AGRIST

What AGRIST does

AGRIST Co. Ltd. is a Japanese deep-tech smart agriculture company founded in October 2019 in Shintomi Town, Miyazaki Prefecture, that develops AI-powered autonomous harvesting robots for greenhouse horticulture, with current commercial focus on bell peppers and cucumbers. The company operates an integrated platform comprising two harvesting robot models — Robot L (bell pepper, launched 2022) and Robot Q (cucumber, launched October 2025) — that traverse wire-suspended rails within greenhouses using dual-camera computer vision to identify and cut ripe produce. Robot-collected and sensor data feeds AGRIST Ai, a Microsoft Azure-based yield prediction and cultivation management system built with ML Ops for self-improving accuracy, and a free LINE chatbot ("Agristant") powered by Azure OpenAI provides conversational farming guidance as a top-of-funnel acquisition tool.

The business combines multiple revenue streams: hardware sales and rental of robots (¥1.5M initial setup per farm, plus a 10% revenue-share model and a sharing-economy rental option), subscription-based AGRIST Ai access, turnkey Sustagram Farm packages that bundle AGRIST hardware/software with Takamiya's G-Castle Neo48 greenhouses, a Farming as a Service (FaaS) platform launched May 2025 that digitizes the full production-to-sales value chain, and produce sales from AGRIST FARM, a wholly-owned operating subsidiary running three company-owned demonstration farms. Customer segments include individual greenhouse farmers facing labor shortages (average farmer age 68), JA agricultural cooperatives (distribution and channel partners), local/prefectural governments (policy and subsidy partners), and corporations entering agriculture through the Sustagram Farm package.

The company has raised disclosed funding of approximately $15M+ across a Series A (2021), Pre-Series B (October 2022, ~$6.7M), Series B (July 2024, ~$8.2M led by Takamiya and Nittetsu Kowa Real Estate), and an additional 2025 round from Global Infrastructure Management. Investor base includes JAFCO, ENEOS, NIPPON EXPRESS Holdings, Mizuho Capital, Incubate Fund, DRONE FUND, and 15+ other investors. AGRIST has accumulated 27+ awards including Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award, CES 2023 Innovation Award, and WAFI 2025 Grand Award, holds a PCT international patent for its suspended robot design, and is pursuing North American market expansion through the Japan Innovation Campus program.

Name

AGRIST

Legal name

AGRIST Co. Ltd.

Website

https://agrist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

AGRIST is a Japanese deep-tech smart agriculture company developing AI-powered autonomous harvesting robots and yield prediction software for greenhouse pepper and cucumber farmers, serving individual growers, JA cooperatives, local governments, and corporate farming entrants across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Robotics / Smart Agriculture

NAICS

Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)

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

• Agricultural robotics
• Smart agriculture
• Greenhouse automation
• Harvesting robots
• Agricultural AI

Headquarters

HQ city

Takajo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Robot Sales and Rental: Harvest robots are sold and rented to farmers. Initial setup costs of approximately ¥1.5 million yen per farm. Rental model generates recurring revenue from use. Robots achieve 1 unit per minute harvest performance.
2. Agricultural Package Sales (Sustagram Farm): Complete smart agriculture packages combining robots, AI, and optimized greenhouse facilities sold to producers. Includes hardware and software integration as bundled solutions.
3. AGRIST Ai Subscription: AI-powered yield prediction and cultivation management system provided as a subscription service. Generates recurring revenue from monthly/annual subscriptions.
4. AGRIST FARM Agricultural Production: AGRIST FARM subsidiary operates company-owned farms using its own robots, generating produce sales revenue. Also supplies peppers to craft beer manufacturers as raw material.
5. Farming as a Service (FaaS): Digitized agricultural value chain from production to delivery and sales. Combines harvest robots, AI predictions, and logistics optimization into a comprehensive service.
6. Food Tech Inspection/Training Programs: Customized inspection and training programs for corporations, local governments, and educational institutions visiting AI robot farms, combining farm tours with food experiences and local gastronomy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AGRIST develops and sells AI-powered autonomous harvesting robots (L model for bell peppers, Q model for cucumbers) that operate on wire/rail systems inside greenhouses and use dual-camera computer vision to identify and pick ripe produce. The robots feed structured growth and environmental data into AGRIST Ai, a Microsoft Azure-based yield prediction and cultivation management platform. The company packages its robots, AI software, and optimized greenhouse facilities into the Sustagram Farm turnkey solution, and operates its own demonstration farms through subsidiary AGRIST FARM.

