Plantio Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya, Tokyo; CEO: Takayoshi Serizawa), the developer of the cloud-based decentralized agri-food infrastructure "grow," announced on February 20 its collaboration with the "GIRO-Mai Rice Paddy Ownership Program," a participatory agricultural project produced by TV personality Girolamo Panzetta.
Through this initiative, a system will be established that allows urban dwellers ("Urban Farmers") to easily participate in rural rice cultivation through both digital and physical touchpoints.
The "GIRO-Mai Rice Paddy Ownership Program" promotes "Agriculture Created Together" rather than simple consumption. It involves rice cultivation projects in collaboration with farmers across Japan, including Aizumisato (Fukushima), Awaji Island (Hyogo), and Hakui (Ishikawa).
In this collaboration, the "grow" app provided by Plantio will be utilized. While remaining in the city, owners can monitor the growth status of their rice paddies through images and data (such as soil moisture and sunlight levels). Additionally, they can interact with local farmers and other owners via the community platform and seamlessly participate in physical farming events on-site.
Plantio has been driving the democratization of agriculture in urban areas by installing community farms equipped with IoT sensors on building rooftops and within vacant city spaces.
CEO Serizawa states, "The essence of regional revitalization is not to have urban and rural areas remain divided, but to have them blend and reconnect through food and farming." By combining Girolamo's vision of "Agritainment" (Agriculture + Entertainment) with Plantio's technology, the project aims to solve social issues such as expanding the "related population" (people engaged with a region) and utilizing abandoned farmlands.
■ ICT Startup League
This support program was launched in FY2023, triggered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "Project for Supporting Budding R&D for Startup Creation."
The ICT Startup League supports startups through four main pillars:
1. R&D Funding / Hands-on Support
Up to 20 million JPY in R&D funding is provided in the form of subsidies. Furthermore, the selection committee members who participated in the screening process continue to provide hands-on support to foster growth. For companies that evaluators were particularly passionate about selecting, a "fan-style" support system is built where the evaluators themselves continuously provide advice on business plans and growth opportunities.
2. Discovery & Cultivation
The program provides opportunities for learning and networking to accelerate the business growth of league members. It also seeks to discover aspiring entrepreneurs to expand the startup ecosystem.
3. Competition & Co-creation
The league functions like a sports league, serving as a venue for positive competition. Startups learn and challenge each other while competing for the necessary funding (up to 20 million JPY). It also provides a space for "co-creation," where league members can collaborate and expand their businesses through sessions with selection committee members and various other opportunities.
4. Promotion
The initiatives of league members are promoted in collaboration with media outlets. By raising awareness of these businesses, the program aims to broaden the scope for new matching opportunities and business prospects.
■ Related Websites
ICT Startup League
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Plantio Inc. (Official Site)
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Plantio Inc. (LEAGUE MEMBER)
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GIRO-Mai Rice Paddy Ownership Program (Official Site)
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Original Press Release (Japanese)
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For more details on STARTUP LEAGUE's startup support, please see here.
