In partnership with MYSC, a South Korea-based global impact investor and accelerator, SFA supported three Korean livestock-tech startups to prepare for J-AGRI WEEK TOKYO 2026 in October. Combining MYSC’s acceleration work with SFA’s network across Japan’s food and agriculture sectors, the program created meaningful opportunities for the three startups to explore the Japanese livestock market.

The program ran in three stages: In September, two pre-mentoring sessions per startup adapted their materials for Japanese audiences, mapped local competitors, and re-prioritized target partners. During the expo, we hosted a Korea–Japan agri-tech networking evening to encourage direct conversations with local players in Japan. On October 13, a post-mentoring session with each team reviewed the contacts made and agreed on next steps.

The networking evening was not a pitch event. It was designed for open conversation in a small group. Japanese guests included Leave a Nest, Agventure Lab, Farmnote, and Minorica. Korean startups were provided with a space to introduce their technology and receive first-hand feedback from the audience. 

The startups

• IT Tech: Real-time livestock monitoring powered by thermal and RGB imaging with on-device AI for early anomaly detection.
• Pitter Petter: Genomics-driven decision support for disease risk prediction, breeding optimization, and livestock management.
• Salt by Peb: Microbiome-based technology for enhancing meat quality and improving livestock productivity.

Designing what happens before and after the expo

SFA’s key role was to equip them with the necessary tools for the expo, including market know-hows, pitch deck, and potential targets to connect or visit. Before arrival, SFA helped prepare materials for the Japanese market and narrow down priority partners. On site, we create small-format connections through our network. After the trip, we review each contact and support the decision to proceed, adjust, or pause. Combining MYSC’s selection of promising startups with SFA’s network in Japan’s food and agriculture sectors turned a short visit into contacts with concrete next steps.

Let’s design your next Japan program together

SFA co-designs and runs market-entry programs into Japan and Asia-Pacific across food, agriculture, livestock, alternative proteins, and the circular economy. We would like to hear from accelerators, government agencies, and venture capital firms that want to turn their startups’ Japan entry into real business meetings and PoCs.

About SFA

Sustainable Food Asia is a cross-border agri-food innovation platform headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with a regional office in Malaysia to support Southeast Asia and broader APAC agri-food tech activities. SFA connects international startups with Japanese and regional corporations, supports market entry strategy and execution, and builds the ecosystem infrastructure for cross-border food collaboration. 

SFA operates the Sustainable Food Museum in Tokyo — a physical hub for food innovation, education, and industry exchange. SFA welcomes conversations with accelerators, government innovation bodies, and investors who are building cross-border food innovation pipelines in Japan and APAC regions.

About MYSC

MYSC is a Seoul-based global impact investor and accelerator founded in 2011. It invests in and supports startups addressing social and environmental challenges across diverse sectors, including agrifood, energy, climate and environment, Al, fintech, and marine and fisheries. For the past five years, MYSC’s dedicated agrifood acceleration team has supported the growth and global expansion of Korean agrifood startups by connecting them with international investors, industry partners, and new business opportunities.

Inquiries For program participation or partnership inquiries: 

Sustainable Food Asia 
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