HarvestX Signs Investment Partnership with Mitsubishi Corporation

HarvestX Inc. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yuki Ichikawa, hereinafter "HarvestX"), which develops and sells the strawberry automated cultivation solution "HarvestX," announced today that it has entered into an investment agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and CEO: Katsuya Nakanishi, hereinafter "Mitsubishi Corporation"). Following the capital and business alliance concluded with Sumitomo Corporation in March 2026, HarvestX has established a cooperative structure with two major general trading companies.

1. Regarding the Conclusion of the Investment Agreement

HARVESTX is leveraging its technology for the complete automation of plant factories using AI robotics, a field with high barriers to entry, to achieve successive partnerships with major Japanese general trading companies. Following the acquisition of its first project in Malaysia through the alliance with Sumitomo Corporation, HarvestX will further accelerate its global market expansion.

Mitsubishi Corporation possesses a broad global network and a business foundation across diverse industrial sectors. HARVESTX aims to build a platform that stably supplies Japanese-quality agricultural products to the world by maximizing the utilization of these strengths.

2. Use of Procured Funds

The funds raised this time will be strategically invested in the following three areas:

1 Complete Automation of Plant Factories In addition to the automated pollination technology currently in practical use, HarvestX will promote the automation of the entire cultivation process, including harvesting, aiming for complete unmanned operation of artificial light-based plant factories.

2 Diversification of Crop Varieties HARVESTX will expand its automated cultivation technology, cultivated with strawberries, to multiple crop varieties such as tomatoes, thereby broadening the lineup of agricultural products that can be produced in plant factories.

3 Global Market Expansion HARVESTX will maximize the use of the global networks of Mitsubishi Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation to strengthen its sales and implementation systems in regions worldwide, including Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

3. Why Major General Trading Companies Choose Us - World's First Automated Pollination Technology

The "Automated Pollination Robot" developed by HarvestX is a world-first technology (patented) that combines deep learning-based flower condition identification with a precision robotic arm. Traditional pollination methods using honeybees, common in plant factories, faced fundamental challenges such as inability to fly and premature death due to stress in closed environments, and deterioration of hygiene. HarvestX completely replaces this, achieving stable, high-quality production. This technology has high barriers to entry, and currently, no commercial-level alternative technology exists.

[Features of HarvestX Solution]

HARVESTX's solution offers a flexible deployment model, differing from conventional plant factories that require large-scale dedicated facilities.

1. Installation in Existing Facilities Possible It can potentially be introduced into various existing facilities such as commercial facilities, logistics warehouses, and idle spaces, eliminating the need for new construction.

2. Phased Expansion Through Modular Design Adopting a modular structure that allows for introduction on a small scale, flexible expansion can be achieved according to business scale.

3. Global Deployment Independent of Honeybees With its unique automated pollination technology, HarvestX can be deployed worldwide without being affected by quarantine regulations for importing honeybees or their impact on ecosystems.

4. Global Food Demand and the Potential of Plant Factories

Against the backdrop of global population growth, climate change, and international instability, the need for stable food procurement and domestic production is rapidly expanding in various countries. Demand for high-quality agricultural products is particularly high in the rapidly growing markets of Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Japanese-quality strawberries, which are difficult to produce stably locally, represent a significant market opportunity. Artificial light-based plant factories enable stable production unaffected by climate or location, thus attracting increasing global attention from a food security perspective.

Furthermore, the demand for urban plant factories utilizing existing real estate assets, such as domestic and international commercial facilities, logistics facilities, and idle properties, is expanding. HarvestX's automated solutions can be introduced not only in new constructions but also in such existing facilities, attracting attention from the perspective of creating new value for real estate assets. HARVESTX will seize this global market opportunity through the combination of its world-first automated technology and the networks of two major general trading companies.

5. Future Outlook

HARVESTX will fully launch its global business development, centered on its partnerships with Mitsubishi Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation. While advancing the complete automation and diversification of crop varieties in plant factories, HarvestX aims to build a platform for delivering Japanese-quality agricultural products worldwide, using its first project in Malaysia as a springboard for accelerated business expansion in various regions such as Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

6. Comment from Yuki Ichikawa, Representative Director of HarvestX

"We are extremely pleased to announce this agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation. Following our capital and business alliance with Sumitomo Corporation, the establishment of a cooperative structure with two major general trading companies demonstrates the potential of HarvestX's technology. The world's first automated pollination technology we have developed has the power to transform the very nature of plant factories and food production. By combining it with Mitsubishi Corporation's broad business foundation and global network, we are confident that we will move significantly closer to our goal of delivering Japanese-quality agricultural products to the world. While contributing to solving global food challenges, we will continue to dedicate ourselves to technological advancement and business expansion to realize our vision of 'Abundant food for future generations.'"

7. Comment from Mitsubishi Corporation

"At Mitsubishi Corporation's Social Infrastructure Group, we are committed to solving social issues and creating sustainable value with the mission of 'Building the Framework of Society.' We believe that HarvestX's AI and robotics technology has the potential to develop into infrastructure in urban areas in the future. Moving forward, we will leverage our group's extensive industrial touchpoints and explore collaboration possibilities through dialogue with HarvestX."

Social Infrastructure Group CEO Office AI & Digital Promotion Unit Sho Iwanaga

Company Overview

Company Name: HarvestX Inc.

Representative: Yuki Ichikawa, Representative Director

Established: August 2020

Location: Entrepreneur Lab 216, South Research Building, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8485

Business Activities: Development of agricultural machinery and sales of solution packages utilizing it

URL: https://harvestx.jp/

Contact Information

HARVESTX Inc. Public Relations

E-mail: [email protected] URL: https://harvestx.jp/contact