Mellow Japan

About Mellow Japan

Mellow Japan, founded in February 2016, operates a comprehensive platform for mobile retail, primarily focusing on food trucks. The company was co-founded by Masayoshi Ishizawa and Takuya Moriguchi, who brought together deep industry experience and technological acumen. Ishizawa's journey began in 2001 with his own GPS-equipped cafe car, leading him to a 15-year career in developing food truck spaces and managing over 1,000 vendors. Moriguchi, on the other hand, was a university student at Waseda University when he founded an app development company, which he later sold to a listed company before joining forces with Ishizawa. Their combined expertise addresses the logistical and digital needs of the mobile vending industry.

The core of Mellow's business is the "SHOP STOP" platform, which connects mobile vendors with underutilized spaces such as office building forecourts, apartment complexes, and event venues. This B2B2C model serves both the property owners (clients like developers and corporations) who wish to enhance their tenant amenities and the mobile business operators (the food truck entrepreneurs). Revenue is generated through a revenue-sharing model based on the sales performance at these locations. By June 2022, the company had raised a cumulative total of approximately 2.2 billion yen, with major investors including Toyota Financial Services, Mitsubishi Estate, and various venture capital funds.

Mellow's platform is a digital solution that manages scheduling, vendor selection, and sales data analysis to optimize placements and match vendor offerings with local consumer preferences. For vendors, Mellow provides not only access to a network of over 1,000 curated locations but also offers business support, including operational consulting and a subscription-based startup assistance program called "Food Truck ONE". Beyond food trucks, the company is expanding its platform to include other mobile retail formats like apparel shops, massage services, and fresh fish mongers, aiming to create a diverse ecosystem of mobile services. The consumer-facing "SHOP STOP" app allows users to find nearby vendors, view menus, and receive notifications for their favorite trucks, enhancing customer engagement.