What Edamame does

Edamame Inc. is a Tokyo-based frozen food technology consulting, product development, and marketing services company founded in September 2015 by Hiroyuki Narita, a former Hakuhodo sales representative. The company delivers end-to-end support across the frozen food value chain: freezing technology consulting (vendor-neutral equipment selection, OEM support, and new business launch advisory), full-cycle product development (concept, recipe, production line, packaging, storage, and shipping), and marketing services (sales strategy, branding, EC setup, and PR). Its proprietary technology is grounded in a joint research relationship signed in February 2016 with Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology's Food Freezing Laboratory — described in source material as Japan's only specialized food freezing research lab — providing scientific depth in rapid freezing (急速凍結), cold chain optimization, and quality control.

The firm operates a multi-revenue-stream model: professional-services consulting, OEM product development, hardware sales of rapid freezers, subsidy application support, and a proprietary consumer brand, SAKEICE (sake-flavored ice cream), retailed from a physical storefront in YANMAR TOKYO. It also operates the おいしい冷凍研究所 (Oishii Reito Kenkyuusho / Food Freezing Research Lab) content media platform for inbound lead generation, and the Washoku Global Marketing joint service — run in partnership with SD Marketing Global in Australia — which leverages a ~15,000-member Washoku Lovers community and 2,000+ Japanese restaurant network in Australia for Japanese food exporters. Customer segments are diversified across large corporations, government/public institutions, startups, restaurants/food service operators, and primary producers (fishermen, farmers). GTM is consulting-led and content-led, with seminars, FOODEX participation, and the media site driving inbound inquiries.

Name

Edamame

Legal name

株式会社えだまめ

Website

https://eda-mame.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Edamame is a Tokyo-based frozen food technology consulting, product development, and marketing services firm that supports large corporations, government, startups, and restaurants with vendor-neutral freezing expertise, product development, and Australian market entry via the Washoku Global Marketing service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Technology Consulting

NAICS

Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing (311412), Frozen Food Manufacturing (31141), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Prepared Foods & Meals Manufacturing (AFAKACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Frozen Seafood Meals & Value-Added Seafood (CRADADAG)

Keywords

• Frozen food consulting
• Cold chain technology
• Rapid freezing equipment
• Frozen product development
• Food marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Fee-based consulting for frozen food business planning, freezing technology selection, product development, and OEM support. Projects range from small to large scale, delivered from a neutral (non-vendor-aligned) perspective.
2. Product Development Services: Full-cycle frozen food product development from concept and recipe development to production line setup, packaging, storage, and shipping design. Also includes OEM product development.
3. Marketing Services: Sales strategy development, package and logo design, photography, website/EC setup, and PR activities for frozen food clients.
4. Rapid Freezer Sales: Sale and selection of optimal rapid freezing machines (急速凍結機/凍結機) for clients, including financing support and peripheral equipment procurement.
5. SAKEICE Business: Sales of sake-flavored ice cream under the SAKEICE brand, a proprietary product line.
6. Subsidy Application Support: Assistance with ものづくり補助金 and other government subsidy applications for food-related businesses investing in freezing equipment.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Edamame provides end-to-end frozen food business support, specializing in freezing technology consulting, product development (from concept and recipe to production line setup, packaging, storage, and shipping), and marketing services (sales strategy, branding, package/logo design, photography, website/EC setup, PR). The company also sells rapid freezing equipment and operates the proprietary SAKEICE sake-flavored ice cream brand and the Washoku Global Marketing overseas marketing service for Japanese food brands expanding into Australia.

