Introducing the Iconic Food Company Partners of Food Tech Studio — Bites!

CNET Japan published an in-depth article about our most recent program Food Tech Studio — Bites! The launch event, which took place virtually on September 30th, introduced program details as well as key interviews with the partners and mentors who make this program unique and innovative.

The event was in Japanese so we are sharing a translation of CNET Japan’s article to highlight who these iconic food leaders are and how they view the future of food tech.

As Hitoshi Hokamura from Scrum Ventures, who has been working to raise food tech awareness in Japan for over a decade said, “Japan is a gastronomic powerhouse where safe and delicious foods are available at reasonable prices. I think we owe a big part of that to the Japanese food companies that developed various technologies 50 to 60 years ago. Cutting edge products such as instant noodles, soy protein, and ready-to-eat meals in sealed pouches changed food culture around the world. Japanese food companies were the original innovators.“

With these original food innovators, the startups accepted into the program will be exploring how their technologies may be applied to the Japanese and global markets, potentially partnering to create new products or business models.

The partners of the program are:

FUJI OIL HOLDINGS, INC. (Fuji Oil)— Founded in 1950, they have long been focused on plant-based products such as meat alternatives, cream, and cheese using soybeans. While they are experts at making plant-based products delicious, they joined Food Tech Studio -Bites! to further apply their technology with startups and new food concepts.

NISSIN FOODS HOLDINGS CO., LTD (Nissin)— They are the inventor of instant noodles, a globally recognized and appreciated food product that changed how we eat. They launched “Beyond Instant Foods Lab” in 2019 to explore how new technologies and digital data can be used in how we eat and cook.

ITO EN, LTD. (Itoen) — Their brand in Japan is synonymous with green tea, and they have been expanding internationally introducing their healthy alternative to sugary sodas. They handle 25% of Japan’s unprocessed green tea and have over 160,000 vending machines around Japan that program startups can take advantage of to create new business opportunities.

Juchheim Co., Ltd. (Juchheim) — In addition to being a partner for Food Tech Studio -Bites!, they are launching BAUMS HAUS, an innovation lab to match start-ups with the manufacturing companies in confectionery, food, and beverage markets in Japan. They aim to lower the barrier for startups to enter the market.

NICHIREI CORPORATION (Nichirei) — As the largest frozen food distribution company in Japan, they use research and data to better understand customer food preferences to personalize their products more effectively. They hope program startups will take advantage of their unique expertise and technologies.

Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. (Otsuka) — Founded in 1955, Otsuka Foods launched Bon Curry — the world’s first commercial retort food product. As an alternative to canning, they were able to deliver tasty food that was easy to transport and heat up. With food safety an increasingly important aspect of our food supply, their technology and innovation is relevant and prime for further innovation.

Read the translated CNET Japan article, written by Yasushi Anzo, to learn more about currently available innovative food technology and products by these partners, as well as an insightful side by side tasting of the most reputable Wagyu Hamburg steak from Japan’s famous restaurant Kakunoshin and a patty made from the Impossible Burger product.

CNET Japan — Full Article Translated

Food Tech Studio — Bites! — an Initiative by Food Giants to Bring Innovation to Japan

On September 30, Scrum Ventures launched “Food Tech Studio -Bites!” a global open innovation program that connects six leading Japanese food industry partners with startups from around the world to bring innovation to the food industry. Based in San Francisco with networks in both Silicon Valley and Japan, Scrum Ventures is an early-stage venture firm focused on startups and new business creation.

Food Tech Studio -Bites! aims to add value to the food sector by developing new services such as materials, IoT cooking appliances, and food personalization, through the use of technology and open innovation. The company is also working to solve key issues such as food loss, plastic waste, and plant-based proteins for sustainability.

The six participating partner companies are Fuji Oil, Nissin, Itoen, Juchheim, Nichirei, and Otsuka. These partners will co-create business with the Food Tech startups selected by the program.

Hitoshi Hokamura, partner at Scrum Ventures, introducing Food Tech Studio -Bites!

Japan, the Gastronomic Powerhouse and Pioneer of Food Tech

Hitoshi Hokamura, a partner at Scrum Ventures, explained that the program was launched out of a sense of urgency surrounding the rapid growth of food tech startups in Silicon Valley.

