A-Plus
A-Plus operates Farm & Factory TAMURA, a fully enclosed plant factory in Fukushima, Japan, producing ~1.4 tons/day of GAP-certified leafy vegetables for B2B food service and major convenience store / supermarket chains including Seven-Eleven Japan and Ito-Yokado.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersTamura, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What A-Plus does
A-Plus (株式会社A-PLUS) is a Japanese agricultural technology company founded in November 2017 (originally as Green Planning Corporation, renamed to A-Plus in June 2019) and headquartered in Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture. The company operates Farm & Factory TAMURA, a fully enclosed plant factory that began commercial operations in December 2020 with approximately 1.4 tons of daily leafy-vegetable production capacity, built on approximately 20 billion yen ($13-14M equivalent) of capital investment. Its core technology stack combines a proprietary hydroponic cultivation method (developed at its now-closed Wako Riken Lab), what it describes as the world's first automated conveyor system for plant factory operations, industrial robotics, a top-seal cup salad processing line, and a zero-liquid-discharge wastewater system. The company employs 27 people as of April 2023 and holds ASIA-GAP and JGAP certifications for fresh produce.
A-Plus generates revenue through B2B direct sales of leafy vegetables and processed products, with an enterprise field-sales go-to-market targeting two primary segments: food service businesses (hotels, resorts, restaurants, golf courses) requiring fresh cut vegetables with extended shelf life, and major convenience store / supermarket chains requiring GAP-certified produce for prepared foods. Named anchor customers include Seven-Eleven Japan (GAP-certified lettuce for 'Mirai Deli' salads and sandwiches under the Seven & i Group, supply announced April 2022) and Ito-Yokado / York Benimar (Seven & i subsidiaries, new product launches October 2022). Two original SKUs — the proprietary cup salad and individually wrapped lettuce — are currently under sales suspension. The company also sells plant factory planning and consulting services that package its cultivation management, quality control, and GAP certification know-how for external buyers.
The business model is supported by a single disclosed funding event (a 10 million yen third-party allocation from WAGO in December 2017 that raised registered capital to 10 million yen); the company is privately held with no identified VC or institutional PE ownership beyond that initial investment. Strategic positioning is closely tied to the Fukushima post-earthquake reconstruction initiative, evidenced by the Tamura City HQ location, government subsidy selection (2018), multiple ministerial visits in 2024-2025, and the 2025 trademark registration completed through the Fukushima Innovation Coast Initiative support program.
A-Plus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A-Plus
- Legal name
- 株式会社 A-PLUS
- Website
- https://a-plus-tamura.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- A-Plus operates Farm & Factory TAMURA, a fully enclosed plant factory in Fukushima, Japan, producing ~1.4 tons/day of GAP-certified leafy vegetables for B2B food service and major convenience store / supermarket chains including Seven-Eleven Japan and Ito-Yokado.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A-Plus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vertical Farming / Plant Factory Produce
- NAICS
- Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Greenhouse Vegetable Production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Leafy Greens) (AFAGAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Leafy Greens & Salad Processing Packhouses (Fresh-Cut) (AFAOAGAI), Hydroponic / Controlled-Environment Produce Wholesale (AFAIACAM)
Keywords
Where A-Plus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tamura
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
A-Plus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Leafy Vegetable Sales: Production and sale of high-quality leafy vegetables (lettuce) to B2B customers including hotels, resorts, restaurants, and golf courses. Products are sold as cut vegetables with extended shelf life.
- Processed Food Products: Production and sale of processed products using factory-grown lettuce, including cup salads and other convenience foods supplied to major convenience store chains.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
A-Plus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A-Plus operates a fully enclosed plant factory (Farm & Factory TAMURA) in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, producing approximately 1.4 tons of leafy vegetables per day using proprietary hydroponic cultivation and automated conveyor systems. The company grows, processes, and supplies GAP-certified cut lettuce, bulk lettuce, and processed products (cup salads) primarily to commercial food service operators (hotels, restaurants, golf courses) and major retail chains (Seven-Eleven Japan, Ito-Yokado, York Benimar). It also offers plant factory planning and consulting services for customers building their own enclosed agricultural facilities.
Product overview
A-Plus operates as a plant factory company with a portfolio centered on Farm & Factory TAMURA, a flagship fully enclosed plant factory producing approximately 1.4 tons of leaf vegetables daily. The product line includes business-use cut lettuce (業務用カットレタス) and business-use bulk lettuce (業務用バルクレタス) with GAP certification, sold primarily to major convenience store chains. The company previously offered original cup salad (自社オリジナルカップサラダ) and individually wrapped lettuce products, both currently suspended. Core offerings are complemented by plant factory planning and consulting services that leverage Japanese industrial technology to help customers design, build, and operate their own facilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Farm & Factory TAMURA: The company's flagship fully enclosed plant factory located in Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture. Features world-first automated transport systems, robotics, solar power, and a processing facility for top-seal cup salads.
- 和光理研 Office & Lab
Products and services
- Business-Use Cut Lettuce (業務用カットレタス) 250g pack of 100% plant factory-produced lettuce and baby leaf mix. Uses a proprietary washing method without chlorine-based sanitizers, has long shelf life, and can be served directly without washing. Sold to hotels, resorts, restaurants, and golf courses.