Product overview

AGRIST offers an integrated smart agriculture platform combining AI-powered automatic harvesting robots, an AI-driven agricultural management system (AGRIST Ai), and purpose-built greenhouse facilities. The product portfolio centers on two harvesting robot models — the L (bell pepper) and Q (cucumber) — which operate on rail systems within greenhouses and use computer vision AI to identify and harvest ripe produce. These robots feed structured growth and environmental data into the AGRIST Ai platform, which generates yield predictions, market forecasts, and cultivation recommendations. A free LINE chatbot (あぐりすたんと) provides conversational farming guidance. The Sustagram Farm package integrates robots and AGRIST Ai into optimized greenhouse facilities sold as a complete turnkey solution. The newer Farming as a Service (FaaS) extends the platform end-to-end, digitizing the entire agricultural supply chain from production through logistics to final sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AGRIST FARM: A self-operated AI robot farm producing peppers and cucumbers using automated harvesting robots, established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGRIST.
• AGRIST Ai
• あぐりすたんと (AgriSutant)
• Sustagram Farm
• AGRIST FARM
• FaaS (Farming as a Service)
• Robot 'Q' (探究)

Products and services

• Pepper Automatic Harvesting Robot L (ピーマン自動収穫ロボット L) Wire-suspended rail-mounted automatic bell pepper harvesting robot. Uses dual cameras and AI to identify harvest-ready peppers and perform a 2-stage cut to prevent stem damage to other peppers. Available for sale and rental to greenhouse farmers.
• AI-powered Automatic Harvesting Robot Q (AI搭載自動収穫ロボット Q／探究) Next-generation automatic harvesting robot primarily for cucumbers (with interchangeable hand for peppers). Features autonomous inter-row movement, night harvesting with LED lights, approximately 16-hour continuous operation, expanded vertical harvest range, collision prevention sensors, voice guidance, and smartphone notifications.
• AGRIST Ai (AGRIST AI) Cloud-based smart agriculture software platform providing yield prediction, market price forecasting, and individualized cultivation recommendations. Analyzes sensor and robot-collected data from greenhouse facilities. Built on Microsoft Azure with ML Ops for continuously improving prediction accuracy. Delivered as a subscription service.
• Sustagram Farm (サスタグラムファーム) Complete automated agriculture system package combining AGRIST harvesting robots, AGRIST Ai data platform, and purpose-built greenhouse facilities (G-Castle Neo48 or low-cost weather-resistant houses). Sold as an integrated turnkey package for immediate smart farming deployment, often used by corporations entering agriculture.
• Farming as a Service (FaaS) End-to-end digitized agricultural value chain service covering production, logistics, and sales. Integrates AGRIST Ai yield and demand forecasting with optimized distribution routing and dispatch planning to reduce food loss and maximize farmer profitability.
• Food Tech Inspection and Training Programs Customized inspection and training programs combining farm visits with local gastronomy for corporations, local governments, and educational institutions, offered at AGRIST's AI robot farms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28.6% revenue increase per unit area at East Kuroshima Farm
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Takamiya Co., Ltd. (株式会社タカミヤ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTakamiya invested in Series B funding and partners on Sustagram Farm package combining AGRIST robots with Takamiya's G-Castle Neo48 greenhouse structures. Operating joint next-generation agriculture in Kagoshima Prefecture.
• Microsoft Japan (日本/Microsoft社)coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic technology partner. Microsoft provides Azure cloud platform for AGRIST AI systems and co-developed the yield prediction AI. AGRIST participated in Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab Kobe for evolving AI development. Featured at Hiroshima AI Process Friends Group events with Microsoft Japan.
• JA ZEN-NOH / JA Groups (全国農業協同組合連合会/JAグループ)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJA Group is a key distribution channel partner. AGRIST robots are deployed through JA Iwate (JA全農いわて), and partnerships extend nationwide for smart agriculture demonstration and promotion. JA provides access to member farmers and cooperative resources.
• Macnica (マクニカ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMacnica partnered with AGRIST and Miyazaki Prefecture through a comprehensive cooperation agreement for sustainable agriculture using bell pepper harvesting robots, combining Macnica's technology capabilities with AGRIST's robotics.
• HPRS (株式会社HPRS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPRS signed comprehensive cooperation agreement with AGRIST, Fukagawa City, Hokkaido, and Kitami Sorachi Agricultural Cooperative for next-generation agriculture implementation in Hokkaido.
