Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA)

What Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA) does

Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA), legally 特定非営利活動法人 植物工場研究会 (Specific Non-Profit Corporation Plant Factory Association), is a Japanese non-profit founded in 2009 and headquartered at Chiba University Environment and Health Field Science Center on the Kashiwanoha Campus in Kashiwa, Chiba. It operates as a membership-based industry-academia platform for Plant Factories with Artificial Lighting (PFAL) and controlled-environment agriculture. With approximately 10 staff and roughly 199 members (111 corporate/group + 88 individual as of September 2025), JPFA has run 165+ workshops since 2009, trained 3,600+ alumni, and accumulated 14,000+ workshop participants.

JPFA's portfolio centers on education and knowledge dissemination. Core offerings include the JPFAcademy e-learning platform (LearnWorlds-based), monthly workshops, in-person and online training courses (PFAL fundamentals, strawberry cultivation, melon cultivation, nutrient solution analysis, soil physics), guided facility tours at Chiba University, R&D consortium activity (~20 active projects), an annual industry survey, and biennial international symposiums (ISPF). The association's technical depth is built on Chiba University's plant factory research heritage, with Honorary President Toyoki Kozai (2024 Japanese Cultural Merit Recipient) and President Eri Hayashi anchoring the leadership, and academic directors from Chiba University, Osaka Metropolitan University, Ohio State University, and Wageningen University.

JPFA generates revenue through membership fees (corporate and individual tiers), training program fees (introductory, specialized, and international English-language courses with super early bird and alumni discounts), workshop participation fees (¥5,000/workshop for non-members, member rates bundled since FY2021), and sales of recorded workshop materials and bundles (¥10,800–¥13,500/year). Distribution is omnichannel: direct enterprise membership, self-serve e-learning, on-site training at Chiba University, and international content partnerships — notably with Netherlands-based Vertical Farm Daily (since January 2021) and an MOU with RAI Amsterdam (March 2022) tied to the GreenTech exhibition. JPFA is privately held, has no parent company, no funding rounds, and no subsidiaries, and is governed by a board of roughly 20 directors drawn from member companies, universities, and financial institutions.

Name

Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA)

Legal name

特定非营利活动法人植物工厂研究会 (特定非营利活动法人植物工厂研究会 / Specific Non-Profit Corporation Plant Factory Association)

Website

https://npoplantfactory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA) is a Japanese non-profit, founded in 2009 and hosted at Chiba University, that delivers education, training, and research collaboration in Plant Factories with Artificial Lighting (PFAL) to ~199 corporate and individual members and 3,600+ training alumni globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kashiwa

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from corporate and individual members supporting access to workshops, training, research support, and networking opportunities
2. Training Programs: Fees from comprehensive training courses including introductory courses, specialized courses (PFAL, strawberry cultivation), and international training programs conducted in English and Japanese
3. Workshop and Study Materials: Sales of workshop video recordings, handouts, and CD compilations of past study sessions from 2009 onwards. Pricing: ¥5,000/workshop, ¥3,000/lecture, ¥1,000/handout, bundled packages available
4. Workshop Participation Fees: Fees for attending workshops and seminars, with member discounts and various access levels for videos and materials

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

JPFA is a non-profit membership organization that delivers education, training, applied R&D collaboration, and consulting services around Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting (PFAL) technology. It operates a demonstration and research facility at Chiba University Kashiwanoha Campus, runs the JPFAcademy e-learning platform, hosts an annual international symposium, and provides hands-on workshops and technical/business support to corporate members and individual professionals in the controlled-environment agriculture sector.

Product overview

The Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA) is a nonprofit organization that operates as a membership-based knowledge platform rather than a single product. The association provides a comprehensive suite of services including the JPFAcademy e-learning platform for online learning, monthly workshops and study sessions since 2009, in-person and international training programs on plant factory technologies, facility tours at Chiba University, research and development support, and international symposiums. The portfolio centers on education and knowledge dissemination through multiple channels including web-based training, recorded materials, and on-site programs, with approximately 230 members and an email list of about 4,000 recipients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• JPFAcademy E-Learning Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Cumulative workshop participants exceeded 14,000 since 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Republic Polytechnic (Singapore)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2025Singapore educational institution that visited JPFA Kashiwanoha Campus for plant factory research exchange.
• RAI AmsterdammajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2022JPFA signed an MOU on cooperation with RAI Amsterdam, organizer of major horticultural and agricultural exhibitions including GreenTech.
• Vertical Farm Daily (VFD)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 January 2021Information sharing partnership with Netherlands-based Vertical Farm Daily to enhance content distribution and expand each other's client bases. VFD allows JPFA to select and distribute stories from Vertical Farm Daily and HortiDaily newsletters weekly to JPFA members. JPFA provides at least one story monthly about JPFA activities for VFD's platform. Both parties cooperate on banner advertising.
• Chiba University Environmental Health Field Science CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution partnership for JPFA headquarters, research facilities, and training programs. Co-organizer of international symposiums.
• Various Member Companies (111+ corporate members)coreOthersNetwork of corporate and individual members including plant factory operators, equipment suppliers, seed companies, academic institutions, and construction firms that participate in JPFA activities, research projects, and training programs.
• Ohio State UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Professor Chieri Kubota from Ohio State University serving as JPFA Director; international collaboration on controlled-environment agriculture research and training.
• Wageningen University (Netherlands)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Professor Leo Marcelis serving as keynote speaker at JPFA events; international collaboration on horticulture and plant physiology research.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Wageningen University & Research: Netherlands-based leading plant science and agricultural research institution with deep CEA expertise. Comparable to JPFA through its role as a knowledge hub for controlled-environment horticulture, and a JPFA event keynote partner via Prof. Leo Marcelis.
• Agritecture: Global CEA consulting firm providing feasibility studies, system design, and market intelligence for vertical farming projects. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem enabler for the plant factory industry.
• Cultivatd: Vertical farming industry consulting and marketplace platform serving operators, suppliers, and investors in indoor agriculture. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem enabler for the CEA industry.
• Ohio State University (CEA Program): Major US university with a leading Controlled Environment Agriculture program led by Prof. Chieri Kubota, who serves as a JPFA Director. Comparable as a CEA academic-research partner delivering training and applied research for the industry.
• GreenTech Amsterdam (RAI): Netherlands-based organizer of major horticultural and agricultural exhibitions including GreenTech. Comparable ecosystem role in CEA industry events; bound to JPFA through a 2022 MOU on cooperation.
• Vertical Farm Daily: Netherlands-based B2B media platform dedicated to vertical farming news. Comparable ecosystem role as a knowledge dissemination channel; bound to JPFA through a 2021 content-sharing partnership.

Direct peers

• Association for Vertical Farming (AVF): Global nonprofit industry association promoting vertical farming and controlled-environment agriculture. Directly comparable to JPFA in mission (industry advancement through knowledge sharing, networking, and education), though operating with a global rather than Japan-centric scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/npoplantfactory
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/japan-plant-factory-association-%E6%A4%8D%E7%89%A9%E5%B7%A5%E5%A0%B4%E7%A0%94%E7%A9%B6%E4%BC%9A

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 Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA)