May 19, 2022

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

The aptly named vertical farming company Oishii (meaning ‘delicious’ in Japanese) announced the opening of its largest and most technologically advanced farm to-date in Jersey City, New Jersey. The 74,000 square-foot facility will produce the company’s Omakase Berries, delivering on its mission to make its famed berries available prior to its brand debut in Whole Foods Markets. 

The news of this opening comes just two months after Oishii announced it had raised $50 million through a Series A led by SPARX Group’s Mirai Creation Fund II – a fund created by Toyota Motor Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and SPARX. 

Additional existing investors in the company include Sony Innovation Fund, PKSHA Technology, Social Starts, and a range of angel investors, who have all been active in bringing Oishii’s total funding since its inception to $55 million.

Known for its innovative farming methods, Oishii has joined nature with technology, and has accomplished what was once thought to be the impossible in vertical farming – it has perfected one of the most complex crops to grow in such a manner at commercial scale, overcoming hurdles with its proprietary and first-of-its-kind pollination method, carried out naturally with bees.

“Oishii is the farm of the future,” said Shuhei Abe, president and group CEO, SPARX Group Co., in March. “The cultivation and pollination techniques the company has developed set them well apart from the industry, positioning Oishii to quickly revolutionize agriculture as we know it.”

In 2018, only two years after launching, Oishii introduced its Omakase Berry – an artisanal Japanese strawberry known for its unique sweetness, aroma, and creamy texture that was once only found on a seasonal basis in the Japanese Alps.

By October 2021, the company made its West Coast debut with the opening of its vertical farm in Los Angeles, California, marking the first time its berries were made available outside the New York metro region. 

Oishii was able to recreate the ideal growing conditions for the Omakase Berry at its three indoor vertical farms. This achievement marked the first time the berry had ever been grown in the U.S., and it quickly gained the attention of Michelin-starred chefs, including chefs at The Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, Masa, Atera, Atomix, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Dominique Ansel Bakery, Café Kitsuné, and Murray’s Cheese.

This newest vertical farming facility is a nod to the company’s commitment to sustainability. Oishii saw the potential in a former Anheuser-Busch factory, transforming it into its flagship farm and new headquarters where each harvest is the result of advanced automation and robotics, using 60 percent less energy and 40 percent less water than first generation technologies. 

“At Oishii, we are committed to revolutionize the future of food by offering the best-tasting produce, grown in a way we believe is better for people and better for the planet. Today marks an important step in making good on that promise,” said Hiroki Koga, CEO and co-founder, Oishii.

“We’ve worked hard to pioneer advanced technology that unlocks a substantially more efficient way to grow our unrivaled strawberries. Our largest farm yet pairs the next frontier of indoor farming innovation with the care and precision of centuries-old Japanese farming techniques,” Koga continued.

As demand for Oishii Omakase Berries continues to grow, the company is expanding its retail footprint. This summer, Omakase berries will be available at the upcoming Whole Foods Market opening in New York’s NoMad district.

A tray of 11 medium berries or eight large berries will be $20. A tray of six medium berries will be $11, and a tray of three medium berries will retail for $6. However, the special-edition First Flower Berry will remain at $50 for a tray of six berries. 

“We can’t wait for more people to enjoy an endless strawberry season with the Omakase Berry at its new price and its new home at Whole Foods Market.”

“Eating an Omakase Berry is a full sensory experience, and soon we can introduce them to customers stepping into our store,” added Chris Manca, local forager for Whole Foods Market’s Northeast Region. “We can’t wait for our customers to bring home the delicious flavor of Oishii’s beloved fruit.”

Meanwhile, Oishii continues to innovate. The company is currently working on developing new strawberry varieties, as well as other types of flowering produce and vine fruits such as tomatoes, melons, and peppers. 

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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