Green Culture

What Green Culture does

Green Culture (グリーンカルチャー株式会社) is a Japanese plant-based food technology company founded in February 2011 by Kaneda Satoshi, headquartered in Misato, Saitama Prefecture. The company develops and sells plant-based meat and food products under its proprietary Green Meat™ brand, with a portfolio spanning dumplings (gyoza, xiaolongbao, shumai), sausages, nuggets, burger patties, meatballs, and Japan-first categories including plant-based tonkatsu, boiled egg, and fish meat. Its core technology is a proprietary development method that combines data science — including reverse-engineering of meat flavor and physical properties and a database of plant-based ingredient characteristics — with food manufacturing expertise to adapt recipes to mass-production factory lines.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market across three revenue streams: (1) B2B wholesale to wholesalers, food factories, restaurants, hotels, and institutional buyers via a dedicated procurement platform (greenculture.jp) suitable for small orders; (2) direct-to-consumer e-commerce through the Green Culture Online Store, which has shipped 410,000+ units since 2011; and (3) marketing consulting and PR services for listed companies, leveraging the company's e-commerce expertise and consumer data. Distribution also reaches consumers via partnerships with Oisix Ra Daichi (food delivery) and through its own logistics center established in 2016.

Green Culture is a private, founder-led company that raised a 250 million yen Series A round in 2021 from three strategic investors — Kameda Seika (snack manufacturer), Oisix Ra Daichi (food delivery), and UMI — who are also business partners. In 2024 the company obtained the Japan Import/Export Standard Code and began food import/export operations, with reported activity in Macau and the UAE. The product roadmap through 2026 emphasizes foodservice staples (pepperoni, diced ham, burger patties) targeted at Japan's inbound tourism market as well as domestic consumers.

Name

Green Culture

Legal name

グリーンカルチャー株式会社

Website

https://greenculture.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Green Culture is a Japanese plant-based food technology company founded in 2011 that develops and sells its proprietary Green Meat™ brand of plant-based meat products to foodservice operators, retailers, and direct consumers through B2B and B2C e-commerce channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant-based Meat Alternatives

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant-Based Meat Manufacturers (End-to-End Brands) (AFANAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plant-Based Meat & Seafood Analogues Manufacturing (AFAKAGAA), Frozen Plant-Based & Vegetarian Meals (CRADADAF)

Keywords

• Plant-based meat
• Food technology
• Meat alternatives
• Plant-based food
• Food manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Misato

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale/B2B Sales: Sales of plant-based meat products, frozen products, ingredients, and raw materials to wholesalers, food factories, and restaurants. Also operates a BtoB site suitable for small orders to meet restaurant procurement needs.
2. E-commerce/Direct Sales: Operating Green Culture Online Store, the largest plant-based food mail-order service in Japan. 410,000+ shipments since 2011. Products include dumplings, Xiaolongbao, pizza, nuggets, sausages, shrimp dumplings, fried chicken, spring rolls, and hamburg steaks.
3. Marketing Support: Consulting and advertising services based on their 410,000+ shipment track record. Supports listed companies and other clients as plant-based product sales promotion experts.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Green Culture manufactures and sells plant-based meat alternative products under its flagship Green Meat™ brand, including a 100% plant-based ground meat alternative, plant-based pepperoni, and dice ham. The company operates both a direct-to-consumer online store and a B2B wholesale platform supplying food manufacturers, restaurants, and retailers, with distribution spanning Japan, Macau, and the UAE.

Product overview

Green Culture is a plant-based food company that operates a multi-channel portfolio of proprietary products and platforms. The core product is the Green Meat™ brand of plant-based meats, which includes burger patties, meatballs, minced meat, sausages, and specialty products like fish alternatives and boiled eggs. The company sells through two e-commerce platforms: the B2C 'Green Culture Online Store' (formerly Green's Vegetarian) for consumer direct sales, and a B2B wholesale platform for restaurant and foodservice operators. Additionally, the company offers marketing consulting services leveraging their e-commerce expertise. Products span dumplings (gyoza, xiaolongbao, shumai), fried items (nuggets, karaage), sausages, and new categories like pepperoni, ham, tonkatsu, and plant-based eggs. The portfolio is unified by proprietary data science and food manufacturing technology that recreates meat-like texture and flavor from plant ingredients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Green Meat™ (Plant-based Ground Meat)

Quantifiable outcome

• 410,000+ shipments from e-commerce since 2011

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and regional.

