Tokuiten Co., Ltd.
Tokuiten, which automates organic farming with AI and robots, raises funds in a seed round-Announcement of agricultural robot “Titan” that automates various farm work-
Tokuiten Co., Ltd. (Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, Representative: Ryuichiro Toyyoshi, hereinafter Tokuiten), which promotes the automation of organic farming with AI and robots, is a third-party underwriter of the “Central Japan Seed Fund” formed by XTech Ventures and MTG Ventures. Allocated to third parties and raised seed round funding from the Japan Finance Corporation.
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In addition, we announced an agricultural robot “Titan” that automates farm work with AI and remote control developed by our company. In the future, based on the funds raised, we will employ human resources such as robot engineers and production staff, develop the agricultural robot “Titan”, and utilize robots and AI to realize the automation of organic farming “Tokuiten Package”. We will focus on the development of
[About Tokuiten Co., Ltd.]
Tokuiten is an agriculture x technology startup established in August 2021 with the mission of “accelerating the shift to sustainable agriculture”. Based in Aichi and Tokyo, we aim to automate organic farming with AI and robots while running organic farming as a producer. Tokuiten is looking for friends to create the future of agriculture together. Please feel free to apply for the online company information session.
Official website: https://about.tokuiten.jp/
Online company information session: https://forms.gle/2i6sMGU7pSe8wya78 Funding background
In recent years, as a countermeasure against climate change around the world, efforts are being made to realize a “decarbonized society” in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to virtually zero. Among them, the agricultural sector, which accounts for about 11% of greenhouse gas emissions, is promoting a shift to “organic
agriculture” that does not use chemical fertilizers that emit CO2 in the manufacturing process or chemical pesticides that have a large environmental impact. increase.
In Japan, in 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will formulate the “Green Food System Strategy,” which includes the goal of increasing the proportion of organic farming from less than 1% to 25% by 2050. It is urgent. *1
Agriculture in Japan faces the major challenges of a declining and aging population of farmers. According to a survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, in the five years from 2015 to 2020, about 396,000 people, or 22.5% of the agricultural workforce, decreased. In addition, the average age of farmers is 67.8 years old, and the percentage of people aged 65 and over has reached 69.8%. *2 Organic farming, which does not use chemical fertilizers or chemical pesticides, requires more effort than conventional farming. In a situation where the number of farmers is decreasing and aging, there are high expectations for labor saving through the use of smart agriculture and robots in order to promote the transition to organic farming.
The company was founded in August 2021 with the mission to “accelerate the shift to sustainable agriculture”. While engaging in organic farming as a producer, we aim to automate organic farming using AI and robots, promoting the transition to organic farming with less environmental impact.
[History of Tokuiten]
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*1 “Green Food System Strategy” – Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries https://www.maff.go.jp/j/kanbo/kankyo/seisaku/midori/ *2 “2020 Agriculture and Forestry Census” – Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries https://www.maff.go.jp/j/tokei/census/afc/2020/ Primary use of funding
The main uses of the proceeds are as follows.
Third-party allotment capital increase
– Recruitment of human resources such as robot engineers and production staff – Development of agricultural robot “Titan”
– Development of “Tokuiten Package” that realizes automation of organic farming loan
– Acquisition of farmland and construction of cultivation facilities Future Prospects: Development and provision of “Tokuiten Package” that realizes automation of organic farming
As a producer, we are developing the “Tokuiten Package” that realizes automation of organic farming while organically cultivating cherry tomatoes at our own farm in Chita City, Aichi Prefecture.
The Tokuiten Package consists of “smart agriculture” that performs environmental monitoring and remote control of equipment,
“agricultural robots” that perform various agricultural tasks using AI and remote control, and “reproduction” based on the theory of data utilization and plant physiology. We aim to increase the yield and reduce the cost of organic farming by combining organic farming with high quality.
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Currently, we are aiming for a semi-automated state in which 10 agricultural robots and humans work together in a high-eaves house of about 2,000 square meters.
In the latter half of 2023, we will promote automation of harvesting, liquid spraying (water, chemicals, liquid fertilizer, etc.), management (leaf plowing, sprouts), transportation, and monitoring (yield prediction, pest detection). In addition to aiming to reduce waste, we will start offering the “Tokuiten Package” to companies that are considering new entry into the agricultural industry.
Agricultural robot “Titan” that automates farm work by AI and remote control [Image 4
The agricultural robot “Titan” developed by our company performs agricultural work autonomously by AI and remote control, realizing labor saving. It corresponds to various farm work by changing the attachment. Currently, we are implementing an attachment for harvesting cherry tomatoes.
In the future, we will proceed with the development of attachments that can be used for maintenance work such as removing leaves, spraying chemicals, and transporting heavy objects, and in the future we will be able to handle crops other than cherry tomatoes.