“Japan is a gastronomic powerhouse where safe and delicious foods are available at reasonable prices. I think we owe a big part of that to the Japanese food companies that developed various technologies 50 to 60 years ago. Cutting edge products such as instant noodles, soy protein, and ready-to-eat meals in sealed pouches changed food culture around the world. Japanese food companies were the original innovators. On the other hand, Beyond Meat, a plant-based meat substitute startup, has developed new products and services at an incredible pace and is growing, with a corporate value of more than 1 trillion yen”.

Seeing the lack of this Food Tech wave in Japan, Hokamura launched the Smart Kitchen Summit Japan in partnership with consulting firm SIGMAXYZ Inc., in 2017 to raise awareness about Food Tech in Japan.

“Around late 2019, Food Tech began to be recognized in the business world, no longer as just “food” or “technology”, but as a new industry in itself. The aim of Food Tech Studio -Bites! is to bring together six of Japan’s pioneers of Food Tech to create new products and services in collaboration with a global mentor network and best-of-class startups selected from around the world. With the participation of people from various industries, we hope to create new innovations around food, and create a healthier and more beautiful planet.” says Hokamura.

The Program Schedule

The Food Tech Studio -Bites! program is from September 30 to March 2021:

• Startup application period: September 30, 2020 — December 21, 2020
• Startup selection period: December 2020 to January 2021 (TBD)
• Business development and mentoring period: January 2021 to March 2021 (TBD)

The application is open to start-ups of any stage within the categories of “Wellness & Health,” “Next-gen Foods & Functional Foods,” “Supply Chain and Logistics,” “At-Home & Consumer-Focused Technologies” and “Sustainability”. Startups that apply will go through a selection process.

Overview of the project:

The 5 main categories for start-up recruitment:

Mentors at the Forefront of Food Tech

The mentors of Food Tech Studio -Bites! are Michael Wolf, publisher of The Spoon, a food tech-related online media outlet, and founder of the Smart Kitchen Summit, the leading Food Tech event in North America; Akiko Okada, SIGMAXYZ Research/Insight Specialist who cofounded Smart Kitchen Summit Japan with Hitoshi Hokamura; Hajime Yoneda, chef and owner of restaurant HAJIME in Osaka that earned 3 Michelin stars within a year and a half of its opening; Sara Roversi, President of the Future Food Institute and Head of the Future Food Network; Jose Francisco Pelaez, Head of Product and Service Development and Innovation at the LABe Digital Gastronomy Lab of the Basque Culinary Center, a culinary college in San Sebastian which does cutting-edge research on food; and Yoshiki Tsuji, Principal of Tsuji Culinary School and Head of the Tsujicho Group.

“The Japanese food system is truly innovative, and it’s an exciting place to be, with everyone from century-old corporations to young start-ups looking to redefine how food is created and prepared. I’m looking forward to contributing my expertise to Food Tech Studio -Bites! and creating an exciting future.” — Michael Wolf

“Food Tech Studio -Bites! is unique in that it brings together companies from a variety of industries and is connected to the international Food Tech community. We are excited to accelerate the social implementation of food innovation together.” — Akiko Okada

“Many people may think of Food Tech as cooking appliances and efficiency improvements, but I believe that the true potential lies beyond the physical limitations of the cook’s hands. I believe that we can create possibilities through the use of new technology, and I believe that Food Tech Studio -Bites! will help us to further pursue the possibilities of food and human beings.” — Hajime Yoneda

“Now is the time to stop throwing around the word ‘sustainable’, and instead take the inspiration that we have and turn it into concrete actions. In order to change the current complex food system for the better, everyone must stand up to the challenge. The choices that we make every day about food directly impact human health and the sustainability of the world, and we don’t have time to waste anymore. We are also establishing the ‘Kyobashi Living Lab’ in Kyobashi and starting a Future Food team from Japan.” — Sara Roversi

“LABe that is based in the Basque Culinary Center is an ecosystem for research and innovation in gastronomy, food, and technology. We are very much looking forward to working with Food Tech Studio -Bites!, and I am confident that it will become a benchmark for food and Food Tech innovation in Japan.” — Jose Francisco Pelaez

