Kukulcan Secures Funding from Mishima Shinkin Bank Group; Accelerates Agricultural Problem-Solving in Eastern Shizuoka

Kukulcan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo Ward, Tokyo; CEO: Honrina; hereinafter "Kukulcan") has received investment through Sanshin Capital Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mishima Shinkin Bank, to further accelerate the utilization of harvest forecasting data and on-site agricultural support initiatives in the eastern Shizuoka region.

Top left: Mr. Masashi Naito, Representative Director, Sanshin Capital (Headquarters: Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture) / Top right: Mr. Junya Katsumata, Representative, Ichigo no Sato BerryGood / Bottom left: Mr. Che Byungdo, CFO, Kukulcan / Bottom right: Ms. Honrina, CEO, Kukulcan

This investment marks Mishima Shinkin Bank’s first-ever investment in a startup, representing a new regional initiative in which a local financial institution supports the social implementation of an agritech startup through financial backing.

To date, Kukulcan has focused on addressing the highly personalized decision-making processes in harvesting, shipping, and distribution within agriculture by developing farmer-focused applications using crop data and creating systems to transform substandard and surplus agricultural produce into valuable resources.

With this investment as a catalyst, Kukulcan will expand data collection, visualization, and product validation efforts in the Mishima and eastern Shizuoka area, while launching the "Mishima Agri-Rebuild Internship Program," which invites university and graduate students from urban areas to engage directly with farming communities to address regional challenges.

Rather than framing food waste as merely an emotional issue of "mottainai" (wastefulness), Kukulcan aims to transform the structural foundations of decision-making, data utilization, and human resource circulation in agriculture. By collaborating with regional financial institutions, farmers, students, and local businesses, Kukulcan seeks to build a model that simultaneously ensures agricultural sustainability and regional economic growth.

Key Features of the Initiative

1. First Startup Investment by a Regional Financial Institution: Mishima Shinkin Bank

Mishima Shinkin Bank has been actively supporting local startups through its operation of "LtG Startup Studio," a regional entrepreneurship support hub.

This investment in Kukulcan via its 100%-owned subsidiary, Sanshin Capital Co., Ltd., marks the bank’s first direct investment in a startup.

For a regional financial institution like a shinkin bank, supporting startups through risk capital—beyond traditional lending and entrepreneurship support—represents a significant step forward for the regional economy. Kukulcan is deeply honored to be selected as the first recipient of this initiative and expresses profound gratitude for Mishima Shinkin Bank’s bold new endeavor.

This investment demonstrates the potential for regional financial institutions and startups to jointly address local challenges and co-create new industries and growth models. Kukulcan is committed to fully responding to this challenge through its agricultural support initiatives in eastern Shizuoka.

2. Launch of the "Agri-Rebuild Internship Program" Engaging Youth in Agriculture

Kukulcan is launching the "Agri-Rebuild Internship Program," inviting university and graduate students from urban areas to participate in agricultural operations in eastern Shizuoka.

In this program, students will enter farming sites to collect, organize, and visualize data on crop growth, harvest volumes, occurrences of substandard or surplus produce, and shipping decisions.

This is not merely an agricultural experience program; it is a hands-on internship designed to help students understand real-world agricultural challenges and use data to drive product improvements and business development.

3. Systematically Addressing Food Waste—Beyond Emotion, Through Structural Change

Crop loss is not simply a matter of food being discarded.

In farming, multiple decisions are interconnected—harvest forecasting, securing buyers, utilizing substandard produce, and connecting with processing, logistics, and sales.

Kukulcan supports these cumulative decisions with data to reduce on-farm losses and build systems that enhance farmers’ profitability.

In this initiative, Kukulcan will combine field data collection by student interns with validation of its farmer-focused application to establish a structural model for solving regional agricultural challenges.

About the "Agri-Rebuild Internship Program"

The "Agri-Rebuild Internship Program" is a hands-on internship for university and graduate students interested in agriculture, regional challenges, startups, and AI/data utilization.

Participants will work alongside Kukulcan team members and engage with farming communities and local businesses in eastern Shizuoka to advance data digitization, problem analysis, product validation, and outreach activities.

Eligibility: University and graduate students

Locations: Mishima City and eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, with online components

Activities:

- Conducting interviews and collecting data at farming sites

- Assisting in the validation of farmer-focused applications

- Participating in collaborative projects with local businesses, financial institutions, and farmers

- Publishing activities via social media, articles, and reports

- Hosting joint reporting sessions with Mishima Shinkin Bank (planned)

* Further details will be announced by Kukulcan at a later date.

Statements from Stakeholders

Junya Katsumata, Representative, Ichigo no Sato BerryGood

"Having hosted student interns in the past, I have deeply felt the importance of passing on agricultural knowledge to the next generation. In an aging Japan with declining birthrates, cultivating talent for agriculture is essential to building the future of our regions.

I expect the 'Agri-Rebuild Internship Program' to go beyond simple farm experiences, offering students the opportunity to engage directly with the field and personally understand and reflect on agricultural challenges.

Agriculture is a vital industry that sustains our food supply, yet it faces numerous challenges such as labor shortages and an aging workforce. Therefore, we must create more opportunities for young people to experience farming firsthand and discover its appeal and potential.

I see great potential in Kukulcan’s efforts to build agricultural systems using data and technology. I sincerely hope this initiative nurtures future agricultural leaders and young innovators committed to solving regional challenges.

As farmers, we are committed participants in this effort to pass the torch to the next generation and help shape the future of agriculture and our communities."

Raja Laxmi Muthu, Internship Leader, Mishima Agri-Rebuild Program (Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo)

"As an international student studying Japanese agriculture, I am deeply honored to learn directly from local farming communities.

At the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, I am researching Shine Muscat grapes, and I have always been deeply interested in how agricultural products reach consumers and what challenges exist on the ground.

I am particularly excited that this program allows me to directly hear from farmers and understand issues such as harvest, shipping, and substandard produce from a data-driven perspective.

Furthermore, I hope this program deepens connections between local communities and students, and through agriculture, regional development, and Kuku