Fermento

What Fermento does

Fermento (株式会社Fermento) is a private Japanese consulting firm established in September 2017 and headquartered in Yoshinaga Town (吉永町), Bizen City (備前市), Okayama Prefecture, with ¥3 million of registered capital and a self-described 極小企業 (very small enterprise) operating posture. The firm's stated mission is promoting systems that convert organic waste — including food waste, livestock manure, food-factory residues, and human waste — into energy (biogas/methane gas) and fertilizer through methane fermentation (メタン発酵), and it operates across the food, agriculture, energy, and waste sectors to deliver circular-resource systems at the regional level.

The company's revenue is generated through three streams. The primary stream is bespoke, project-based consulting for local-government municipalities in Okayama Prefecture (approximately 70-80% of consulting engagements, with a heavy concentration in northern Okayama), covering waste-reduction feasibility studies, methane-fermentation investigations, food-waste-to-energy studies, livestock-waste utilization, low-carbon and climate-action planning, subsidy documentation, and citizen-conference facilitation. A secondary consulting stream serves private enterprises with biomass-center operational advisory, digestate-fertilizer promotion, six-sector industrialization facility consulting, HACCP documentation, purified-biogas vehicle demonstration support, and overseas drainage/recycling-agriculture business development. A third, much smaller stream is direct-to-consumer processed-food sales under the 八百吉商店 (Yaoyoshi Shoten) sub-brand — jams, spreads, and soup stocks produced in a workshop converted from spare office rooms using locally-sourced Okayama produce with a bottle-deposit reuse program, sold through the company's own e-commerce storefront and select natural-food retailers.

Fermento monetizes through negotiated professional-services fees per engagement, with multi-year contracts typical for public-sector work and individual item pricing for processed-food products; no public price list is disclosed. The firm holds no patents, no disclosed funding rounds, and no institutional investors, and operates with a small, slowly growing team led by Representative Director Michika Furuse (道閑房恵), who holds the title of Methane Fermentation Technical Advisor (メタン発酵技術アドバイザー). Distribution is direct and relationship-driven: public-sector tenders, regional referrals, and the founder's personal network, with no channel partners or resellers beyond a single natural-food retail placement.

Name

Fermento

Legal name

株式会社Fermento

Website

https://fermento.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Fermento (株式会社Fermento) is a small Okayama-based Japanese consulting firm founded in 2017 that advises local governments, private companies, and research institutions on methane-fermentation and circular-resource systems for organic waste, and additionally sells locally sourced jams and spreads under its 八百吉商店 (Yaoyoshi Shoten) sub-brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental and Resource Circulation Consulting

NAICS

Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Anaerobic Digestion (Wet/Dry AD) & Biogas Production (EUAIAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digestate Processing, Nutrient Recovery & Fertilizer Products (Struvite, Ammonia, Compost) (EUAAAEAL), Anaerobic Digestion (AD) & Biogas/RNG Production (Organics Feedstocks) (BPALAEAC)

Keywords

• Methane fermentation consulting
• Organic waste recycling
• Circular economy advisory
• Resource circulation consulting
• Biogas feasibility studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Okayama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services for Public Sector (自治体系): Fermento generates revenue primarily through consulting contracts with local government entities (municipalities). Services include waste reduction feasibility studies, food waste-to-energy investigations, livestock waste utilization studies, low-carbon zone documentation support, regional climate action planning, and similar commissioned research projects.
2. Private Sector Consulting: Advisory services for private companies including biomass center operational advisory, digestate fertilizer promotion, six-sector industrialization facility equipment consulting, HACCP documentation, purified biogas vehicle demonstration support, and agricultural-welfare coordination support.
3. Agricultural Processed Products Sales (八百吉商店): Sales of self-manufactured processed products (jams, spreads, soup stocks) through online store and retail placement at natural food shops. Revenue from direct product sales, including a bottle deposit (デポジット) system for reusable bottles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fermento is a consulting firm that advises local governments and private companies on establishing circular resource systems based on methane fermentation technology, converting organic waste (food waste, livestock manure, food factory residues, human waste) into biogas energy and digestate fertilizer. Service offerings span research and investigation, cross-sector food-agriculture-energy consulting, methane fermentation project feasibility studies, and agricultural processing support. The company also self-manufactures and sells processed agricultural products (jams, spreads, soup stocks) under the sub-brand 八百吉商店 (Yaoyoshi Shoten) using locally-sourced Okayama produce.