Food Tech has made innovations in the culinary world faster and bolder than ever before, but I believe that what comes out of it will be served by the hands of chefs. As a leading culinary institute, we aim to incorporate Food Tech into our curriculum and produce chefs who can work at the forefront of the industry. We hope to contribute to the development of the emerging food industry and solve key issues by using the expertise and networks that we have cultivated in gastronomy. — Yoshiki Tsuji

Ryo Hayashima of Scrum Ventures added by saying “these mentors can provide mentoring, business implementation opportunities, and demo opportunities to the start-ups participating in Food Tech Studio -Bites! We are not limiting the stage or size of the start-ups we are accepting and strongly encourage any in one of the five categories to join us.”

Partner Messages:

“Using Digital Transformation (DX) to Create Products” — Mr. Hirofumi Shimizu, President of FUJI OIL HOLDINGS, INC

Since our founding in 1950, we have been solving our customers’ problems with innovative plant-based products. The best examples of these products are soybeans and functional vegetable oils and fats. In recent years, concerns about global climate change, population growth, and food crises have given birth to consumers who value ethics and sustainability, which has fueled debates about animal food products around the world.

We have continued our research over the years because we truly believe that soy will save the planet. As part of what we call the “Soy Renaissance”, we have created meat alternatives from soybean, as well as cream, cheese, and butter from soy milk to replace all meat and dairy products. We have reached the point where we are able to make delicious plant-based foods that are as good as, or even better than meat and dairy products. Our plant-based foods are no longer substitutes. However, our endeavor does not end here.

Until now, food manufacturers have made it their business to provide a stable and reasonable supply of food. With the evolution of DX, however, we need to begin creating added value such as people’s wellness and health and make products that cater to each individual’s happiness and personal values. This is exactly what we aim to do by participating in Food Tech Studio -Bites!. We believe that by crossing our technology with the start-ups that are creating new concepts in Food Tech, we can create a new food culture.

“Reviving the Excitement of the Development of the World’s First Instant Ramen” — Yoichi Yoshida, General Manager of New Business Development Department, NISSIN FOODS HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

Nissin Foods has refined its food technology through continuous trial and error and making improvements in the instant ramen manufacturing process. As the value of food is being redefined globally and new sensing technologies and digital data are being used in cooking and eating, we believe that food innovation will occur in conjunction with our core technologies.

In 2015, we adopted the slogan “Beyond Instant Foods” and in September 2019 launched the “Beyond Instant Foods Lab” with the goal to innovate food culture. Through open innovation with startups, we aim to explore the possibilities of new technologies and ideas. By working together, we hope to share the excitement that we felt 60 years ago when we developed the world’s first instant ramen.

“Co-creation of new businesses” — Masumi Matsumoto, General Manager, New Business Promotion Department, ITO EN, LTD.

In recent years, consumers’ perceptions of food and their related values have diversified, and the corona crisis has further accelerated these changes in lifestyle. In order for us to continue making new products and services that meet our customer’s needs and achieve further growth, we see value in collaborating and co-creating with Food Tech startups.

As a full-service beverage manufacturer in Japan, we have many assets at our disposal. We have been researching the health benefits of green tea ingredients such as Catechin and Theanine for many years. We handle 25% of Japan’s unprocessed tea production with 5 in-house and 50 partner factories, and our 200 sales offices and 160,000 vending machines span the entire country.

We invite the world’s best start-ups to make full use of our assets, where start-ups with cutting edge technology can come together to make their ideas a reality and create new businesses. We are looking forward to seeing new innovative business models and seeds that could be game-changers for the market.

“Challenging the Future of Food Together” — Osamu Nakamura, General Manager, New Business Department, Juchheim Co., Ltd.

In this first year of entering the Food Tech industry, Jucheim will launch “BAUMS HAUS” to experiment with all the possibilities of Food Tech. We are working with local financial institutions and large corporations to match start-ups with the manufacturing companies in the Nagoya area. Our goal is to make BAUMS HAUS a place where new Food Tech ventures are born and can take off on a global scale. In order to achieve this goal, we are founding a “Food Tech Innovation Center” to support start-ups from the stage of growth to scale.

