| Representative |
Daisuke Aoki
Daisuke Aoki, Representative Director, was born into a family of tea farmers in Shizuoka with a 300-year history. After completing graduate school, he worked at the holding company of a major telecommunications construction firm, handling IR duties and gaining experience in ESG investor relations and capital strategy. He was then seconded to a group company, where he engaged in investment projects in renewable energy and data centers, learning through practical experience how to build systems that balance environmental and economic considerations. He subsequently studied business administration and accounting overseas. Building on this experience, he founded Blue Farm to sustainably pass on the traditional tea industry to the next generation. |
| Main Achievements |
2025
・Selected for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “ICT Startup League”
・Selected for the Shimada-Kakegawa Shinkin Bank “SK Startup Grant”
・Received the Runner-up Prize at Fujieda City's “Fujieda Innovation Stadium 2024”
2024
・Kikugawa City “Kikugawa Challenge Business Contest” Excellence Award
・Hamamatsu City “New Business Challenge Project Subsidy Program” Selected
・Shizuoka Prefecture “Management Innovation Plan Approved Company” Certified
・Mishima City “SHOGUN PITCH 2024—Winter Campaign—” Excellence Award
・Hamamatsu City “HSI (Hamamatsu Startup Incubator 2023)” Grand Prize Winner
2023
・Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry “J-StarX Regional Entrepreneur Course Advanced Program” Selected
・Selected for Hamamatsu City's “HSI (Hamamatsu Startup Incubator 2023)”
・Awarded NTT DOCOMO Ventures Prize at SME Support Agency's “FASTAR 7th DEMO DAY”
2022
・Selected for Hamamatsu City's “Hamamatsu Accelerator 2022”
・Selected for JETRO's “Startup City Acceleration Program (Techstars)”
・Selected for SME Support Agency's “FASTAR 7th Cohort”
2021
・Selected for Shizuoka Industrial Promotion Association's “FY2022 Industry-Academia Collaborative Research Project on Regional Issues”
・Selected for Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's “Support Program for Creating Secondment Startups” |
| Childhood Dream |
Born into a family of tea farmers spanning generations, and having witnessed my grandfather preserve the hand-rolling tradition as an intangible cultural asset for posterity, carrying the tea industry forward into the future was not a “dream” for me, but a “mission” I was born to shoulder. |
| Influential People, Things, and Events |
Person: “My grandfather, Katsuo Aoki, was a holder of the Intangible Cultural Heritage designation for tea hand-rolling.”
Object: “Tea fields passed down for centuries, now deteriorating due to abandoned cultivation.”
Event: “The mandatory disclosure of sustainability information symbolized by TCFD and CDP.” |
| Motivation, Goals, and Ideal World |
Tea fields in mountainous regions have halved over the past decade, with projections indicating that 90% could vanish within the next five years. Born into a family that has carried on the tea trade, I faced this reality and resolved to start a business, viewing it as my mission to connect the tea industry to the future. Meanwhile, globally, interest in ESG investing and sustainability is rapidly growing, compelling companies to respond to disclosure requirements like TCFD and CDP. The gap between a declining traditional industry and society's demand for environmental value is precisely why I began this challenge.
My goal is to redefine tea fields as “assets that generate environmental value.” Tea fields that have lost their value should be phased out. However, there are companies and consumers who need tea fields with high environmental value, and their voices are growing louder. I have built ChaaS (Tea Field as a Service), which visualizes the effects of tea fields on CO₂ reduction and biodiversity conservation through data, directly linking it to corporate disclosure and investor evaluation. Through this system, I aim to revitalize the tea industry while also contributing to enhancing corporate value and the sustainability of society as a whole.
I want to create a society where we don't need to say “it's good for the planet.” Currently, much consumption and activity places burdens on the future, so we emphasize “good for the environment” and “good for society.” But fundamentally, everyday consumption and corporate actions should naturally support the future, building trust and enhancing value. Through this model starting with tea fields, I want to spread such a society worldwide. |
