Fermenstation Wins the "Culinary Action! On the Road" Stop in Tokyo
Fermenstation, a Japanese foodtech startup creating fermented beverages from rice waste and by-products from large food and beverage factories, was crowned the winner of the third stop in the "Culinary Action! On the Road" international program held in Tokyo. This event, focused on foodtech startups, was organized in partnership with the Tokyo Food Institute and Tokyo Tatemono.
The event opened with remarks from Asier Alea, Global Development Director at Basque Culinary Center (BCC), and Rocky Sawada, Senior Manager at Tokyo Food Institute. Raquel Martin, project manager at GOe–Gastronomy Open Ecosystem, and Alea presented GOe, an open ecosystem promoting collaboration among students, entrepreneurs, researchers, businesses, and the public, emphasizing multidisciplinary approaches to talent and collaboration models with companies.
Juan Carlos Arboleya, food physicochemist and director of the BCC Master’s Program in Gastronomic Sciences, delivered a talk titled “Science Meets Gastronomy,” highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in gastronomic sciences. Meanwhile, Begoña Rodríguez, director of BCC Innovation, presented the seven core concepts for fostering innovation ecosystems: trust, community, diversity of actors, economic sustainability, shared spaces, common goals, and organizational autonomy.
A panel titled “Japanese Ecosystem Agents” featured Masaru Nagura (Cambridge Innovation Center), