Oishii Raises $150 Million Series C First Close to Scale AI-Driven…

Team S · 2026-05-13T14:37:16.000Z

🇺🇸 Indoor vertical farming startup Oishii has announced the first close of its $150 million Series C funding round as the company accelerates production capacity, robotics integration, and international expansion across the smart agriculture sector. The round was led by SPARX Asset Management, with participation from Nomura Real Estate Development, MISUMI Group, Mizuho Bank, and other strategic investors. Founded in 2016 by Hiroki Koga, Oishii operates one of the world’s largest indoor vertical strawberry farms and has become one of the highest-profile companies in controlled-environment agriculture. The startup combines robotics, AI-driven automation, advanced environmental controls, and Japanese farming techniques to produce pesticide-free strawberries year-round inside indoor smart farms. The company plans to use the fresh capital to increase production capacity, expand farm infrastructure, deepen robotics deployment, and strengthen research and development capabilities across the United States and Japan. Oishii is also building a large-scale Open Innovation Center in Tokyo focused on next-generation vertical farming technologies and automation systems. Oishii has continued scaling despite broader challenges in the vertical farming industry, which has seen multiple startups struggle with profitability and operational efficiency over the past few years. The company has differentiated itself through premium produce positioning, advanced automation, and tighter operational execution. Following its acquisition of Tortuga AgTech in 2025, Oishii significantly strengthened its robotics and harvesting automation capabilities. The startup has also expanded retail distribution across 18 U.S. states and entered Canada as its first international retail market. Since launching its premium Omakase Berry product in 2018 at nearly $50 per tray, the company has broadened its portfolio with more affordable product lines and packaging formats aimed at wider consumer adoption. The funding highlights renewed investor confidence in AI-powered agriculture infrastructure startups focused on automation, climate resilience, and controlled-environment food production. As food supply chains face increasing pressure from climate change, labor shortages, and resource constraints, vertically integrated smart farming companies are increasingly attracting strategic capital from industrial, financial, and technology investors.

Oishii Raises $150 Million Series C First Close to Scale AI-Driven… | Newnex