#Japan #Tokyo #GrubMarket #Oisix #Future Food Fund

Oisix's Future Food Fund Makes Strategic Investment in GrubMarket

Oisix Ra Daichi's venture capital arm, Future Food Fund, headquartered in Tokyo, has recently made an important investment in GrubMarket, Inc., a leading B2B food e-commerce platform based in California. This move, which marks the 39th investment for the Future Food Fund, aims to strengthen food distribution networks that seamlessly connect producers with restaurants and retailers across North America.

GrubMarket: Innovating Food Distribution

Founded in 2014, GrubMarket has been on a mission to transform the massive and analog fresh food distribution market in the United States. The company provides a B2B platform that connects producers to wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants, empowering them with the tools needed for seamless transactions. GrubMarket has experienced impressive growth and now serves a wide client base across the U.S.

A standout feature of GrubMarket's business model is its powerful logistics network, combined with advanced AI and SaaS solutions. Through the acquisition of over 120 food wholesale and logistics companies, GrubMarket has established one of the largest distribution networks in North America. Their proprietary enterprise AI and SaaS-based ERP systems significantly streamline a traditionally convoluted supply chain, making it more efficient and transparent.

Impressive Financial Performance

GrubMarket's financial reports for 2024 project revenues exceeding $2 billion, maintaining a positive EBITDA for three consecutive years. This robust financial foundation positions the company as a leading player in the technology-driven food supply chain sector, paving the way for further expansion. With this investment, GrubMarket is poised to enhance its foothold in North America and accelerate the global rollout of its AI technologies and logistics platform.

Looking Ahead: The Rationale Behind the Investment

The Future Food Fund's investment in GrubMarket is aligned with addressing inefficiencies in Japan's food distribution system. By adopting digital technologies and enacting structural reforms, the food market in Japan can benefit tremendously. GrubMarket's data-driven order forecasting and logistics optimization models have a high degree of applicability in the Japanese context.

Through this partnership, Future Food Fund seeks to leverage GrubMarket's advanced insights and integrate them with domestic food-related networks. This collaboration is expected to explore future possibilities for introducing GrubMarket’s innovative practices into Japan's market, fostering stronger ties with partner companies like Oisix Ra Daichi.

About GrubMarket, Inc.

GrubMarket operates a B2B food supply chain platform facilitating connections between farmers, wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants. The company specializes in providing AI-powered inventory management and price optimization SaaS solutions while developing a comprehensive logistics network throughout the United States. For more information, visit GrubMarket.

Commentary from Future Food Fund

Hiroshi Hasegawa, head of investment at Future Food Fund, commented on the investment, highlighting the enormous opportunities in North America's fresh food distribution market, which exceeds $1 trillion. He noted that many small to medium wholesalers still operate with outdated analog systems, indicating significant potential for improvement. Hasegawa emphasized GrubMarket's unique approach to integrating logistics operations and centralized data with their proprietary AI to solve these issues structurally.

Hasegawa believes that data-driven demand forecasting and pricing optimization models can provide a strong alignment with required updates in Japan’s food distribution landscape. He expressed hope that this investment will serve as a bridge between GrubMarket's advanced models and Japan's market, further evolving the domestic food ecosystem and supporting GrubMarket's growth.

About Future Food Fund

Established in August 2019 as a subsidiary of Oisix Ra Daichi, Future Food Fund is dedicated to creating a vibrant startup ecosystem in Japan's food sector. Focused on food innovation, the fund invests in both domestic and international startups while supporting partners in sales and product development. Their mission is to build and foster a supportive startup ecosystem within Japan. For more details, visit Future Food Fund.

About Oisix Ra Daichi

Oisix Ra Daichi, led by CEO Kohei Takashima, delivers organic and specially cultivated vegetables, along with processed foods made with minimal additives through their three brands: Oisix, Radishbo-ya, and Daichi wo Mamoru Kai. The company's philosophy, 'The Future of Dining, The Future of Farming,' aims to address social issues related to food through business methodologies.