What AgVenture Lab does

AgVenture Lab (アグベンチャーラボ) is a General Incorporated Association (一般社団法人) established on May 27, 2019 by eight national federations of the JA Group—Japan's nationwide agricultural cooperative system. Headquartered in Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, the organization operates as an open innovation platform supporting startups addressing social issues in food, agriculture, lifestyle, regional revitalization, and sustainability. Rather than building proprietary technology, AgVenture Lab's core function is to bridge external startups with the JA Group's institutional assets: a nationwide network of agricultural cooperatives, Norinchukin Bank (a major agricultural financial institution), the national mutual insurance federation, Nihon Nogyo Shimbun (Japan Agricultural Newspaper), and JA Tourism. Its primary technology is an open co-creation facilitation platform connecting startups, JA Group entities, universities, and government bodies.

The organization operates five distinct programs: the JAアクセラレーター (JA Accelerator) program, now in its 8th phase with cumulative support of 61+ startups since 2019; GROW&BLOOM, an entrepreneur training program for students and working professionals; JUMP, a nationwide student business plan contest (with JUMP Vol.5 receiving 169 applications and awarding up to ¥1 million per team); the SA&Fクラスター (Sustainable AgriTech & FoodTech Cluster) under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's TIB CATAPULT initiative; and the スタートアップ大規模技術実証支援事業, a subsidy program administered on behalf of MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) that provides up to ¥320 million per company to qualifying agritech startups. AgVenture Lab also makes direct equity investments in select portfolio companies, including TRINUS, Tokyo Bal, and ADDress.

The business model is a hybrid of non-profit innovation services and emerging corporate venture activity. Core funding comes from contributions by the eight JA Group member organizations (the parent structure being the JA Group conglomerate). Revenue is not publicly disclosed, consistent with its non-profit status. Programs are offered free of charge to participants, with monetization occurring indirectly through (1) parent-organization funding, (2) government secretariat contracts (MAFF, Tokyo Metropolitan Government), (3) partnership-mediated corporate sponsorship, and (4) emerging direct equity investments. Distribution is multi-channel: open application via dedicated program websites, JA Group's cooperative network, regional event partnerships (Hokkaido, Okinawa, Aichi, Toyama, Miyazaki, Fukushima), and international co-hosting with chambers of commerce and innovation hubs in France, Norway, Australia, the United States, and Rwanda. The organization executed a leadership transition on March 27, 2026, appointing Tsuchida Tomoko (土田智子) as Representative Director and Chairman and introducing an executive officer system.

Name

AgVenture Lab

Legal name

AgVenture Lab（一般社团法人AgVenture Lab）

Website

https://agventurelab.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

AgVenture Lab is a non-profit innovation laboratory established in 2019 by eight national federations of Japan's JA Group, operating accelerator programs (JAアクセラレーター, GROW&BLOOM, JUMP, SA&F Cluster) and administering MAFF startup subsidies to support food, agriculture, and lifestyle startups with access to Japan's agricultural cooperative network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator and Innovation Services

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG)

Keywords

• Startup acceleration services
• Agriculture innovation
• Food tech ventures
• Open innovation platform
• Agritech incubator

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Startup Acceleration Services: AgVenture Lab provides acceleration program management and startup support services, operating as a not-for-profit general incorporated association funded by JA Group's 8 national organizations. Revenue generation comes through program fees, partnership contributions, and facilitating business matching between startups and JA Group companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AgVenture Lab is an innovation laboratory that supports startups in food, agriculture, lifestyle, finance, regional revitalization, and sustainability sectors. It runs accelerator programs (JAアクセラレーター), entrepreneur training (GROW&BLOOM), student business plan contests (JUMP), startup-corporate matching clusters (SA&F Cluster), and administers government subsidy programs on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The organization connects startups with JA Group's nationwide agricultural cooperative network, providing mentorship, proof-of-concept support, demo day opportunities, and co-working facilities in central Tokyo.

