HarvestX Inc. has completed the product development of HarvestX, an automated strawberry cultivation solution. We announced on Friday, November 8, 2024, at the “Hamamatsu Farm” pilot plant equipped with HarvestX, that Shunkado Co., Ltd., makers of “Unagi Pie,” a long-beloved representative confectionery of Hamamatsu, will implement it as the world’s first commercial application.
This will contribute to producing and selling high-quality strawberry products regardless of the season. In the future, using the “Hamamatsu Farm” established in May 2024 with the support of Hamamatsu City and Hamamatsu Iwata Shinkin Bank as a foothold, we will target plant factories struggling with strawberry production and companies interested in starting strawberry cultivation, aiming to expand our sales significantly.
Press Conference Overview
The conference was held in Hamamatsu City on Friday, November 8, with participation from local government officials and media representatives. Guest speakers, including Hamamatsu City Mayor Yusuke Nakano, Hamamatsu Iwata Shinkin Bank President Hirohisa Takayanagi, Shunkado CEO Takahiro Yamazaki, and HarvestX CEO Yuki Ichikawa discussed the support system leading up to the Hamamatsu Farm opening and the background of the product implementation.
About the Strawberry Automated Cultivation Solution “HarvestX”
“HarvestX” is a solution that achieves stable production by automating “plant management” and “pollination” in the strawberry production process at plant factories, with plans to add “harvesting” functionality in 2025.
Through a combination of optimized robots, cultivation racks, and cultivation recipes developed in-house, along with AI-powered automation of pollination and monitoring, we aim to achieve stable production and reduce production costs, targeting global expansion as a sustainable production system.
Pollination Robot “XV3”
“XV3” is the central robot in the strawberry automated cultivation solution “HarvestX.” High-precision pollination through robotics and environmental control through sensing technology have made strawberry production possible in any region or environment.
The robot consists of two parts: the “XV3 Cart,” which automatically navigates within the plant factory, and the “XV3 Unit,” equipped with sensors for data collection and robotic arms for tasks. It is designed to be easily expandable and adaptable to meet the needs of plant factory businesses. It is also designed with future updates in mind for application to fruits and vegetables other than strawberries. Evolving and automating robots within the plant factory without making large-scale hardware changes is possible.
Strawberry Pollination by the Plant Factory Pollination and Harvesting Robot XV3 (3-tier robot)
Introduction Video of Hamamatsu Farm
About HarvestX
HarvestX Inc., founded in 2020, is a Tokyo-based startup that aims to fully automate the cultivation of fruits and vegetables that require pollination, such as strawberries, in indoor farms. Starting at the University of Tokyo in 2018 with members specializing in robotics and AI, HarvestX focused its research on the difficulty of producing fruits that require pollination in indoor farms and succeeded in the world’s first robotic pollination of strawberries.
HarvestX’s mission is to “Prosperous Diet to the Next Generation” and will develop and provide solutions for sustainable agriculture by utilizing robotics and AI technologies.
Hamamatsu City Fund Support
Hamamatsu City is implementing the “Fund Support Project” to promote the growth of startups in the city by activating fundraising, such as investment by venture capital and financial institutions authorized by the city.
This project supports startups in Hamamatsu City that aim for rapid growth by providing them with the funds they need, in coordination with funding from certified VCs and certified financial institutions that have abundant experience and solid insight, strengthening their management base and improving their financial management system.
About Hamamatsu Iwata Shinkin Bank
This credit union was born in January 2019 from the merger of Hamamatsu Shinkin Bank and Iwata Shinkin Bank, both founded in 1950. Beyond providing financial services, it actively engages in consulting and solutions centered on finance as a “problem-solving company” deeply rooted in the community. To realize an attractive and sustainable regional economy and society, it will continue to contribute to developing the local economy as a financial institution that “runs alongside” the local community.
About Shunkado
Shunkado Co., Ltd. was founded in 1887. A Japanese confectionery store based in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, it will celebrate its 137th anniversary in 2024.
Starting with the “Unagi Pie,” a famous product of Lake Hamana, born in 1961 and having over 60 years of history, it continues to make confectioneries with a focus on carefully selected ingredients and craftsmen’s skills. In 2005, it opened the “Unagi Pie Factory,” where visitors can tour the Unagi Pie production facility. In 2014, it launched “Hamakita Sweets Community nicoe” themed on children’s “food education” and “career education.” Since April 2021, it has operated “SWEETS BANK,” a complex facility with headquarters functions, as a new tourist attraction in Hamamatsu. Shunkado upholds the management philosophy of “Onko Soshin” (respecting the old while creating the latest). While adhering to craftsmen’s skills and valuing the spirit of manufacturing, it will continue to strive as a “confectionery shop that never stops exploring and evolving” both now and in the future.