Hiroki Koga, founder and CEO of Japan-rooted Oishii, told AgFunderNews in May 2026 that the company had “crossed that chasm” of unit economics that sank much of the vertical-farming sector. The first close of a $150 million Series C brought Oishii’s total funding to roughly $370 million.
Koga attributes survival to discipline rather than speed. He described “a very strategic decision to focus on premium strawberries,” deliberately avoiding the leafy-greens commodity trap that bankrupted competitors, while proving out unit economics before chasing revenue.
The model fuses robotics and automation with centuries-old Japanese farming techniques, strengthened by the 2025 acquisition of Tortuga AgTech’s harvesting robotics.
For investors, his framing of deeptech agriculture is notable: “patient capital remains critical for the category.” New Series C funds will expand production capacity and deepen robotics integration.
Sources: Source 1