There is a young entrepreneur selected for the Industry, Manufacturing & Energy category of "Forbes 2022 Under 5 Asia 30" announced by Forbes Asia in May 30.Takaya Nakamichi, CEO of AGRI SMILE Co., Ltd. Forbes 2022 Under 30 Asia is a project in which Forbes magazine selects people under the age of 30 who are active in various fields in the Asia-Pacific region every year. 30 people are selected for each category.We welcomed Mr. Nakamichi, who is passionate about agriculture, and Mr. Daisuke Hayashi, who oversees research and development at the company, to talk about the vision of AGRI SMILE Co., Ltd., the background to its founding, the future we aim for, and the challenges and possibilities of Japanese agriculture. We talked about sex.We also received a message for high school students, college students, and future entrepreneurs.

With the vision of "a world where farming continues to be an industry", we aim to be the first venture company in the agricultural industry to cover all of "research", "cultivation" and "sales".

Thoughts on AGRI SMILE Co., Ltd.

Middle road:We, AGRI SMILE, develop and provide technology that enables agriculture to adapt to changes in the cultivation environment and needs, and to continue producing agricultural products that are highly evaluated by the market.Through these activities, we are helping people involved in agriculture to live a rich life both economically and spiritually, and to establish a cultivation system that is in harmony with the environment and the region.

　The main reason I chose the agricultural industry as a business domain was that I was born and raised in Tamba City, Hyogo Prefecture, where agriculture is thriving, and my grandparents were part-time farmers.I have been helping my grandparents since I was a child, and as I progressed through high school, university, and graduate school, my desire to become a good interpreter in the field of agriculture grew stronger.

　In the past, most of the agriculture involved relying on the "feel" of skilled farmers to grasp the state of the crops before cultivating and harvesting them.There was a high wall to accurately capture changes in the state of cultivated land and crops and improve reproducibility.In recent years, market needs have changed dramatically due to changes in consumer behavior and awareness, climate change, and other factors. We believe that the collection of information and effective use of data promoted by AGRI SMILE will help solve these issues and create sustainable agriculture together with production areas.

At the time of its founding, it ran through in an unrefined way

Middle road: In order to realize the business concept I had envisioned, I felt that I had to create my own company instead of joining an existing organization, so I quit the company I was working for at the time and founded AGRI SMILE Co., Ltd. in 2018. did.Starting from scratch, I sometimes didn't get paid at first.Sometimes I had less than 1 yen in savings, and I once walked more than 20 kilometers to cut down on transportation expenses.It took us one year to sign a contract with the first Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) that cooperated with our business.Every day, I was fighting on the edge of a cliff.

　Even so, I think I was able to overcome the difficulties because I was always able to savor the joy of being able to challenge what I wanted to do while being involved in my favorite agriculture.Shortly after the company was founded, I was encouraged by encounters with colleagues who were good at data science and software development.Since then, we have worked together to create a variety of content, and nothing can replace the joy of having something that we created through our ingenuity used.Currently, the scale has expanded, and we are promoting the business with about 50 irreplaceable colleagues.

What kind of business?

Middle road: Now in its fifth year since its founding, we are supporting agriculture as an industry from the three aspects of "research", "cultivation" and "sales".We can develop business in a wide range of fields precisely because we can systematically understand and support the entire agricultural value chain, and I think this is one of our company's strengths.

"Research" Biostimulant (BS)

Forest: We are developing effective methods of using biostimulants (BS) in order to accelerate efforts toward decarbonization of agricultural sites and help solve various issues caused by climate change. increase.

　BS is a general term for various substances, microorganisms, or mixed materials that bring better physiological conditions to plants.There are materials that relieve stress in plants, bring out their inherent abilities and maintain a healthy state, and materials that have a positive effect after harvesting and during storage.We have created our own BS ​​library, have succeeded in establishing indicators for evaluating their effects, and have completed the patent application. In research and development activities related to BS, we are collaborating with JA, Kyoto University, and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. to accelerate efforts toward practical application.

ONLINE CONF

Forest: We are also working to support cutting-edge life science research and improve the presence of researchers.Due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, academic conferences at universities and research institutes are moving online, and we have opened a platform called ONLINE CONF, which was the reason for Forbes' selection.

　It started out as a place for researchers in bioscience and agriculture to discuss research results, but after receiving feedback that online meetings lacked a sense of realism and lacked timely exchanges, it was renovated more than 1000 times. I'm here.By working together with researchers, we are able to pick up on the needs of the field and provide a new format that gives you the feeling of giving a face-to-face research presentation.

　As a result, more than 2 researchers have used the service in less than two years since its launch.Currently, we are making the most of the online advantage of being less subject to geographical and financial restrictions, promoting the participation of young researchers and expanding the field of activity, as well as discovering future researchers such as university and high school students. I believe that I can contribute to the creation of mechanisms.In the future, I would like to accelerate industry-academia-government collaboration and further develop projects that can contribute to the development of Japanese academics and research.

