Farm8

What Farm8 does

Farm8 (株式会社FARM8, founded February 2015, headquartered in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture) is a Japanese agtech and food-design company that develops and commercializes fermented products and sake-based consumer goods built around regional resource utilization. Its core technology combines lactic-acid-bacteria fermentation of sake lees (sakusuke) — a by-product of regional breweries — with proprietary 100ml flexible pouch packaging that allows Japanese sake to be stored at room temperature and shipped domestically by mail and internationally at low cost. On top of this base, the company operates a QR-code-coded sake discovery platform that decouples the purchase moment from brand labelling, enabling consumer-side anonymity for small breweries.

The portfolio centers on three product lines: SAKEPOST, a recurring mail-subscription delivering 3-6 varieties of 100ml sake pouches per month and shipping overseas to Singapore and Hong Kong; Ponshu Guria (ぽんしゅグリア), a sake cocktail kit (dried fruit + hakka sugar) with over 700,000 cumulative units sold since its 2016 launch and 64% of buyers in their 20s; and Hacco to go!, a chain of fermented-beverage and plant-based gelato stands (sake-lees shakes, JOGURT, Hacco Gelato) operating out of stations and the historic Settsuya brewing district, complemented by the LIS Settuya local-products retail store. Supporting brands include BOKKA (original sake), Vinegaria, GO-Pocket, FER, and Koetag.

Go-to-market combines a product-led model across direct e-commerce, monthly subscriptions, owned retail (Hacco to go! and LIS stores), event-based gacha vending machines at Tokyo Station Gransta, LoFt stores, Shibuya LoFt, baseball games, and anime IP collaborations (e.g., Astro Note), with a partnership network spanning 70+ breweries nationwide, JR East Niigata Branch, LoFt, Dots and Lines, and travel/airline channels (Rakuten Travel, IBEX Airlines). Pricing is unit-based for products (Ponshu Guria at ~594 yen, hot-sake variants at 500 yen), pay-per-play for gacha (~1,201-1,500 yen per pull), and monthly recurring for SAKEPOST. The group acquired publisher Nill (Niigatan Har R media) in October 2023 and appointed Euglena co-founder Kengo Suzuki as CFO in December 2023 to professionalize operations and accelerate domestic and overseas scale-up.

Name

Farm8

Legal name

株式会社FARM8 (FARM8 CO.,LTD.)

Website

https://farm8.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Farm8 is a Japanese agtech and food-design company, founded 2015 in Nagaoka, Niigata, that develops sake-based and lactic-acid-fermented products — including the SAKEPOST sake subscription, Ponshu Guria cocktail kits, and Hacco to go! fermented drink stands — and distributes them through e-commerce, owned retail, gacha events, and partnerships to young Japanese consumers and overseas sake enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Foods and Beverages

NAICS

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Distilleries (31214)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Dairy Products (2020), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Sake & Traditional Rice Wine Production (AFAFAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plant-Based & Alternative Dairy Cultures (Vegan Yogurt/Cheese, Fermented Plant Beverages) (AFAJAJAG), Plant-Based Frozen Desserts Processing (Non-Dairy Ice Cream, Gelato, Novelties) (AFAHAJAE), Plant-Based Yogurt Drinks & Cultured Alternatives (AFAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Sake subscription service
• Fermented food products
• Regional sake products
• Sake cocktail kits
• Agtech food innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagaoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SAKEPOST Subscription: Monthly subscription service delivering 3-6 varieties of 100ml sake pouches to subscribers' mailboxes. Users subscribe to receive random locally-produced sake not widely distributed nationally. QR codes reveal sake details after delivery.
2. Ponshu Guria Product Sales: One-time purchase of Japanese sake cocktail kits in various fruit flavors. Kits include dried fruits and hakka sugar; customers add their own sake. Also includes seasonal products like Ponshu Guria Jelly and hot sake versions.
3. Hacco to go! Store Operations: Physical retail stores serving sake lees-based drinks, gelato, and sweets. Locations include Niigata Station and Settaya area stores.
4. Gacha/Vending Machine Events: Event-based revenue from sake and sake vessel gacha machines at events like Tokyo Station Gransta, Shibuya LoFt, and baseball games. Customers pay per gacha pull to win sake and vessels.
5. Overseas SAKEPOST: International subscription service shipping to overseas customers (launched July 2022), leveraging lightweight pouch packaging for cost-effective international shipping.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

FARM8 designs, manufactures, and sells sake-related and fermented food products built around regional Niigata resources and small-brewery partnerships. Its flagship offerings are SAKEPOST (monthly mail-delivery subscription of 100ml sake pouches with QR-code discovery), Ponshu Guria (DIY sake cocktail kits combining dried fruit and hakka sugar), and the Hacco to go! line of lactobacillus-fermented sake-lees beverages, gelato, and yogurt sold through branded drink stands and e-commerce.