Japan lacks a support system for Food Tech-related companies in the growth stage. Despite the fact that many Food Tech devices should be implemented in the B2B market first, there are many barriers that make it difficult for startups to enter this market. We can help such startups move from growth to scale by matching them with partners in the confectionery, food and beverage markets, where we specialize. The theme of the Food Tech Innovation Center is to connect with everyone and grow together. We are excited to take on the challenge of the future of food together.

The BAUM HAUS concept is scheduled to open in Nagoya, Aichi on March 4, 2021. BAUM HAUS EAT, a food hall with sweets, a deli, a bakery and a pop-up stand will be on the first floor. BAUM HAUS WORK, a shared office, lounge and space for the Avatar Robot, will be located on the second floor.

The concept of the Food Tech Innovation Center, headquartered within BAUM HAUS. Food tech equipment and services from member companies will be on display at all times in the showroom. The BAUM HAUS pop-up store and a food truck will also undertake sales and marketing to the B2B market on behalf of its members. In addition, they plan to take their services to the next level by hosting events with top patisserie chefs from around the world and supporting the technological development of Food Tech equipment.

“Making the world a happier place through food” — Junji Kawasaki, Director and Executive Officer of NICHIREI CORPORATION

As our customers’ values diversify, our goal has been to understand each customer better and provide them with the opportunity to rediscover the joy of eating and cooking. We have been focusing on Food Tech as a means to connect with and get to know each customer on a deeper level to be able to directly provide them with better-personalized services.

As a tool to better understand the needs of each customer, we have been conducting research on the taste of “deliciousness”, as well as “SiteMetrix” research to quantify the human mind. Using the data from our research, we have developed “Conomeal”, a system that analyzes individual food preferences and provides recipes and information tailored to each customer’s tastes. By participating in Food Tech Studio -Bites! we aim to further refine “Conomeal” and also have partners utilize our technology, in order for us to collectively contribute to raising the level of happiness around the world through innovations in food.

“A place to foster technology and new concepts together” — Toshihiro Tokumoto, Managing Executive Officer of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.

The Otsuka Group, sees Food Tech Studio -Bites! as a collective of all leading Japanese companies that will greatly amplify and communicate ideas at a sense of scale that cannot be achieved by Otsuka alone. We are looking forward to making new connections with people and start-up companies, and developing technologies and new concepts together. We hope this will lead to the development of innovative new products, maximize the value of existing brands, and even revolutionize the way that we develop products. We are excited about being exposed to new ideas, people, and technologies that are outside the box.

Takuya Miyata, General Partner of Scrum Ventures and organizer of Food Tech Studio -Bites!

For three years now, Scrum Ventures has been building on the momentum of open innovation and has developed various studio businesses that connect Japan’s key companies with start-ups in a variety of categories such as entertainment, consumer electronics, sports and smart cities. While the startup industry is gaining momentum in Japan, we are also seeing more and more startups sprouting in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and many other regions with a variety of technologies and ideas. We at Food Tech Studio -Bites! are convinced that connecting leading Japanese food companies with startups around the world will lead to the creation of innovative products and services.

Partners’ Food Tech Products

A special session at the Food Tech Studio -Bites! launch event featured a presentation of each partner company’s Food Tech products.

Misato Iriguchi of Fuji Oil introduced soy meat, cream, cheese, and cheese lasagne that was made using the cutting edge, USS (Ultra Soy Separation) method. These are the most popular dishes at the UPGRADE Plant-based kitchen at the Daimaru Shinsaibashi store in Osaka.

Mr. Yoichi Yoshida of Nissin introduced RAMEN EX, a delivery service that allows customers to eat high-quality ramen from famous restaurants at home. The ramen is delivered via Uber Eats or Demae-can, and is to be cooked by heating in a microwave. “The concept is that you can eat authentic ramen at home or in the office whenever you want. Through a process of trial and error, the developers were able to create instant ramen that is 100% the same as ones served in restaurants” says Yoshida.