- Business-Use Bulk Lettuce (業務用バルクレタス) GAP-certified high-quality business-use lettuce sold to major convenience store chains including Seven-Eleven Japan for use in prepared foods, salads, and sandwiches.
- Plant Factory Planning & Consulting Services Planning services for state-of-the-art fully enclosed plant factories using Japanese industrial technology. Includes cultivation management, quality control, and GAP certification support for customers after factory completion.
Quantifiable outcome
- Production capacity of approximately 1.4 tons of leafy vegetables per day
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use A-Plus
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
A-Plus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
A-Plus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Wako Riken (和光理研)coreR&D partnership for development of closed environment plant factory technology. The Wako Riken Incubation Plaza facility adjacent to RIKEN research institute housed the company's R&D laboratory. This location closed in December 2022 and was relocated to Chiba University.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
A-Plus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- NTT AgriTech: Subsidiary of NTT Group deploying plant-factory technology and broader ICT in agriculture. Comparable to A-Plus's automation-plus-agriculture fusion, though operating with significantly larger corporate backing.
- Dole plc: Global fresh-produce major with growing investment in controlled-environment and value-added salad products. Relevant peer for A-Plus on B2B fresh-cut leafy-vegetable supply to food service and retail, though vastly larger and globally diversified.
- Fresh Express (Chiquita Brands): Major US fresh-cut salad and vegetable processor supplying retail and food-service. Comparable to A-Plus on cut-lettuce processing and bagged-salad category, though operates at industrial scale with field-grown inputs.
- Fujitsu Akisai Farm & Food: Fujitsu's plant-factory and agricultural-ICT initiative combining cloud-based cultivation management with controlled-environment production. Comparable to A-Plus on the industrial-technology-meets-agriculture thesis.
Emerging players
- AeroFarms: US-based vertical-farming operator using controlled-environment agriculture and proprietary automation. Comparable to A-Plus on indoor growing, automation-driven labor reduction, and B2B fresh-produce supply, though AeroFarms operates at much larger scale and is US-focused.
- Plenty: US-based indoor vertical farm using robotics and data analytics to grow leafy greens. Comparable on tech-forward indoor agriculture and leafy-green focus, though Plenty has raised substantially more capital and focuses on the US market.
- 80 Acres Farms: US indoor vertical farm producing leafy greens and herbs with proprietary controlled-environment technology. Comparable to A-Plus on indoor cultivation and B2B produce supply, though primarily serves US retailers.
Direct peers
- Mirai Co., Ltd. Pioneering Japanese plant-factory company operating large-scale indoor lettuce farms. Comparable to A-Plus in producing hydroponic leafy vegetables under controlled environment for Japanese retail and food-service channels.
- Spread Co., Ltd. Major Japanese operator of fully automated lettuce plant factories, including the Techno Farm series. Directly comparable to A-Plus on product (leafy greens), automated indoor cultivation, and B2B food-service/retail distribution model in Japan.
Regional players
- GreenGrow (Japan indoor-ag consortium): Japan Ministry of Agriculture-backed initiative and consortium supporting plant-factory and indoor-agriculture operators across Japan. A-Plus participates indirectly through government reconstruction programs and is comparable to peer operators in this Japanese regional indoor-ag cluster.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
A-Plus social profiles
Digital presenceA-Plus compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
A-Plus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A-Plus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
A-Plus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A-Plus 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 A-Plus
What does A-Plus do?
A-Plus operates a fully enclosed plant factory (Farm & Factory TAMURA) in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, producing approximately 1.4 tons of leafy vegetables per day using proprietary hydroponic cultivation and automated conveyor systems. The company grows, processes, and supplies GAP-certified cut lettuce, bulk lettuce, and processed products (cup salads) primarily to commercial food service operators (hotels, restaurants, golf courses) and major retail chains (Seven-Eleven Japan, Ito-Yokado, York Benimar). It also offers plant factory planning and consulting services for customers building their own enclosed agricultural facilities.
Is A-Plus a public or private company?
A-Plus is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was A-Plus founded?
A-Plus was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is A-Plus based?
A-Plus is headquartered in Tamura, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does A-Plus make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Leafy Vegetable Sales are the primary driver. The others are processed Food Products.
Who are A-Plus's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are NTT AgriTech, Dole plc, Fresh Express (Chiquita Brands) and Fujitsu Akisai Farm & Food. Emerging players are AeroFarms, Plenty and 80 Acres Farms. Direct peers are Mirai Co., Ltd. and Spread Co., Ltd.. GreenGrow (Japan indoor-ag consortium) is listed as a regional player.
Does A-Plus have an API?
No public API is recorded for A-Plus.
What industry is A-Plus in?
A-Plus's product category is Vertical Farming / Plant Factory Produce. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAHAA, Greenhouse Vegetable Production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Leafy Greens), with a secondary code of AFAOAGAI, Leafy Greens & Salad Processing Packhouses (Fresh-Cut). Its NAICS code is 11141 and its SIC code is 100.