Product overview

FARM8 operates a diversified portfolio of sake and fermented food products centered on regional resource utilization. The core offerings include: SAKEPOST (mail-delivery Japanese sake subscription service), Ponshu Guria (sake cocktail kits), and Hacco to go! (fermented drink stands/gelato). Supporting products include Kikizake Quest (sake tasting games), various sub-brands (Vinegaria, BOKKA, FER, GO-Pocket, Koetag), and the LIS retail stores. The company also manages multi-language media platform 'NiigatsuR' covering Niigata culture. Products target young consumers (20s-30s) with innovative sake experiences including gacha games and subscription services. Over 700,000 Ponshu Guria units sold; SAKEPOST partners with 70+ breweries across Japan and has expanded overseas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAKEPOST: Post-delivered Japanese sake subscription service offering 100ml sake pouch samples from regional breweries
• ぽんしゅグリア (Ponshu Guria)
• Hacco to go!
• LIS (Local Identity Store)
• BOKKA
• FER/FERMENT8
• GO-ポケット- (GO Pocket)
• ビネガリア (Vinegaria)
• JOGURT

Products and services

• SAKEPOST (Japanese sake monthly subscription) Monthly subscription service delivering 3-6 varieties of 100ml sake pouches from regional Japanese breweries directly to subscribers' mailboxes. Each pouch is unlabeled and features a QR code that reveals the sake brand, brewery information, recommended serving methods, and community tasting notes. Includes both domestic Japan delivery and overseas SAKEPOST (Singapore/Hong Kong from July 2022). Targeted at consumers seeking brand-blind discovery of regional sake varieties.
• Ponshu Guria (Japanese Sake Cocktail Kit) Do-it-yourself Japanese sake cocktail kit containing dried domestic fruits (peach, yuzu, strawberry, etc.) and hakka sugar in a sake cup. The user pours their own sake to create a flavored fruit cocktail at home. Over 700,000 units sold cumulatively through October 2023 (up from 500,000 in November 2021), with 64% of buyers in their 20s. Priced at 594 yen tax-included per kit. Includes seasonal Hot Sake and Jelly variants.
• Hacco to go! Fermented Drink Stand Physical retail drink-stand concept serving lactobacillus-fermented sake-lees beverages, shakes, and sweets. Two store locations: Hacco to go! Niigata Station (opened March 2021, JR Niigata Station Shinkansen West exit, operating 10:00–21:00) and Hacco to go! Settaya (opened April 2023 in the historic brewing district). Operates using proprietary sakusuke (lactic acid bacteria-fermented sake lees).
• Hacco Gelato (100% Plant-Based Fermented Gelato) Plant-based gelato manufactured using sake-lees lactic acid fermentation. Sold via Hacco to go! stores and online. Available in five flavors (plain, strawberry, chocolate, lemon, peach) as a 100% plant-based frozen dessert.
• JOGURT (Plant-Based Yogurt from Sake Lees) Plant-based yogurt made from sake lees using proprietary lactic acid bacteria fermentation; leverages special ingredient 'sakusuke'. Sold through Hacco to go! online and stores, positioned as an alternative to dairy yogurt using brewery by-products.
• Kikizake Quest (Sake Tasting Quiz Game) Smartphone-based sake tasting quiz game. Users compare three sakes and answer taste and aroma questions to level up their sake knowledge. Launched as an experiential learning product to drive engagement with the broader sake portfolio.
• Vinegaria (Vinegar-Based Products Brand) Vinegar-based products offered under the Vinegaria brand, extending FARM8's fermented product portfolio beyond sake and sake-lees items into vinegar category products.
• BOKKA (Original Sake Brand) Original sake brand distributed by FARM8 under its own label, complementing the multi-brewery aggregation strategy of SAKEPOST with proprietary sake offerings.
• FER (Fermented Product Line) Fermented product line sold through subsidiary FERMENT8 (株式会社FERMENT8, FARM8 group's alcohol sales and distribution subsidiary). Extends FARM8's fermentation technology into commercial product offerings.
• GO-Pocket (Pocket Sake Product) Pocket-format sake product leveraging the proprietary 100ml pouch packaging technology, enabling portable single-serve sake consumption outside traditional bottle formats.
• Koetag (Sake-Related Product) Sake-related product line under the Koetag brand, part of FARM8's portfolio of sake-adjacent consumer products.
• LIS Settaya (Local Identity Store) Physical retail store — LOCAL IDENTITY STORE — in Nagaoka City's historic Settaya brewing district selling brewed liqueurs and regional products. Opened July 2022 as a flagship FARM8-operated retail destination tying the brand to its regional production heritage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cumulative sales of Ponshu Guria reached 700,000 units by October 2023
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JR East Niigata Branch (JR東日本新潟支社)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 September 2024FARM8 partners with JR East Niigata Branch for JRE Local Hub events featuring sake products and gacha experiences at Tokyo Station and regional venues. Collaboration combines transportation hub foot traffic with regional product promotion.
• LoFt (ロフト)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 August 2024Retail and event partnership for SAKEPOST product sales and gacha events at LoFt stores in Ginza and Shibuya. Collaboration part of LoFt and SDG magazine Sotokoto's joint 'LoFukoto Zakkayan' regional promotion initiative.
• Oishii Niigata Albirex Baseball Club (オイシックス新潟アルビレックス・ベースボール・クラブ)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 March 2024Gacha Pon-sake sales at home games featuring player illustrations on sake packaging. Limited seasonal partnership for sports event promotion.
• Euglena Co. (株式会社ユーグレナ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Euglena co-founder Kengo Suzuki joined FARM8 as CFO in December 2023. Collaboration focuses on fermentation science, leveraging Euglena's expertise in microorganisms and algae for potential future product development.
• Nill (株式会社ニール)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 October 2023Nill became a FARM8 group company, bringing Niigata culture media 'Niigatan Har R' into the group. FARM8 supported the site's expansion to 9-language multilingual support for international promotion of Niigata culture.
• Plug and Play JapanminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 September 2023FARM8 participated in Plug and Play Japan Summit Summer/Fall 2023 Batch, pitching sake subscription business to investors and potential partners. Second participation since 2019.
• Dots and Lines (株式会社ドッツアンドラインズ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-development of Ponpon-sake gacha product combining Echigo-sanjo craft vessels with FARM8 sake pouches. Dots and Lines provides craft vessel design and manufacturing expertise; FARM8 provides sake products and gacha operational know-how. Product won Grand Prize at 2020 Manufacturing Award.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Oatly: Swedish plant-based dairy and frozen dessert company with global brand recognition. Comparable in plant-based fermented dairy products (Hacco Gelato, JOGURT) and consumer health/sustainability positioning, though focused on oat-based rather than sake lees-based production.

