Agnavi

Agnavi Inc. is a food-tech company focused on revitalizing the Japanese sake industry by addressing modern consumer needs and solving distribution challenges. Founded in February 2020 by Seishu Gen, the company emerged from a project to support sake breweries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gen, who holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Chemistry from Tokyo University of Agriculture, launched Agnavi while completing his doctoral studies. His academic background and connection to the university, from which 70% of brewery owners graduated, provided a unique foundation for the business. Before Agnavi, Gen founded and later sold a company named Agripay, gaining entrepreneurial experience.

The company's core business revolves around its proprietary brands of canned sake, "ICHI-GO-CAN®" and "Canpai®", which package sake in 180ml (one-go) aluminum cans. This addresses several issues in the traditional sake market, where large bottles can be a barrier to purchase for new or casual drinkers. The cans offer convenience, portability, and protect the contents from UV light, preserving freshness. The lightweight and recyclable aluminum also reduces shipping costs and the environmental footprint compared to glass bottles. Agnavi's business model involves purchasing sake from breweries, canning it at their own facilities, and then managing distribution and sales. This relieves breweries of the burdens associated with bottling, labeling, and logistics.

Agnavi serves a diverse client base that includes wholesalers, retailers like supermarkets and convenience stores, and direct consumers through e-commerce. The company has established partnerships with over 100 breweries across Japan, offering more than 150 types of sake and exporting to 10 countries. Significant milestones include capital and business alliances with major corporations like Toyo Seikan Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, and JR East Japan Startup. The company has secured over 200 million yen in total funding, including a significant 85 million yen loan in January 2024 to accelerate overseas expansion.

Keywords: canned sake, Japanese sake, food-tech, ICHI-GO-CAN, sake distribution, brewery support, beverage packaging, alcohol export, direct to consumer, sake subscription, sustainable packaging, craft sake, regional revitalization, agricultural technology, beverage startup, Seishu Gen, Canpai, B2B beverage, e-commerce alcohol, Japanese food culture