Inaho
Inaho is a Japanese deep-tech startup that builds AI-powered autonomous harvesting robots for greenhouse tomatoes, asparagus, and trolley transport, sold primarily via a Robot-as-a-Service model to commercial greenhouse operators in Japan and Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersKamakura, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Inaho does
Inaho is a Japanese deep-tech startup founded in January 2017 by Yutaka Hishiki that builds AI-powered autonomous harvesting robots for greenhouse horticulture, with commercial deployments in Japan and Europe. Its core products include a snack tomato harvesting robot featuring a proprietary dual-hand "cluster harvesting" method that captures 4–5 fruits simultaneously, a rail-mounted multi-trolley robot that doubles work efficiency and halves leaf-removal labor, and a high-ridge asparagus harvesting robot that automates 60–80% of picking. The technology stack combines industrial-camera computer vision, depth sensing, autonomous navigation using VSLAM and RTK GPS, and AI-driven fruit recognition trained on continuous real-world deployment data from Dutch and Japanese greenhouses.
The company operates a Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) model with zero upfront investment for growers, pay-per-kg pricing benchmarked to human labor costs, and a Priority Access Program for 2027 production slots. It also generates revenue from multi-trolley robot hardware sales (e.g., 10 units delivered to Air Water Farm Azumino in December 2024), contracted AI robotics joint-development and POC services for external enterprises, and agricultural-entry consulting that supports new entrants into greenhouse farming. Named enterprise customers span the Netherlands' largest snack tomato cooperative (Greenco), TVA Growers, Kwekerij Duijvestijn, Olbrechts BV in Belgium, and Air Water Farm in Japan.
Inaho maintains European operations through its wholly-owned subsidiary inaho Europe B.V. (Netherlands), and has secured strategic capital and distribution partnerships with industrial firms including Bando Chemical (May 2024, conveyor/belt technology) and Totsu Kogyo (March 2026, facility horticulture materials and nationwide distribution). The company has been recognized with the 2021 Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award at the 9th Robot Award and selection into the MAFF Smart Agriculture Demonstration Project, with recent leadership additions including CTO Yuki Matsuo (ex-Tokyo Robotics co-founder) and COO Shosuke Kumeda (ex-Nyle Inc. IPO contributor).
Inaho firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Inaho
- Legal name
- inaho株式会社
- Website
- https://inaho.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Inaho is a Japanese deep-tech startup that builds AI-powered autonomous harvesting robots for greenhouse tomatoes, asparagus, and trolley transport, sold primarily via a Robot-as-a-Service model to commercial greenhouse operators in Japan and Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Inaho industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Robotics
- NAICS
- Agricultural Implement Manufacturing (33311), Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112)
- SIC
- Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Robotic Harvesting & Picking Systems (Fruit/Vegetable harvest robots) (AFAAAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Agricultural & Field Robotics (HDAAAIAD), Robotics & Autonomous Field Operations (Weeding, Spraying, Harvest Assist, Autonomous Tractors) (AFAGALAJ), Agricultural Robotics Integration, Retrofit & Automation Services (Kit installs, integration, maintenance) (AFAAAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Inaho is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kamakura
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Inaho business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS): Monthly subscription model for robot usage. Customers pay per kg of harvested produce. Zero upfront investment required. Usage fees comparable to human labor costs. Includes maintenance, updates, and support.
- Multi-Trolley Robot Sales: Direct sales of multi-trolley robots for AGV applications in greenhouses. Sold to large-scale farming operations seeking labor efficiency improvements.
- Contracted Development Services: AI robotics joint development and proof-of-concept services for enterprise clients. Includes prototyping, collaborative research, and service co-development across multiple industries.
- Agricultural Entry Support Consulting: Consulting services for companies entering agriculture. Includes training, farm planning, greenhouse construction, equipment procurement, and robot implementation support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | RaaS (Robot-as-a-Service) - Zero upfront investment |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | 2026 Season Field Trial Program |
| Usage-based | Multi-year contract | Priority Access Program 2027 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Inaho product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Inaho develops and manufactures AI-powered autonomous harvesting robots for greenhouse horticulture, including tomato and asparagus robots, plus multi-trolley rail robots for greenhouse transport. The company sells these primarily through a Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) subscription model with pay-per-kg pricing, targeting commercial greenhouse operators facing labor shortages in Japan, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Inaho also provides agricultural entry consulting and AI robotics contract development services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RaaS (Robot-as-a-Service): The company's service model offering robots on a usage-fee basis, eliminating upfront investment costs for growers. Clients pay per kilogram of harvested produce.
- inaho Europe
Products and services
- Tomato Harvesting Robot (トマト収穫ロボット) Autonomous AI-powered robot that uses computer vision to identify ripe fruits by color and size, and automatically harvests snack tomatoes. Features world-first cluster harvesting method using dual hands to grasp and gently twist tomato clusters, harvesting 4-5 fruits simultaneously. Designed for commercial greenhouse tomato producers.
