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Delivering the joy of growing and the pleasure of eating to the masses — Realizing "Agritainment" through technology【2025 ICT Startup League Member Interview: PLANTIO Inc.】
"Food" is essential to everyone's life, and "Agriculture" is what supports it. Established in 2015, PLANTIO Inc. has developed a system that allows anyone to enjoy growing vegetables, aiming to make Japan's "agriculture and food" more accessible. They provide this as a package with farms installed on rooftops of urban buildings and in corners of parks.
We spoke in detail with Mr. Takaetzu Serizawa, who founded PLANTIO and operates services under the "grow" brand, about his business that is expanding new possibilities for "agriculture and food."
Rooftop farms on urban buildings becoming community hubs
First, could you tell us about the background leading up to the establishment of PLANTIO?
Serizawa: I was originally interested in the entertainment field. During my university days, I aimed to be a jazz musician and belonged to the jazz research club at Tokai University, which produces the highest number of pros. After graduating, I worked as a content producer at an IT venture, but due to family circumstances, I joined the family business, Seron Kogyo Co., Ltd., in 2008. Seron Kogyo manufactures gardening supplies and floral materials. After joining, I was involved in several projects, such as launching the "Flower Valentine" project where men give flowers to women. However, I wanted to use my career experience to break through a certain sense of stagnation in the gardening industry, so I founded PLANTIO in 2015.
I understand that Mr. Jiro Serizawa, the founder of Seron Kogyo and your grandfather, invented the word "Planter" and was the one who developed the actual product and popularized it.
Serizawa: The planter my grandfather developed in 1955 has a composition ratio of soil and water that is almost identical to the balance of actual geological strata and water veins. The structure where soil, water, and air circulate is based on the idea of reproducing the natural environment in a very small size. My grandfather's presence is very significant to me. When PLANTIO was first established, I aimed to promote "Smart Planters" that combined planters with technology. Later, referring to advice from co-founder Taizo Son, who said, "Isn't the essence of your grandfather's invention actually that he created an opportunity for anyone to touch agriculture?", I revamped the business concept from late 2017 to early 2018 and launched the "grow" brand in 2020.
Jiro Serizawa, the grandfather of Mr. Serizawa, who invented the term "Planter" and popularized it to the worldWhat kind of business is central to the "grow" brand?
Serizawa: Currently, our main business involves installing smart community farms equipped with "grow"—centered on the vegetable cultivation guide system "grow"—on rooftops of buildings and in corners of parks.
We often provide the grow system and farms to developers who develop land and cities, offering comprehensive support up to the operation of the farm. Developers then offer the use of the farm to people working nearby or residents, often via a subscription model.
Recently, terms like area management and town management are heard frequently, and "agriculture and food" often become keywords in those contexts. We provide a one-stop service starting from consulting and planning for creating a place centered on "a city with agriculture and food," and once the software (planning) is set, we move to the hardware (farm).
Smart Community Farm "The Edible Park OTEMACHI by grow"Making vegetable growing more accessible through the entertainment of "Ag and Food"
Could you tell us more about the service platform "grow"?
Serizawa: Currently, the IoT sensor "grow CONNECT" and the smartphone app "grow" are provided.
First, grow CONNECT can measure soil temperature, moisture, and outside air temperature with six sensors. It enables the tracking of "accumulated temperature" of the soil, which is important for predicting plant growth. We have obtained a patent for this mechanism where various data are learned in the cloud and fed back to the user.
Based on that data, the "grow" app delivers information to each user about the tasks they should do now and care methods for the plants they are growing. By combining Generative AI, which has made remarkable progress recently, with physical data measured by IoT sensors, the accuracy of the information has improved significantly.
So, with the use of cutting-edge technology, it guides even those without expert agricultural knowledge to successfully grow vegetables.
Serizawa: Beyond advice, the app also facilitates communication between people. When you perform a task displayed as "doable now" in the app and report its completion with a photo and comment, it is posted to the community of people sharing the same farm. Besides the results of farm work, there is also the enjoyment of sharing how you cooked and ate the harvested vegetables.
Growing vegetables happily with friends, leading to daily meals. This is exactly the "Agritainment" (Agricultural Entertainment) that PLANTIO advocates.
Serizawa: "Food and Agricultural Education," learning about food and the agriculture that supports it, has permeated the general public. However, the characteristic of the "grow" service is connecting it to something more "real" through the power of IT. I believe this will lead to further democratization and entertainment of "agriculture and food."
You mentioned that currently, grow CONNECT and the app are provided to companies and organizations.
Serizawa: Yes. We are currently preparing to make it available to individuals in the near future.
When the environment for personal use is ready, what kind of enjoyment will be possible?
Serizawa: We will make it possible to enjoy vegetable growing in a more gamified form. Basically, the app is free. As value-added elements, users can purchase soil and seeds via e-commerce to try authentic cultivation, or lease sensors like grow CONNECT to enjoy quests and missions like "Let's try watering for 4 days in a row."
So it's a service with a sense of a social game, where free play is the standard, but you can get items through billing to enjoy the world more deeply.
Serizawa: The persona of users who actually go to a farm and users who mainly enjoy it at home is clearly different. The former often have high sensitivity to environmental issues and value "agriculture and food" as emotional education. On the other hand, for the latter, I am convinced that deforming the concept of "vegetable growing" somewhat and devising it so that it can be enjoyed more like a game will be a hit. And this light user layer is the overwhelming volume zone.
Indeed, if you can start growing vegetables like a "breeding game," it seems likely to last a long time.
