welzo Invests in SECAI MARCHE and Signs MOU to Expand Agricultural Solutions and Fresh Food Distribution in Southeast Asia

welzo Inc., an innovation company that creates value for everyday life, has signed a memorandum of understanding regarding investment and business collaboration with SECAI MARCHE Inc., which operates a farm-direct fresh food e-commerce platform mainly in Southeast Asia. welzo provides highly specialized B2B-centered solutions across a wide range of fields, including agriculture, livestock and fisheries, the food industry, horticulture, flowers, and living environments. With 24 locations in Japan and a history of more than 100 years since its founding, the company has developed strengths in both cultivation support and delivery, covering the value chain from upstream to downstream. SECAI MARCHE has operated a B2B fresh food e-commerce platform since 2019, directly connecting restaurants and retailers in Southeast Asia with production areas around the world. Centered on Malaysia and Singapore, the company has built its own cold chain and logistics network and handles more than 4,000 agricultural products. welzo decided to invest in SECAI MARCHE after evaluating its direct fresh food distribution network with producers in Southeast Asia, as well as its ability to deliver fresh ingredients through proprietary cold chain and digital technologies. Regarding the business collaboration MOU, welzo, its subsidiary JAHT Inc., and SECAI MARCHE have entered into a three-party basic agreement. The welzo Group and SECAI MARCHE share a vision of creating distribution that directly connects producers and consumers. By combining JAHT’s agricultural production technology guidance, welzo Group’s agricultural solution capabilities cultivated over more than 100 years, and SECAI MARCHE’s sales channels and logistics infrastructure in Asia, the companies aim to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability in Southeast Asia and expand distribution of agricultural, livestock, and fishery products, including Japanese products. Based on the results of proof-of-concept initiatives, the parties aim to conclude a full-scale business alliance agreement. Under the MOU, the companies will mainly work on two initiatives. The first is a PoC for agricultural solutions and materials sales, combining the three companies’ expertise and networks to improve agricultural productivity in Southeast Asia and commercialize a sustainable model. The second is a PoC for a supply system for agricultural, livestock, and fishery products, using welzo’s supply capabilities and SECAI MARCHE’s e-commerce and logistics network to verify the feasibility of building a supply system for high-quality ingredients, including Japanese products. welzo President and Representative Director Yoshifumi Kanao said the company has supported Japan’s food and agriculture sectors since its founding through the supply of agricultural materials and gardening products. As domestic agriculture faces challenges such as market contraction and the need to expand exports, building new distribution mechanisms has become urgent. The partnership with SECAI MARCHE, which operates a strong farm-direct platform in Southeast Asia, will help combine welzo’s knowledge of production sites with SECAI MARCHE’s innovative digital logistics network. Through this capital and business alliance, welzo aims to bring its production technologies and materials to the world, accelerate proactive agriculture, and contribute to the future of sustainable agriculture and global food infrastructure. SECAI MARCHE Co-CEOs Shusaku Hayakawa and Ami Sugiyama said the company has worked to change irrational distribution structures between production areas and consumers, aiming for a future in which people around the world can enjoy the highest-quality food. They said welzo’s deep knowledge of agricultural production sites and production-area network built over many years perfectly match the value SECAI MARCHE seeks to provide in Asian markets. With this investment, the companies will work together to create a flow in which agricultural products from around the world reach Asian dining tables at fair value. Company profiles: welzo was established in August 1952 and founded in August 1921, with capital of 470 million yen and sales of 48.805 billion yen for the fiscal year ending December 2025. JAHT was established in August 1986 and operates fertilizer manufacturing and sales, elevated cultivation, agricultural materials sales, and agricultural product sales businesses. SECAI MARCHE was established in July 2018 and operates fresh food e-commerce, fulfillment, and import/export businesses.