Blue Farm raises $2.3M Series A to sell tea fields, not matcha
What's the deal? Japan's Blue FarmDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has raised ¥350 million (roughly $2.3 million) in a Series A round led by AKaFUJIDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, bringing its total funding to ¥460 million. The round is set to close at the end of September 2026.
What does it do? The Hamamatsu-based startup runs a model it calls "MatchaaS" — securing whole tea fields as production infrastructure rather than buying matcha off the market. It calculates the acreage a client needs from annual demand, then manages cultivation, processing, and quality control under multi-year contracts.
Where's the money going? Blue Farm will focus on taking MatchaaS overseas and expanding "ChaaS," a subscription service linking companies to tea fields. Funds will also go to securing fields, strengthening supply and quality systems, and hiring for global business development.
Who's backing it? Beyond lead investor AKaFUJI, the round drew Suzuyo ShojiDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Kawata ConstructionDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Hamamatsu Iwata Shinkin BankDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Shinkin CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, TOKAI HoldingsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and NOBUNAGA Capital VillageDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. AKaFUJI managing partner Masahiro Hattori said Blue Farm can achieve "regional problem-solving and business growth" at once while chasing the "explosively expanding" global matcha market (translated from Japanese).
Who's the new hire? Alongside the raise, Blue Farm spun off its farming arm into subsidiary Blue Field and appointed Kengo Aoki as chief agricultural officer. He will oversee field operations, production, and the push into overseas markets.
Why now? Japan's tea industry faces ageing growers, labour shortages, and rising abandoned farmland. Meanwhile, matcha demand abroad is climbing, raising pressure to lock in stable supply, pricing, quality, and traceability over the long term.
The signal: At around $2.3 million, this is a modest round — sitting in the lower range for Series A deals. But it reflects a broader bet: turning a strained domestic agriculture base into infrastructure that can serve premium foreign demand, keeping value in the regions that produce it.
Read more: prtimes.jp
Image credit: kanegen
