ABOUT

About the Program

TOP About the Program

AIM

The Vision of AgriFood SBIR

The agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and food industries are essential to our lives, providing abundant food and sustaining our environment. In recent years, however, these industries have faced a range of challenges, including labor shortages, climate-related disasters, and issues related to food security. To overcome these challenges and enable further growth, the development of innovative technologies—free from conventional constraints—and their commercialization are essential. AgriFood SBIR aims to contribute to solving social challenges and driving industrial growth by providing hands-on, stage-specific support for researchers aspiring to become entrepreneurs and startups seeking to scale up, transforming cutting-edge seeds into viable businesses.

TARGET

Target Applicants

Researchers Aspiring to Start a Business

Researchers at universities or research institutions who aim to commercialize their seeds and launch their own startups.

Startups

Startups seeking to commercialize new seeds and scale up their businesses.

THEME

Application Themes

Each year, we invite applications for themes that contribute to solving challenges and driving growth in the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and food industries.

FY2025

Addressing On-Site Production Challenges, Including the Aging Workforce and Labor Shortages in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries
Streamlining and Accelerating the Processing and Distribution of Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishery Products
Expanding the Potential of the Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, and Food Industries and Driving Their Growth
Achieving Both High Productivity and Sustainability in the Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, and Food Industries

STEP

Steps Toward Commercialization

Based on the commercialization phase of selected projects, we provide step-by-step support ranging from seed creation to commercialization and scale-up.

	Phase 0 Ideation Creation of Technology Seeds	Phase 1 Concept Development Feasibility Study (FS) / Proof of Concept (PoC)	Phase 2 Practical Application R&D and Preparations for Startup Launch	Pre-Commercialization PhaseProduct‑Market Fit (PMF) Initiatives such as technological improvements aimed at achieving PMF
Goal	Creation of Technology Seeds with Strong Commercialization Potential	・Clarification of Technical Challenges ・Development of Promising Business Models	・Incorporation ・Business Planning ・Fundraising from VCs and Other Investors	Preparations for launching a business based on R&D results are complete.
Eligible Applicants	R&D-driven startups and related entities engaged in innovative research and development with the aim of creating new businesses (Small and medium-sized enterprises, or researchers seeking to start a business and commercialize their research; applications must be submitted through their affiliated institutions)			Research and development–oriented startups and other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Period	Within two years	Within one year	Within two years	Within one year
Research Contract Funding	Up to JPY 10 million per year	Up to JPY 10 million per year	Up to JPY 20 million per year	An amount up to the same level as investments from venture capital firms and other investors, capped at 30 million yen.
Research and Development Themes	Each year, we establish and publicly solicit research and development themes that contribute to solving challenges and driving growth in the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and food industries.

SUPPORT

Support Menu

We offer a variety of hands-on support programs tailored to the challenges and needs of selected applicants.

Mentoring

Project Managers (PMs) and mentors offer specialized guidance toward commercialization.

Pitch Event

We host pitch events where participants present their research outcomes and business concepts.

Matching

We support matching with collaborative research institutions and business partners.

Seminars

We host seminars that support commercialization, covering topics from the fundamentals of entrepreneurship to advanced practices.

DETAIL

More Information

For detailed information, including the application guidelines, please refer to the website of the Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (BRAIN).