• Miyazaki Prefecture / Shintomi Town (宮崎県/新富町)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome base partnership. AGRIST originated in Shintomi Town, Miyazaki, which is a national model for regional revitalization. Miyazaki Prefecture provides support and policy alignment. AGRIST serves as showcase for local agricultural innovation.
• Kagoshima Prefecture / Higashikagura Town (鹿児島県/東串良町)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for comprehensive cooperation agreement on bell pepper harvesting robot dissemination. AGRIST FARM (second company farm) established in Higashikagura Town. Location for Sustagram Farm showroom.
• Fukagawa City, Hokkaido (北海道深川市)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned comprehensive cooperation agreement with AGRIST, HPRS, and Kitami Sorachi Agricultural Cooperative for Hokkaido's first next-generation agriculture implementation addressing regional agricultural labor shortages.
• Kitami Sorachi Agricultural Cooperative (きたそらち農業協同組合)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with AGRIST, Fukagawa City, and HPRS for next-generation agriculture in Hokkaido, providing agricultural cooperative services and farmer access.
• J-Startup ProgrammajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesignated J-Startup 2021 company receiving government support for global expansion, including participation in CES 2023 and other international trade missions through the program.
• Japan Innovation CampusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProgram supporting AGRIST's North American market expansion by connecting with investors and local companies in target markets.
• Smart Agri University (SAU)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAGRIST offers educational programs on smart agriculture through SAU, providing training for aspiring farmers and professionals interested in agricultural technology.
• UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerAGRIST's AI harvesting robots listed in UNDP DigitalX Catalog under Japanese government-supported DigitalX 3.0 program for scalable digital solutions contributing to SDGs and Human Security.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Octinion: Belgium-based developer of a soft-touch strawberry picking robot; directly comparable as a greenhouse robotics company building AI-driven fruit/vegetable harvesters, the same core product wedge as AGRIST's pepper and cucumber robots.
• RootWave: UK-based agricultural robotics company using computer vision and AI for precision weeding in specialty crops; comparable as a category-focused agri-robotics player deploying AI-driven autonomous field robots in horticulture.
• Small Robot Company: UK-based company developing Tom, Dick, and Harry robots for weeding, scouting, and precision drilling using AI vision; comparable AI-driven agricultural robotics approach for specialty crop farming.
• Tortuga AgTech: US-based company developing a strawberry harvesting robot using computer vision and articulated arms for greenhouse and high-value crops; same target market (greenhouse horticulture) and same AI/robotics approach as AGRIST.
• Metomotion: Israel-based developer of the GRoW robot for greenhouse tomato harvesting, combining computer vision and robotics; directly comparable to AGRIST as a greenhouse fruit/vegetable harvesting robotics specialist.
• Naio Technologies: French developer of autonomous farming robots (weeding, hoeing, harvesting assistance) for vegetable and specialty crops; closely comparable business model of small autonomous agricultural robots for high-value crops.

Regional players

• Spread Co. Kyoto-based vertical farming operator using automation and AI in plant factories; comparable as a Japan-based technology-forward agriculture business but focused on indoor vertical production rather than field robotics.

Broad incumbents

• Kubota Corporation: Japan's largest agricultural equipment manufacturer offering tractors, combine harvesters, and increasingly smart farming systems; a domestic incumbent that increasingly overlaps with AGRIST's smart agriculture and AI-led robotics thesis.
• Yanmar Holdings: Japanese industrial and agricultural equipment manufacturer with smart agriculture (SMARTPILOT) and autonomous tractor R&D; a relevant Japanese peer for AGRIST given overlapping end markets and robotics ambitions.
• Blue River Technology (Deere & Company): Subsidiary of John Deere applying computer vision and machine learning to plant-level agriculture; comparable AI-for-agriculture thrust though operating at much larger scale and broader crop portfolio than AGRIST.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agrist_inc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/AGRIST_INC
• Facebookfacebook.com/agrist.inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/agrist_inc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agrist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors14 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AGRIST