- Multi-Trolley Robot (マルチ台車ロボット) Automated trolley robot that runs on rails in greenhouse facilities, supporting human workers by switching between harvest mode and management operation mode. Provides approximately 2x work efficiency improvement and 50% reduction in leaf-removal labor for greenhouse vegetable producers.
- High-ridge Asparagus Harvesting Robot (高畝アスパラガス収穫ロボット) AI-powered robot that analyzes asparagus growth conditions and automatically harvests young stems at optimal harvest timing. Designed for the efficient high-ridge frame-style cultivation method, targeting asparagus growers seeking labor-efficient harvesting automation.
- Agricultural Entry Support (農業参入支援) One-stop consulting service providing training, farm planning, greenhouse construction, equipment procurement, sales support, and robot integration for companies and individuals entering agriculture. Serves from prime-listed companies to individual farmers, with successful projects ranging from small farms to over 80ha large-scale operations.
- AI Robotics Joint Development (AIロボティクス共同開発事業) Contract development and R&D services leveraging inaho's AI and robotics expertise. Offers prototyping for autonomous vehicles and picking robots, collaborative R&D with research institutions and major manufacturers, and new venture/DX support including AI integration for existing products. Targets national research institutes, universities, and major manufacturers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 45%+ reduction in harvest labor costs demonstrated in commercial settings
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Inaho
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Inaho technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability7 records
Feature5 records
Inaho partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- TVA GrowerscoreTrial partnership with Dutch tomato grower for 2026 season. Ferry and Marcel Adegeest operating 11 hectares. Testing 2 robots during peak season. Focus on quality over speed, with robot handling easier trusses while human workers handle difficult areas.
- Totsu Kogyo (東都興業)coreCapital and business partnership with Totsu Kogyo, a facility horticulture materials manufacturer founded in 1964. Combines inaho's AI robotics technology with Totsu's greenhouse component expertise. Joint development of next-generation controlled-environment agriculture infrastructure. Standardization of 'Robot-Ready' greenhouse specifications. Totsu Kogyo's manufacturing and nationwide distribution network utilized for inaho's product supply.
- Olbrechts BVcoreFirst Belgian trial partner for 2026 snack tomato harvesting robot season. Owner Jeroen Olbrechts motivated by labor cost increases and workforce challenges. Trial focused on preparing team and operations for next automation phase.
- GreencocorePartnership with Netherlands' largest snack tomato production cooperative for 2026 field trial program. Supply Chain Manager Ruud Poels emphasized operational fit and flexibility of the compact battery-powered robot design.
- Kwekerij DuijvestijncoreDutch tomato grower partnership since 2022. RaaS model deployment with autonomous harvesting robot operational since September 2024. Owner Nick Duijvestijn recognized for forward-thinking approach to production efficiency.
- Bando Chemical (バンドー化学)coreCapital and business partnership with Bando Chemical, a major conveyor and power transmission belt manufacturer. Collaboration on robotics technology combining Bando's belt and conveyor technology with inaho's AI and robotics capabilities for agricultural applications.
- Green PEAK-IT (Bosman Van Zaal)coreData connection partnership with Green PEAK-IT platform (subsidiary of Bosman Van Zaal). Integration of inaho's tomato harvesting robot data with horticultural software platform. Enables data-driven greenhouse management and optimization.
- TomatoWorldcorePartnership with TomatoWorld, a Dutch greenhouse horticulture research, education, and exhibition facility established by local producers in Westland, Netherlands. Hub for learning cutting-edge tomato production technology from around the world.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Inaho competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Inaho social profiles
Digital presenceInaho financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Inaho leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Inaho subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Inaho funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Inaho M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Inaho
What does Inaho do?
Inaho develops and manufactures AI-powered autonomous harvesting robots for greenhouse horticulture, including tomato and asparagus robots, plus multi-trolley rail robots for greenhouse transport. The company sells these primarily through a Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) subscription model with pay-per-kg pricing, targeting commercial greenhouse operators facing labor shortages in Japan, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Inaho also provides agricultural entry consulting and AI robotics contract development services.
Is Inaho a public or private company?
Inaho is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Inaho founded?
Inaho was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Inaho based?
Inaho is headquartered in Kamakura, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Inaho make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) is the primary driver. The others are multi-Trolley Robot Sales, contracted Development Services and agricultural Entry Support Consulting.
Does Inaho have an API?
No public API is recorded for Inaho.
What industry is Inaho in?
Inaho's product category is Agricultural Robotics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAAAGAD, Robotic Harvesting & Picking Systems (Fruit/Vegetable harvest robots), with a secondary code of HDAAAIAD, Agricultural & Field Robotics. Its NAICS code is 33311 and its SIC code is 3523.