[Video 2: https://prtimes.jp/api/movieim.php?url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1xQoGjyBnc]
*We do not plan to sell or rent the Titan alone. It is envisioned that it will be operated on its own farm and provided within the Tokuiten package.
Comments from each investor
XTech Ventures Co., Ltd. Representative Partner Hiroki Teshima / Associate Kaori Suzuki
The shift to organic farming, which has a low environmental impact, is important for the future of Japanese agriculture, but we recognize that it is a difficult theme because there is a large gap with the current situation.
On this theme, Mr. Toyyoshi, a serial entrepreneur, and Mr. Mori, who has built up a career as a robot developer and researcher both in Japan and overseas, have teamed up to become a producer and come up with a solution while sweating on the farm. I felt the potential in the two of you who are trying to realize the concept, and I made the investment this time.
I am very much looking forward to the future in which organic vegetable cultivation processes and methods that are conceived from scratch based on technologies such as robots and AI, rather than “existing methods and human substitution”, will spread throughout the world. We will continue to support Tokuiten’s daring challenges, starting from a single farm in Aichi, and the journey towards the realization of their grand vision!
Go Fujita, Representative Director of MTG Ventures Co., Ltd. CJS Fund invested in Tokuiten, led by Mr. Toyyoshi, a serial entrepreneur representing the Chubu region, and Mr. Mori, a robot engineer.
I had a relationship with Mr. Toyokichi from his first
entrepreneurship, Misoca, and I saw his activities as an angel investor after the company’s founding, EXIT, and after that, Mr. Toyyoshi increased his power with a wide range of knowledge and perspectives. I agreed to the re-challenge.
The total agricultural output of the four Tokai prefectures exceeds 700 billion yen, second only to Hokkaido. We will accelerate the shift to organic farming with less environmental impact by utilizing technology and challenge together to realize sustainable agriculture. Comments on fundraising
Co-Founder/Representative Director Ryuichiro Toyyoshi
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I decided to start Tokuiten because of the urge to “make a robot no matter what!”, the desire to be useful to the world like the medical staff who are facing COVID-19, and the rewarding work of agriculture. . I also attended training at an agricultural college for a year, and started a business after inviting a friend from my technical college days. I am sometimes called a serial entrepreneur, but imagining failure is so embarrassing and scary.
Farming is not easy and is said to be unprofitable. I think so, too. However, precisely because it is that difficult, it is worth risking your life, and if you can do it, isn’t it an amazing achievement? I’m so excited.
We have already built a large cultivation facility with a personal guarantee. There is no turning back.
This time, two investors have appeared willing to bet on such a high-risk challenge. I feel that seed VCs are two companies that should be like this. My colleagues and I are determined to prove our investors right. Please look forward to the success of Tokuiten in the future.
[Profile of Ryuichiro Toyyoshi]
Born in 1981, from Gifu Prefecture
Studied neural network at Gifu National College of Technology and graduated. Established Misoca Co., Ltd. in June 2011. The cloud billing management service “Misoca” has grown into a service with more than 200,000 businesses registered. After that, he sold the company to Yayoi Co., Ltd. and resigned as representative. 2020 Learn about agriculture by attending training to support farmers upbringing Co-Founder/Director Hiroki Mori
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I have been conducting research to pursue the essence of robots and human intelligence, and when Toyokichi invited me to start a business in agriculture, I thought, “This is it!” Agricultural work, which requires the handling of irregularly shaped crops and the ability to move moderately well in farms where conditions change, can be said to be the frontier of robotics. This “moderately good” is difficult for robots. I think that agriculture is a perfect intersection of current robotics and required technology.
Tokuiten’s technology development policy is to search for the best overall solution, including the farm. Robots for farms, farms for robots.
We are making steady progress toward the completion of fully automatic organic farming. I would appreciate it if you could watch over me warmly.
[Profile of Hiroki Mori]
Born in 1981, from Aichi Prefecture
After studying neural networks at Gifu National College of Technology, he has been conducting research on learning, cognition, development, and motion control of humans and robots. Transferred to and graduated from Toyohashi University of Technology Information Engineering Course in the 3rd year and completed the master’s course there. Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, after completing the doctoral course, and obtained a doctorate (Information Science and Technology). After working as a researcher at the Japan Science and Technology Agency, an assistant professor at Osaka University, and research in France, he is currently engaged in research and development activities as an associate professor and senior researcher at the Tetsuya Ogata Laboratory of the AI Robot Research Institute, Next Generation Robot Research Organization, Waseda University. Currently, he has shifted his focus to Tokuiten, but continues academic research as a visiting associate professor and visiting senior researcher at Waseda University. About Tokuiten Co., Ltd.
Company name: Tokuiten Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: Room 142 Honjin-gai, Shin-Nagoya Center Building, 1-1 Ibuka-cho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi
Representative: Ryuichiro Toyyoshi, Representative Director
Established: August 6, 2021
https://about.tokuiten.jp/
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