AGRIST
"Solve the global food problem with Deep Tech"
Japanese AgTech startup building affordable AI-powered wire-suspended harvesting robots for greenhouse bell peppers and cucumbers.
AGRIST Inc. is a deep-tech agricultural startup headquartered in Shintomi-cho, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, founded on October 24, 2019 by Junichi Saito and Hiroki Hata. The company emerged from a farmers' study group in Shintomi where local growers expressed the need for an automatic harvesting robot, and its mission is to solve agricultural challenges with technology and realize sustainable agriculture that lasts 100 years into the future. AGRIST develops AI-powered automatic harvesting robots for greenhouse crops, focusing on bell peppers (piman) and cucumbers, built around a design philosophy of inexpensive, simple robots rather than large multi-function machines. Its robots travel along an overhead wire installed inside greenhouses, eliminating the need for ground rails, and use onboard cameras with proprietary AI to identify and pick only harvest-ready produce. The business operates across three areas: AI agriculture (developing AI-based farming software, including work with Microsoft to analyze robot-collected images into big data), agricultural robots (developing AI-driven harvesting robots), and smart agriculture (designing next-generation greenhouses optimized for robot use).
The company runs its own development farm in Shintomi and an AI robot farm in Higashikushira, Kagoshima, operated through its wholly owned subsidiary AGRIST FARM Inc. AGRIST has won more than 27 awards domestically and internationally, including the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award at the 10th Robot Award and a CES 2023 Innovation Award. It has completed Series A and Series B funding rounds, with capital of 100 million yen, and has launched products such as the bell pepper harvesting robot "L", the cucumber harvesting robot "Q", and the AGRIST Farming Planner support app.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Bell Pepper Harvesting Robot L
- Model: L (2024 model)
- Launch Year: 2024
Wire-suspended AI harvesting robot that picks only harvest-ready bell peppers in greenhouses.
Harvesting Robot (2026 model)
- Model: 2026 model
- Launch Year: 2026
Next-generation AI harvesting robot with automatic inter-row movement for peppers and cucumbers.
Cucumber Harvesting Robot Q
- Model: Q
- Launch Year: 2024
AI-equipped cucumber harvesting robot for greenhouse vine-lowering cultivation.
Contact AGRIST
WEBSITE
https://agrist.comHEADQUARTERS
Japan
Company Facts
Founded
2019
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
Asia-Pacific
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
Subsidiary / Acquired
Funding Total
-
AGRIST partners with Microsoft to tackle global food challenges using AI harvesting robots in advanced agricultural applications.
AGRIST Corporation, based in Shintomi Town, Miyazaki Prefecture, showcased its innovative use of physical AI in smart agriculture at the Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab KOBE annual event. The event took place on June 10, 2026, at the Kobe Asahi Hall. AGRIST's presentation highlighted advanced examples of how artificial intelligence can enhance agricultural practices, demonstrating the company's commitment to integrating cutting-edge technology into farming. This initiative aims to improve efficiency and productivity in the agricultural sector, reflecting a broader trend towards modernization in farming techniques.
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