• ヨシダソース株式会社minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 March 2025Joint campaign for cherry blossom viewing season - 'Vegetarian Nuggets' with Yoshida Sauce promotional campaign.
• ベジプロジェクトジャパンminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2024Joint initiative - 'Tokyo Veg Map 2023-2024' distribution project.
• 筑波大学minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2022Joint research with University of Tsukuba on the effects of plant-based protein on obesity. Conducted 'Obesity Improvement Diet Class'.
• ライドオンエクスプレス株式会社coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2022Operator of 'Gin no Sara' delivery sushi chain, developed new brand using Green Meat plant-based meat products.
• 株式会社イバノregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 May 2022Okinawa-based food distribution company partnered for business collaboration in the Okinawan market.
• 立命館大学 学生団体minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2022Sponsored student-run event, provided Green Meat burger sets.
• 川村学園女子大学minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 October 2021Industry-academia collaboration project providing plant-based menu at university campus in Meijiro, Tokyo.
• 琉球ゴールデンキングスregionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2021Professional basketball team partnership. Green Meat products sold at home game concession stands. Partnership contract signed October 2021.
• 東京造形大学minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 September 2021Industry-academia collaboration combining plant-based meat with design.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Kirin Holdings: Japanese beverage giant with plant-based and alternative protein initiatives (e.g., iMuse, partnerships in plant-based dairy/meat). Larger incumbent in the same sustainable-food thematic space with much greater capital and R&D capacity.
• Oisix Ra Daichi: Investor AND channel partner of Green Culture, distributing Green Meat products on its meal-kit/e-commerce platform. Comparable as a customer/distribution node rather than a product competitor, but its scale and reach shape Green Culture's go-to-market.

Direct peers

• DAIZ: Japanese plant-based meat company using proprietary 'Odzumeat' sprouted soybean technology to produce analogues of ground meat, steaks, and processed meats. Direct competitor serving the same foodservice and retail channels in Japan.
• NEXT Meats: Tokyo-based Japanese plant-based meat startup producing NEXT Burger, NEXT Karubi, NEXT Gyudon and other analogues. Closest head-to-head competitor to Green Culture in Japan's plant-based meat category, with similar B2B/B2C and foodservice focus.

Broad incumbents

• Beyond Meat: US-based global plant-based meat leader (Beyond Burger, Beyond Sausage) available in Japanese retail and foodservice. The dominant international brand competing in the same product categories Green Culture addresses.
• Asahi Group Holdings: Large Japanese beverage and food conglomerate with a plant-based protein portfolio (e.g., asavi brand). Adjacent incumbent with deep distribution and R&D resources that competes for the same health- and sustainability-minded consumers.
• NH Foods (Nippon Ham): Japan's largest meat processor with a growing plant-based alternative protein portfolio (e.g., ZENMEAT line). Significant foodservice relationships and capital that Green Culture must compete against for restaurant and hotel accounts.
• Impossible Foods: US-based plant-based meat incumbent with Impossible Burger and related products distributed into Japan. Larger, well-capitalized global brand competing in shared foodservice accounts.
• Topvalu (Aeon): Private-label plant-based product line from Aeon, Japan's largest retailer. Represents the in-house channel alternative that Green Culture must beat on price and quality to win shelf space.
• Itoham Yonekyu Holdings: Major Japanese meat processor with expanding plant-based and alternative protein offerings. Competes with Green Culture in retail and foodservice categories and has much larger manufacturing and distribution scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GreenCultureInc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Green Culture