During the Cultivate conference on June 13, Fukaya City, Japan, proudly announced their partnership with Grand Farm. Fukaya City, known for creating Deep Valley, Japan’s leading AgTech ecosystem, sees this collaboration as a significant step toward international innovation in agriculture. Fukaya City joined Cultivate as a part of the Japan Delegation, organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

“We are honored to enter into a partnership with Grand Farm, a leading AgTech ecosystem builder in the United States,” said Takahiro Fukushima, representative of Fukaya City. “We recognize that there are differences in the characteristics of AgTech in the American and Japanese markets. By complementing each other in these differences, we aim to continuously develop the AgTech ecosystem in both countries. We look forward to collaborating with Grand Farm in the future.”

Grand Farm is designed around building a global ecosystem around innovation in agriculture. Andrew Jason, Ecosystem Director of Grand Farm, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership. “Over the last few years, we’ve had the pleasure of learning about the robust Japanese AgTech ecosystem and how Fukaya City and Deep Valley are going to be leaders for that ecosystem. We’re so excited to build a bridge between North Dakota and Japan to support AgTech startups. None of this innovation is possible without this type of collaboration.”

According to the North Dakota Trade Office, Japan has consistently ranked among the top 10 markets for North Dakota in both imports and exports over the past decade. “Japan has emerged as one of the largest sources of FDI [foreign direct investment] in the state,” said Drew Combs, Executive Director at the North Dakota Trade Office. “In 2022, numerous companies from North Dakota had the opportunity to participate in a governor-led trade and investment mission to Japan to further nurture this enduring relationship. Grand Farm is playing a pivotal role in enhancing ties with Japan in the AgTech sector through this collaboration. We eagerly anticipate observing how Grand Farm will continue to cultivate and expand opportunities.”

This partnership with Fukaya City’s Deep Valley initiative represents a significant milestone in Grand Farm’s mission to drive global agricultural innovation. Through initiatives like these, Grand Farm continues to position itself at the forefront of agricultural technology, bridging gaps and building networks that benefit the AgTech industry worldwide.

Learn more about Deep Valley.