Mr. Masumi Matsumoto from Itoen introduced “Oi Ocha Dark Tea” and “Fresh Orange Tea”. Dark tea is a functional food that reduces body fat. “We deliberately chose tea seeds that contained a lot of catechin and developed it from tea fields. Other companies add various ingredients after production, but we extract all ingredients from the tea leaves and do not artificially add anything. We usually make black tea with flavors and fragrances, but went back to the starting point for the ‘Fresh Orange Tea’ and succeeded in naturally extracting orange flavor oils from the orange peel. This was a challenging task, and after three years of planning and one and a half years of development, we were finally able to make this product available to customers” says Matsumoto.

Nichirei’s Eriko Sekiya introduced “Conomeal Kitchen”, a smartphone app that uses AI to analyze food preferences and suggests recipes. “The feature of this app is that it suggests menus without you having to make up your own mind. Cooking can be time-consuming, we solve this problem by introducing users to meal prep,” says Sekiya.

Hiroyuki Shima of Otsuka Foods introduced ZEROMEAT, a meat substitute made from soybeans. “We reverse engineered to analyze meat, hamburgers, sausages, and hams and recreate them with ingredients that aren’t meat. Our company’s motto is that technology and good taste go hand in hand,” says Shima.

Koji Yamada of Otsuka Holdings introduced SOYMEAT, plant-based food from Nutrition & Sante, which operates in Europe and North America, and plant-based cheese from Deya Foods of Canada, which joined the Otsuka Group in 2017. Tokumoto of Otsuka Holdings added, “Deya Foods is the leading brand in plant-based cheese in the U.S. market. Since people are eating more at home because of the Corona crisis, sales are growing.”

Otsuka Holdings’ ZEROMEAT and SOYMEAT, and Deya Foods’ Plant-Based Cheese

Side by Side Tasting of “Impossible Meat” and Wagyu Beef Patty

For the final presentation, Masuo Chiba, owner of nine Kanzaki aged meat restaurants called “Kakunoshin” in the Tokyo metropolitan area, appeared on stage to compare the Kakunoshin Premium Beef Patty with the Impossible Burger. Impossible Burger caused a buzz when it won the “Best of CES” award at the 2019 International CES in Las Vegas.

The Impossible Burger was simply taken out of the package, kneaded and shaped, and but was not seasoned.

“The Impossible Burger has been described as a ‘meat substitute,’ but I see it as a new field of food that is close to meat, rather than a meat substitute,” says Chiba.

I also had a chance to try the Impossible Burger and the Kakunoshin patty. When grilled, the Kakunoshin patty became noticeably more plump and juicy, whereas the Impossible Burger did not increase in volume and cooked differently. When I tried it, the flavor and juiciness of the Kakunoshin burger that only uses premium grade Black-Haired Wagyu was far superior to that of the Impossible Burger, but considering that the Impossible Burger was cooked as it was without any seasoning, I was awestruck by its potential.

The Impossible Burger package (bottom) and a molded version of it (top right). Top left: the premium grade patty from Kakunoshin.

Burger made with Impossible Burger (left) and a burger made with Kakunoshin patty (right).

“We’re proud to be one of the best selling Wagyu beef patties in the world, currently selling more than 100,000 patties a month, but I’m not sure if we can outcompete the Impossible Burger if it continues to improve. The advent of these alternative food products has already begun to change the mindset of consumers. Public support is given to foods that are sustainable in relation to the terroir (geography, topography, climate, etc.), culture, and environment. I feel that society is moving in a direction where consumers support local, cultural, and ethical manufacturing,” says Chiba.

Hokamura concluded by saying, “Technology merging with food has broadened my perspective. Food tech is going to be more and more involved in changing food for the better, which is not only limited to better taste but also by making food healthier and more environmentally friendly. When I first brought up the idea of founding Food Tech Studio -Bites!, I was asked if competing companies in the same industry could work together. Since the establishment of Food Tech Studio -Bites!, I have seen our project team debate and collaborate, and already feel that the culture is changing, and becoming more like Silicon Valley. We have experience with over 1,500 early-stage startups, and we’re bringing in the best startups from all over the world to not only build something new but to have mentors from around the world to support them in their endeavors. I’m proud to say that such a trinity has never been seen before. We hope to create happier people and protect the environment with the development of our project”.

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This is a translation of an article on CNET Japan written by Yasushi Anzo.