"Cultivation" KOYOMIRU

Middle road: We aim to analyze cultivation technology, which is tacit knowledge, from scientific knowledge and apply decarbonization technology to the field, aiming to improve traceability (= tracking the process from production to consumption of products). .

　For example, KOYOMIRU, which was another reason for Forbes' selection.One of the independently developed DX (= digital transformation) solution tools for production sites, tracking, monitoring and collecting how farmers grow crops in order to efficiently improve the yield of agricultural crops. Parse the information. Data collection, organization, analysis and feedback to the field are indispensable for DX, but it is the most important and difficult to understand the agricultural field and drop it into operation.

　In this regard, our company's strength is that we have many employees who are familiar with agricultural technology and on-site issues, and we can provide support according to the needs of JAs and producers.It has already been introduced to agricultural sites through several JAs, and it has been evaluated that it can be easily used by farmers who are unfamiliar with digitalization, leading to improved work efficiency.In addition, in collaboration with JA and producers, we are searching for a cultivation system that can achieve both economic efficiency and reduction of environmental impact amid soaring fertilizer prices and the global decarbonization trend.

"sale"

Middle road: We are working to improve profits by optimizing fruit sorting/logistics operations in production areas, and we are conducting activities to let many consumers know about the appeal of production areas and decarbonization efforts.

　For example, we used AI technology to evaluate the condition of shipped mandarin oranges, peaches, and tomatoes from the perspective of sugar content, acidity, etc., and made it possible to compare and evaluate between production areas using machine learning.By agronomically analyzing the data obtained, it is possible to feed back the cultivation of agricultural products and improve the soil.

Challenges and Possibilities of Japanese Agriculture

Middle road: I feel great potential in the effective use of large amounts of data that has not been visualized in our business thus far.

　For example, data obtained from engineering technologies such as AI can be used to improve productivity if analyzed with expertise in agriculture.Data collection in agriculture takes time and is affected by various factors such as climate change. You will be able to create an effective strategy when

　On the other hand, there are still many problems in communicating information to JA staff and farmers.Farmers in particular are aging, mainly due to the lack of successors, so the question is how to convey the information obtained from the latest technology in a simple and easy-to-understand manner.In order to do that, it is necessary to build a good cooperative relationship with JA, and to deeply understand the situation of the agricultural field.

Outlook for the future

Middle road: We are very pleased to have been selected for the Industry, Manufacturing & Energy category of "Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2022", as our various efforts have been highly evaluated.In addition, the two products we have already introduced raised approximately 2 million yen ($1 million).Recently, we have partnered with many JAs and are developing new businesses.I believe that the desire to contribute to the development of Japanese agriculture through economic revitalization will continue into the future.

　In recent years, many start-up companies have been founded in the IT and medical fields, some of which have achieved rapid growth, with market capitalization exceeding 1000 billion yen and some exceeding 1 trillion yen.All of them are expected to overcome current industrial and social issues and contribute to their development, but there are no examples in the agricultural industry yet.

　Now that a mechanism to support startups that bring about transformation in the agricultural industry is being established* mainly by JA, governments, and local governments, AGRI SMILE will continue to work with people involved in agriculture to solve problems, and as a result, the sustainability of agriculture. As a company that is expected to contribute to development, we would like to be recognized both domestically and internationally.

　Impossibility of substitution is important for that.For many organizations in the agricultural industry, AGRI SMILE will become irreplaceable.I continue to convey this feeling to my current 50 colleagues, and I would like to cherish it even as the organization grows in the future.

* Examples of support projects
・Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries “Proof-of-Contract Project for Promoting Entrepreneurship of University-originated Ventures in the Research Fields of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries”
・Biological Specified Industrial Technology Research Support Center "Startup Comprehensive Support Program"
・General Incorporated Association AgVenture Lab "JA Accelerator Program" Aichi Prefecture "Aichi Agricultural Innovation Project" Hamamatsu City "Hamamatsu City Fund Support Project" etc.

Message to high school and college students

Middle road: It is very important to think hard and take things seriously.It's about thinking hard rather than working hard.In order to encourage continuous business improvement, there is a way of thinking that repeats the Plan (plan) → Do (execution) → Check (evaluation) → Action (improvement) cycle.I was passionate about baseball when I was in junior high and high school, and devoted myself to research in graduate school.I believe that by continuing to make the right efforts and constantly making improvements, the path to success will open up.

　I also feel a little stressed, but I think it is necessary to put yourself in an environment where you have to stretch yourself.All humans are influenced by their surroundings.Surrounding yourself with people who are passionate and stimulating, and putting yourself in an environment where you have to put in 100% of your effort to keep up, will also lead to great growth.

Forest: Since long ago, I have challenged various things, including club activities and research, with the slogan "I will do it until I can".Many things don't go as planned, but don't give up halfway through, and try to come up with new ways of doing things until the end.You can think of life as what you believe it to be.

　At the same time, cooperation with others is also necessary.Human beings alone cannot do anything, nor can they survive.Each person has their own strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and works cooperatively while respecting each other.If you do that, synergistic effects will be created, and I think you can reach a point that you could not reach alone.