Serizawa: I have held the vision of providing services in a game-like form since the company was founded, and it feels like it is finally being realized one by one.
Just as "Oshikatsu" (fandom/supporting one's favorites) has completely permeated the public, people do not spare time or money on what they like. I always emphasize that "fun is the most sustainable thing." I myself am originally an avid fan of anime and jazz, and from my experience working as an entertainment producer, I feel this sense intuitively.
Since my grandfather's time, there has been a golden rule in the world of gardening: "The joy of growing, the pleasure of eating." I believe the real thrill of "grow" is being able to share these two things with others.
What other voices and reactions have you received from "grow" users?
Serizawa: We often hear voices saying, "I felt agriculture and farming were 'distant,' but they have become very close." We also receive comments like, "There were no places to experience 'agriculture and food' in the city center, but my wish to let my children touch the soil has come true."
Seamlessly connecting the two experiences of "joy of growing" and "pleasure of eating," and providing an Agritainment world by combining with ITInitiatives to change Japanese "Agriculture" are steadily bearing fruit
Could you also introduce the latest trends in your business?
Serizawa: Compared to when we started the "grow" business, the concept of "Regenerative City" (a city with the power to regenerate) has permeated recently. It is being taken up by various media, and urban development based on such concepts is proceeding.
Backed by such a situation, the realization of "Indoor Farming," which we envisioned as the next step when we advocated "Urban Farming" at our founding, is becoming imminent. Not limited to the "rooftop farms on buildings" we have provided so far, the development of modular units to be installed in small gaps in the city is progressing. In addition, through a capital and business alliance with Sangetsu, we are promoting the introduction of indoor farms for office workers. Furthermore, a newly designed app that allows users to enjoy vegetable growing even on home balconies is scheduled to be released around the spring of 2026.
Centering on the "grow" platform, we are promoting the creation of environments where people can touch "agriculture and food" everywhere.
During your participation in the ICT Startup League, what kind of research and development do you plan to proceed with?
Serizawa: We will strengthen the functions that support "saving seeds and connecting to the next generation." Conventionally, when the harvest time of the vegetables being grown approaches, a branch saying "Do you want to save seeds? / Do you want to harvest?" is displayed on the app. We are currently redesigning the system to strengthen the vegetable seed-saving guide part using Generative AI.
As a circumstance unique to Japan, there is a problem that know-how on seed saving is not accumulated domestically because we rely on imports for seeds. I hope to cast a stone into this situation as well.
Is urban farming and food cultivation by the general public actively practiced globally?
Serizawa: As a global trend, the penetration of urban farming is progressing, but in Japan, due to various circumstances, we are still halfway there. That is precisely why I want to actively join hands with companies and the administration to change the domestic situation regarding agriculture and food with "grow."
However, we do not intend to oppose existing agriculture and distribution, but to build a complementary relationship and contribute to broadening the base of "agriculture." Overseas, there are cases where people interested in agriculture through urban farming become professional farmers, so I want to increase opportunities for more people in Japan to become interested in agriculture as well.
The possibilities are expanding rapidly from urban farms to the entire country.
Serizawa: Compared to 10 years ago, I feel that our awareness of the issues is being shared by society. Words like "Agritainment" and "Urban Farming" have become common, and social interest and awareness of issues such as food self-sufficiency are rising. While welcoming talent who can positively enjoy such dynamic changes in the world as colleagues, I want to further grow the business.
You also experienced participation in the ICT Startup League two years ago. How do you feel about participating again this time?
Serizawa: I am happy that awareness of our company and business is progressing by having opportunities to be introduced in media like this article.
Also, for example, approaches to IoT vary greatly from company to company, and I can recognize that there are diverse values. I am realizing once again the merits of valuable insights and stimulation obtained by participating in the league.
Smart Regenerative CityEditor's Note
Since the establishment of PLANTIO, Mr. Serizawa has been proceeding steadily toward his ideal vision through trial and error. While sensitively catching current social trends and situations and utilizing the latest technology to continue exploring new possibilities for "agriculture and food," the interviews revealed throughout that at the root of it all lies the desire to cherish the connection between people, which was practiced in the good old days of Japan.
■ICT Startup League
This is a support program that started in FY2023, triggered by the "Startup Creation-type Germination Research and Development Support Business" by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The ICT Startup League supports startups through four pillars.
1. R&D Funding / Hands-on Support
Up to 20 million yen in R&D expenses is provided in the form of subsidies. In addition, for hands-on support, the selection evaluation committee members who were involved in the selection of league members will stay close after selection to promote growth. For companies that the evaluation committee members rated as "absolutely want to adopt," a "fandom-like" support system is built where the evaluation committee members themselves continuously support them by providing advice on business plans and growth opportunities.
2. Discovery & Incubation
We provide places for learning and encounters that promote the business growth of league members.
We also deploy discovery of those aiming to start a business in the future, aiming to expand the base.
3. Competition & Co-creation
It is a place for positive competition like a sports league, and the mechanism is such that startups win the funds they truly need (up to 20 million yen) while learning together and working hard. We also provide a place for co-creation where league members collaborate to expand their businesses through various opportunities such as sessions by selection evaluation committee members.
4. Dissemination
We will disseminate the initiatives of league members in cooperation with the media! By letting many people know about the businesses, we aim to expand new matching and chance opportunities.
■Related Websites
PLANTIO Inc.
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PLANTIO Inc. (LEAGUE MEMBER)
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ICT Startup League
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