Broad incumbents

• Asahi Group Holdings: Japanese alcohol and beverage conglomerate with sake, beer, and RTD portfolio. Comparable in Japanese alcoholic beverage production and overseas market expansion strategy.
• Mizkan: Japanese vinegar and fermented food producer with global presence. Comparable in vinegar-based products (Vinegaria) and fermented food innovation, with significantly larger scale and established international distribution.
• Suntory Holdings: Major Japanese alcohol beverage company producing sake, whisky, beer, and RTD cocktails. Comparable in sake and fermented alcoholic beverage production, with vastly greater scale and established international distribution.
• Kikkoman: Global leader in fermented foods (soy sauce) with strong circular economy/upcycling heritage. Comparable in fermented product technology, Japanese food heritage, and global expansion strategy from a much larger scale.
• Meiji: Major Japanese dairy and food company producing yogurt, milk, and frozen desserts. Comparable in fermented dairy products (JOGURT competitor) and plant-based alternatives (Meiji Marvel), with established Japanese retail distribution.

Regional players

• Asahi Shuzo (Dassai): Yamaguchi-based premium sake brand behind Dassai, which has built strong international DTC presence. Comparable as a sake producer pursuing international growth, though at a more premium positioning and traditional brand approach.
• Hakkaisan Sake Brewery: Major Niigata Prefecture sake brewery, one of Japan's most recognized premium sake brands. Comparable as a regional Niigata sake producer and likely SAKEPOST supplier, but operates as a traditional brewery rather than subscription platform.

Direct peers

• Tippsy: US-focused sake subscription service delivering curated Japanese sake to American consumers. Closest direct peer to SAKEPOST in business model, targeting overseas sake enthusiasts with monthly subscription boxes.
• Yakult: Japanese probiotic/fermented beverage company with iconic brand recognition and global distribution. Comparable in fermented beverage technology and consumer health positioning, with much greater scale and international presence.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/farm8official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Farm8