Vol.28 Rohto Launches Tourism Business at Its Algae Farm | UK Cultivated Meat Startup Hoxton Farms Announces Partnership with Mitsui Chemicals

Welcome back to Foodtech EYES where we deliver the latest global food innovation news and community updates from UnlocX.

It’s only the beginning of July, and yet the scorching heat is already in full force—how have you been holding up? Last week, I attended IVS2025, a major startup festival held in the sweltering city of Kyoto. It was a high-energy event that brought together 13,000 people and exhibits from 300 startups.

One standout session focused on the theme: “The Future of Food through the Fusion of Washoku Culture and Food Tech.” The panel featured Yoshinori Tanaka, CEO of the long-established Kyoto cuisine restaurant Toriyone; Kyoji Kuriki, founder of Kyoto Cooking Lab, a small-batch retort food production facility; and Ms. Kano from ASTRA FOOD PLAN, well known in the SKS JAPAN community for transforming hidden food losses into new ingredients.What struck me most was the strong enthusiasm for food tech coming from the traditional world of Kyoto cuisine—and the fact that practical, hands-on labs are already emerging to support it. The spirit of Kyoto cuisine, which holds that “no part of an ingredient should go to waste,” is something they hope to share not only within Kyoto, but with the world. Naturally, the panel ended with a call to action: “Let’s build this together.”

Now, let’s dive into this week’s selection of key articles from Japan and abroad, exploring the future of food through the lenses of technology, markets, and everyday life.

This edition is an English translation of the original Foodtech Eyes in Japanese published on July 8, 2025.

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👉Contents

・INSIGHTS from RECENT MUST READ ARTICLES

・MUST READ ARTICLES

・COMMUNITY NEWS

INSIGHTS from RECENT MUST READ ARTICLES

✍The first highlight this week is the UK government’s announcement of a £184 million (approximately ¥36.3 billion) investment in infrastructure for “engineering biology,” which includes alternative protein technologies. According to the industry think tank Good Food Institute, while the UK has built up significant research in the field of alternative proteins, a lack of infrastructure has been a major barrier to commercialization. With this public funding, the sector now anticipates accelerated innovation and job creation.

In addition to government support, we’re also seeing increasing cross-border corporate collaboration. UK-based cultivated meat producer Hoxton Farms recently announced a partnership with Mitsui Chemicals, with plans to establish a production framework targeting the Asian market. The development of new protein sources has clearly entered a new phase—one of international co-creation.

On the home front, The Spoon reported the long-awaited launch of the next-generation food storage system Silo, which was backed by crowdfunding. Seven years in the making, the product—featuring vacuum-sealing and voice control—aims to reduce food waste in daily life. While funding challenges during the pandemic delayed its commercialization, the underlying issue of household food waste remains unresolved. Now that Silo has finally launched, it will be interesting to see how it might transform household habits and social behaviors.

In other food waste-related news, Danish startup Too Good To Go, known for its app that lets users buy surplus food at discounted prices, is reportedly planning to raise $200–300 million in funding. If successful, it could join the ranks of unicorns with a valuation exceeding $1 billion. This is a notable example of how food sustainability and economic growth can go hand in hand.

Finally, a noteworthy initiative from Japan: Rohto Pharmaceutical has opened Japan’s first algae-focused facility, FARMO, on Okinawa’s Kume Island. This algae farm is more than a research and cultivation center—it also serves as a tourist attraction with retail and dining components, marking the company’s full-scale entry into the food and wellness sector using regional resources. Products include experience-based offerings such as blue-colored beer and pizza made with algae-derived pigments. Rather than remaining a closed research facility, FARMO aims to create touchpoints with consumers through entertainment and local engagement—an approach that reflects Rohto’s forward-thinking stance.

【PROGRAM】FoodScopes Season 2 Begins This July – Now Accepting Applications!　

FoodScopes is a lecture series designed for business professionals and entrepreneurs engaged in the food sector. Following the success of the first season held from January to March 2025, Season 2 will launch in July 2025—and applications are now open.Guided by the powerful compass of the humanities and social sciences, this program offers new Scopes—ways of seeing—that re-examine the deeper layers of food as a human practice, often overlooked by mainstream business and technology trends.The curriculum spans six distinct scales that shift your perspective on food, from the micro to the macro. Rather than learning knowledge already systematized in conventional “textbooks of food,” participants will gain critical perspectives that challenge assumptions and can be applied across a wide range of contexts.(Open to all—no need to have attended Season 1.)

Click here for more details
Register here for the free online info session

【EVENT】NPF Night Vol.3 ~ Exploring Sustainable Co-Creation Models Between Corporations and Startups ~(July 28) NEW

Next Prime Food (NPF), a general incorporated association, is a co-creation ecosystem organization founded by members from Beyond Next Ventures, UnlocX, Hakuhodo, and MUFG. While previous NPF Night events have been held exclusively for member companies, Vol.3 will be opened to the public to give more people a sense of NPF’s activities and atmosphere.The event will feature pioneering companies and top players in the agri-food tech sector who are tackling business creation. They will share how they have leveraged cutting-edge technologies for business growth, how they have engaged in co-creation, and what kind of future they envision.

This time, we welcome speakers from both rapidly growing startups and large corporations. Together, they will discuss the theme of "realizing sustainable co-creation" — including the types of collaborations they’ve pursued, the potential and challenges they’ve encountered, and what is needed to further accelerate these efforts. The discussion will be moderated by NPF Co-Executive Directors Arima and Tanaka.

Click here for more details

【This Month at the Sustainable Food Museum】

Located in Nishi-Shimbashi, the Sustainable Food Museum is a hub showcasing new ideas and services from 100 carefully selected companies working with sustainable food ingredients, including startups in the food tech field.

🍽️ Limited-time menu in July features collaborations with 4 companies!
From curry and beer to gelato, we’re offering a wide variety of sustainable food options. [Click here for details.]

💁‍♀️ Don’t miss the July POP-UP Talk Sessions!
Guest speakers include Daichi Takada from AlgaleX, Kengo Suzuki from Tsunan Brewery / Space Seed Holdings, and Shigeki Sugiura from CRUST JAPAN. It’s sure to be a lively and inspiring conversation! [Click here for details.]

🍨 New addition to the regular menu!
Try our original Rice Koji Blancmange, developed in collaboration with Ikeda Toka and Oryzae. [Click here for details.]

【BOOK】"In Between: People and Nature Without Clear Answers"(Shinsensha)

*Available in Japanese

As human impact on the environment intensifies, this book asks: What kind of nature do we want to live with from now on?

Challenging the divide between the natural and the artificial, it explores how most “natural” landscapes are shaped by human hands. Rather than simply protecting nature, we must also recognize our role in creating and managing it.

A thought-provoking look at the complex, evolving relationship between people and nature.