Product overview

AgVenture Lab operates as an innovation lab within the JA Group (Japanese agricultural cooperative), offering a portfolio of programs to support entrepreneurs and startups in the food, agriculture, and lifestyle sectors. The core offerings include: the JA Accelerator Program for established startups seeking rapid growth with JA Group resources; GROW＆BLOOM for aspiring entrepreneurs (students and working professionals) at the idea stage; JUMP student business plan contests for university/college students; the SA&F Cluster for startup-corporate collaboration under Tokyo's TIB CATAPULT initiative; and a large-scale technology demonstration support program for agriculture/food startups administered for the Ministry of Agriculture. The organization does not offer a single software product but rather serves as an accelerator and ecosystem facilitator connecting startups with JA Group assets, mentorship, and funding opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JAアクセラレーター: Accelerator program supporting startups in food, agriculture, lifestyle, finance, regional revitalization, and sustainability sectors
• JUMP
• GROW&BLOOM
• SA&Fクラスター

Products and services

• JAアクセラレーター (JA Accelerator Program) An accelerator program supporting startups focused on food, agriculture, lifestyle, finance, regional revitalization, and sustainability. The program runs approximately 5-month cohorts, selecting innovative startups through a competitive business plan contest and providing mentorship from JA Group staff, access to JA Group assets for proof-of-concept experiments, and Demo Day presentations to investors and partners. 61+ companies have been supported across 7+ phases through 2026.
• GROW&BLOOM

Quantifiable outcome

• 52 teams supported through JAアクセラレーター Phase 1-6
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026AgVenture Lab serves as secretariat for MAFF's startup large-scale technology demonstration support project, managing subsidy programs of up to ¥320 million per company for agrifood technology commercialization.
• BRAIN (National Agriculture and Food Research Organization)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026AgVenture Lab participated in AgriFood SBIR Pitch Matching 2026, an event co-hosted by BRAIN (Bioscience Research and Innovation Center), Beyond Next Ventures, and Fortieth Consulting to support SBIR-eligible agrifood startups.
• Beyond Next VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Co-hosting AgriFood SBIR Pitch Matching 2026 event to support agritech startup ecosystem development.
• Fortieth ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Co-hosting AgriFood SBIR Pitch Matching 2026 event to support agritech startup ecosystem development.
• TRINUSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 October 2025AgVenture Lab invested in TRINUS to support expansion of its subscription service SiKiTO, which has shipped over 600,000 branches and aims to promote branch culture and sustainable resource utilization.
• STARTUP HOKKAIDOmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2024STARTUP HOKKAIDO joined as a supporter for JAアクセラレーター Phase 6, introducing the first-ever 'Hokkaido枠' (Hokkaido category) to support startups conducting proof-of-concept experiments primarily in Hokkaido, with Hokuren Agricultural Cooperative Association staff providing mentorship.
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TIB CATAPULT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024AgVenture Lab was selected as the representative company for the 'Sustainable AgriTech & FoodTech Cluster (SA&F Cluster)' under Tokyo's TIB CATAPULT startup support program. The 3-year initiative aims to create 20+ collaboration cases between startups and large enterprises in the food and agriculture domain.
• OIST (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2024OIST partnered with AgVenture Lab to co-host 'OKINAWA Night' events featuring OIST-based startups and promoting deep-tech innovation in food and agriculture sectors. The partnership includes OIST's startup support programs and new incubation facilities.
• UC ANR (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2023Cooperation agreement with UC ANR (California) and Global SF to jointly host Foodtech incubation events, promoting cross-border innovation exchange between Japanese and US agrifood startups.
• Global SFmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2023Partnership with Global SF to facilitate international Foodtech startup ecosystem connections and cross-border innovation initiatives.
• 01BoosterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 202301Booster partnered with AgVenture Lab to co-develop and co-operate the JAアクセラレーター program, contributing open innovation expertise and startup support methodologies.
• Australian Embassy Trade Office ( Austrade)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2021Collaborated with Australian Embassy Trade Office to produce video series 'Australian Agriculture and Agritech Update' featuring 3 Australian agritech companies, promoting cross-border agricultural technology exchange.
• Tokachi FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2021Partnership agreement with Tokachi Foundation (とかち財団) for regional startup support and innovation promotion in Tokachi region, Hokkaido.
• Smart Agriculture Promotion AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2020Co-hosted 'Smart Agriculture Summit' events with Smart Agriculture Promotion Association (headed by Koyo Immigration Foundation) to discuss future of agriculture and promote agritech innovation.
• Tokyo University of ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2020Academic partnership for innovation promotion, including joint events and collaboration on startup support and research initiatives.
• Rwanda StartupsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2020Hosted Rwanda Startup Pitch Event in Tokyo to facilitate cross-border innovation exchange between Japanese and African startup ecosystems.
• Le Village by CA (Crédit Agricole)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2019Partnership with French agricultural bank's innovation lab Le Village by CA Toulouse to facilitate cross-border innovation exchange between Japanese and French agrifood startups.
• Koyo Immigration Foundation (こゆ財団)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2019Partnership with Koyo Immigration Foundation (宮崎県こゆ財団) for smart agriculture initiatives and regional revitalization projects, including joint 'Smart Agriculture Summit' events.
• Deep Learning Robotics (Israel)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 July 2019Hosted invited lecture by Israeli robotics company Deep Learning Robotics on robotics and AI applications in agriculture.
• MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2019MAFF selected AgVenture Lab to operate the secretariat for the 'Startup Large-scale Technology Demonstration Support Project' (スタートアップ大規模技術実証支援事業), supporting 5 companies with up to ¥320 million each in subsidies.
• JA Group (8 National Organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2019AgVenture Lab was jointly established by 8 JA Group national organizations: 全国農業協同組合中央会 (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations), 全国農業協同組合連合会 (National Agricultural Cooperative Federation), 全国共済農業協同組合連合会 (National Mutual Insurance Federation), 农林中央金庫 (Norinchukin Bank), 一般社团法人家の光協会 (Ieno Hikari Association), 株式会社日本農業新聞 (Nihon Nogyo Shimbun), 全国厚生農業協同組合連合会 (National Health Insurance Association), and 株式会社農協観光 (JA Tourism). These organizations provide funding, expertise, and network access to support AgVenture Lab's startup acceleration activities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 01Booster: Japanese open innovation accelerator that co-develops and co-operates the JA Accelerator program with AgVenture Lab. Directly comparable in serving Japanese corporate-startup open innovation, with similar cohort-based mentorship and demo day formats.
• Le Village by CA: Crédit Agricole's agricultural innovation lab and a documented partner of AgVenture Lab for French-Japanese cross-border activities. Operates a parallel model as an agricultural-bank-affiliated startup accelerator with international footprint.
• Beyond Next Ventures: Japanese deep-tech and life-science VC that co-hosts AgriFood SBIR Pitch Matching events with AgVenture Lab. Comparable as a Japan-based agrifood/tech startup supporter with similar corporate and government partner ecosystems.
• Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology: US agricultural industry-affiliated startup accelerator focused on specialty crop technology. Comparable model of an established agricultural trade association standing up an innovation lab to support member-adjacent startups.