Product overview

Edamame Inc. (株式会社えだまめ) is a frozen food technology consulting and marketing company that operates as a multi-service platform. The company offers freezing technology consulting, product development, and marketing services as its core offerings, supplemented by specialized services including rapid freezer sales, central kitchen introduction support, and frozen vending machine support. Edamame also operates the 'おいしい冷凍研究所' (Food Freezing Research Lab) media platform for knowledge dissemination, runs the Washoku Global Marketing overseas marketing service, and manages the SAKEICE ice cream product brand. Together, these services provide a comprehensive frozen food business ecosystem supporting clients from technology consulting through product development and market expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAKEICE: Japanese sake ice cream brand producing sake-flavored ice products.
• おいしい冷凍研究所 (Oishii Reitou Kenkyuujo)
• Washoku Global Marketing

Products and services

• Freezing Technology Consulting (冷凍技術コンサルティング)
• Product Development (商品開発)
• Marketing (マーケティング)
• Oishii Reito Kenkyuusho (おいしい冷凍研究所 / Food Freezing Research Lab)
• Washoku Global Marketing
• SAKEICE
• Rapid Freezer Sales (急速冷凍機販売)
• Central Kitchen Introduction Support (セントラルキッチン導入支援)
• Frozen Vending Machine Introduction Support (冷凍自販機導入支援)

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 東京海洋大学 (Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2016Joint research agreement with Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology's Food Freezing Laboratory (led by Professor Suzuki Toru) to commercialize food freezing technology seeds and verify business models for freezing services and product development. This is Japan's only specialized food freezing research laboratory.
• SD Marketing Global Pty LtdcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to operate Washoku Global Marketing, a joint service providing Japanese food companies market research, sales promotion, and PR/events in Australia. SD Marketing Global operates the Washoku Lovers community (~15,000 members) and manages on-the-ground execution in Australia while Edamame handles Japan-side sales and planning support.
• Washoku LoverscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralia's largest Japanese food community operated by SD Marketing Global. With ~15,000 Australian members, it provides access to consumers and restaurant networks for Japanese food exporters. Key activities include Washoku Culinary School for local chefs and Washoku Lovers Kitchen cooking classes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Maruha Nichiro Corporation: Japan's largest seafood company with substantial frozen foods operations. Comparable to Edamame's seafood-side consulting (frozen sushi research, 株式会社アルティマイス high-end fish freezing project) and frozen prepared seafood focus.
• Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Global Japanese food manufacturer with an extensive frozen and prepared foods portfolio. Comparable as a large enterprise Edamame serves as a frozen food new-business consulting client and competitor for frozen prepared meal customers.
• Mayekawa Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Japanese industrial refrigeration and frozen-food processing equipment maker with global operations. Comparable to Edamame as a vendor of industrial-scale freezing technology that Edamame's clients may select via its vendor-neutral consulting.
• Nichirei Corporation: Japan's largest frozen food manufacturer and cold-chain logistics operator. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated frozen-food company whose domain Edamame serves through consulting, product development, and equipment selection.
• Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd. Major Japanese ice cream and dairy manufacturer. Directly comparable for benchmarking Edamame's SAKEICE sake-flavored ice cream brand against an entrenched Japanese frozen dessert incumbent.
• HOSHIZAKI Corporation: Leading Japanese manufacturer of commercial refrigeration and ice-making equipment. Comparable to Edamame because Edamame advises clients on rapid freezer selection and sells/freezes equipment as part of its consulting engagements.
• Kagome Co., Ltd. Japanese food manufacturer with significant frozen prepared vegetables and ready-meal operations. Comparable to Edamame as a frozen prepared-food industry participant whose product development needs Edamame's consulting addresses.
• Imuraya Confectionery Co., Ltd. Long-established Japanese confectionery and ice cream company. Comparable to Edamame's SAKEICE brand as a domestic competitor in the Japanese ice cream and frozen novelty category.
• Warabeya Nichiyo Holdings Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of prepared and frozen foods for convenience stores and ready-meal channels. Comparable as a frozen prepared-food manufacturer in Edamame's core service domain and a potential client for central-kitchen and rapid freezer consulting.

Others

• Cookpad Inc. Japan's largest recipe and food knowledge platform. Comparable to Edamame's おいしい冷凍研究所 media property as a content-led food knowledge business, though Cookpad targets consumers while Edamame targets producers and food businesses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Edamame