Product overview

Fermento operates as a consulting company offering three interconnected service areas: (1) Research and investigation services for resource circulation systems, (2) Food-agriculture-energy cross-sector consulting, and (3) Methane fermentation business feasibility studies. Additionally, through the 八百吉商店 (Yaoyoshi Shoten) sub-brand, they manufacture and sell their own processed food products including jams, spreads, and soups using locally sourced Okayama Prefecture agricultural products. The company also operates a free renewable energy consultation service covering solar, hydro, biomass, and wind power topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 八百吉商店 (Yao Yoshi Shouten): An online store operated by Fermento for processed food products made from Okayama Prefecture-grown vegetables and fruits, including jam, spreads, and soup bases. Uses local produce, minimal additives, and unrefined cane sugar. Products are sold at natural food stores in Okayama City.

Products and services

• Fermento Consulting Services (Resource Circulation, Cross-Sector, and Methane Fermentation Consulting) End-to-end consulting services for local governments, private companies, and research institutions covering resource circulation system creation, food-agriculture-energy cross-sector advisory, methane fermentation project feasibility studies, biomass center operational advisory, digestate fertilizer promotion, HACCP documentation support, and overseas expansion advisory.
• 八百吉商店 (Yaoyoshi Shoten) Processed Food Products

Quantifiable outcome

• Methane fermentation projects successfully supported across multiple municipalities in Okayama Prefecture
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Okayama Prefecture Environmental Conservation Business Group / 岡山県環境保全事業団coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 April 2023The Okayama Prefecture Environmental Conservation Business Group operates the 'Okayama Circular Resources Comprehensive Information Support Center' (岡山県循環資源総合情報支援センター), which serves as the secretariat for the 3R Advisor program. Fermento's representative was appointed as a 3R Advisor through this arrangement, with the secretariat handling administrative coordination, matching system registration, and outreach to businesses on behalf of the prefecture.
• らんらん亭minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2023Ranran-tei is a natural food shop in Okayama city that stocks and sells Fermento's processed food products (八百吉商店 jams and spreads). The shop owner accepted the bottle deposit (デポジット) system for reusable bottles, which is a non-standard arrangement that facilitated the partnership.
• businesses seeking waste reduction (potential matching partners)minorOthers · 1 January 2023As 3R Advisor, Fermento connects businesses generating recyclable waste materials (but currently disposing of them) with businesses that have demand for those materials as resources. This is an indirect partnership facilitated through the prefecture's matching system platform 'Okayama Waste Navi' (おかやま廃棄物ナビ).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pacific Consultants Co., Ltd. Large Japanese infrastructure and environmental consulting firm. Comparable in serving municipalities on circular-economy and sustainability planning, though at materially larger scale and scope.
• Nihon Suido Consultants Co., Ltd. (NSC): Japanese environmental and water consulting firm with municipal-government focus. Comparable consulting-side offering on environmental planning, resource circulation, and feasibility work for local authorities.
• Suisho Engineering Co., Ltd. Japanese engineering firm specializing in biogas plant design and methane fermentation projects. Most directly comparable peer as a Japan-focused AD/biogas specialist serving municipalities and private operators.
• CTI Engineering Co., Ltd. Japanese civil and environmental engineering consultancy providing planning, feasibility, and design services to local governments. Overlaps with Fermento on municipal environmental consulting engagements.
• Eight-Japan Engineering Consultants Inc. Japanese infrastructure and environmental engineering consultancy active in regional circular-economy and waste-management planning. Comparable Japanese environmental consulting peer serving municipal clients.
• NJS Co., Ltd. (Suisho / 水ing): Major Japanese environmental and water infrastructure consulting / engineering firm offering circular-economy and waste-to-resource advisory to municipalities. Comparable as a Japanese environmental consultancy serving government clients.

Broad incumbents

• Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co., Ltd. Subsidiary of Kobelco Group providing environmental solutions including biogas / methane fermentation equipment and plant engineering. Larger, diversified environmental player with overlapping AD capabilities.
• Hitachi Zosen Inova AG (HZI): Global engineering company (Japan/Swiss) building anaerobic digestion and biogas plants. Operates at much larger scale but shares the methane-fermentation / circular-economy domain and engages with Japanese municipalities on AD projects.

Regional players

• PlanET Biogas Group GmbH: German / Canadian biogas plant engineering and construction firm. Comparable in AD/biogas project delivery but geographically focused outside Japan.
• EnviTec Biogas AG: German-based global biogas plant builder and operator. Comparable in the AD/biogas domain but serves European markets primarily rather than competing directly with Fermento in Japan.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 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 Fermento