerate the business to provide faster and better robots to many producers who are waiting for our service. We would be grateful for the support of many people in order to grow into a service that will change the food situation in Japan and around the world.
Representative Director COO Muneya Oyama
Many farmers are deprived of their “thinking time” in their daily harvesting work and weeding. Everyone is worried that they want time to think about how to make more delicious vegetables and how to increase the yield. The inaho project is an ambitious project that creates choices and time for people by realizing “robots do work that people do not have to do”.
With this funding, the business is finally in the service phase. We will firmly accept the expectations of farmers and promote our business.
■ Financing company company profile
ITOCHU Technology Ventures Co., Ltd.
[Representative] Shinzo Nakano, President and CEO
[Headquarters location] Itochu Building 8F, 2-5-1 Kita Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
[Establishment] July 25, 2000
[Capital] 100 million yen
[Business description] IT and high-tech fields Hands-on type venture capital business URL centered on sales support and management support for venture companies in Japan
[URL] https://www.techv.co.jp/
Emergent Plan Co., Ltd.
[Representative] Gen Takano, President and CEO
[Headquarters location] Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture
[Establishment] July 1, 2011
[Business description] Business development consulting, operation of severe home-visit care helper office, development of presentation system Hearty Presenter, Operation of intractable disease Q & A site
[URL] http://www.souhatsu-keikaku.jp/
Dofu Co., Ltd.
[Representative] Taro Saito, President and CEO
[Headquarters location] 6th floor, Kitagawa Building, 1-9-1 Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
[Establishment] May 2005
[Business description] Communication design, product development, marketing strategy planning, media planning , Creative
[URL] http://dof.jp/
■ inaho Co., Ltd. Company profile
[Representative] Representative Director Yutaka Hishiki /
Muneya Oyama [Headquarters location] 4-10-14 Zaimokuza, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
[Establishment] January 17, 2017
[Capital] 49.8 million yen (including capital reserve)
[Business description] Development of automatic vegetable harvesting robot
[URL] https://inaho.co/
■ Recruitment
We are developing an automatic vegetable robot for selected harvested vegetables that requires human judgment, including asparagus. Even now, we are facing a wall that no one has solved, and we are looking for a companion who can walk with us. If you have any interest, please feel free to contact us.
CTO / VPoE Candidate Recruitment │ Automatic Harvest Robot Development AI Researcher / Researcher
https://www.wantedly.com/projects/321173
Computer Vision Engineer who gives eyes and brains to robots
https://www.wantedly.com/projects/ 286727
Mechanical Design Engineer to Create a New Future of Agriculture Together
https://www.wantedly.com/projects/167656 We are looking for engineers who want to change the future of agriculture at the forefront!
https://www.wantedly.com/projects/347291 Move the harvesting robot in the field! Looking for a tech agricommunicator!
https://www.wantedly.com/projects/289287 Web app front-end engineer for automatic harvesting robots
https://www.wantedly.com/projects/322985
■ Inquiries regarding this matter
inaho Co., Ltd. Public Relations
E-Mail: in**@in***.co