Broad incumbents

• Plug and Play Japan: Global accelerator platform with a Japanese operation running multiple verticals including food/retail and brand & loyalty. Larger scale and broader scope than AgVenture Lab, but competes for the same Japanese corporate-startup open innovation budgets.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network with agtech and foodtech programs (e.g., Techstars Farm to Fork). Comparable accelerator methodology and Demo Day format, though operates at much larger scale and with venture-backed model.
• Startupbootcamp: Global accelerator network with multiple vertical programs including FoodTech and AgriTech. Comparable accelerator cohort structure and corporate partnership model, though commercially operated rather than non-profit.
• Rabobank Food & Agri Innovation: Major agricultural bank's innovation and investment arm that runs startup support programs worldwide. Comparable as a financial-institution-affiliated agrifood innovation platform supporting startups in food and agriculture sectors.

Regional players

• H-FARM: Italian innovation platform and early-stage investor that runs accelerator and corporate open innovation programs, including food and ag-tech. Comparable as a European innovation hub with food/agriculture focus and corporate partnership model.

Others

• NTT DOCOMO Ventures / XRV-style agritech funds: Corporate venture arms and innovation programs from large Japanese firms that occasionally overlap with AgVenture Lab's agritech portfolio. Indirect peers that represent the broader corporate-startup innovation ecosystem in which AgVenture Lab operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AgventureLab
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/AgVentureLab
• Facebookfacebook.com/agventurelab
• Instagraminstagram.com/jump.agventurelab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments7 records

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

Frequently asked questions about AgVenture Lab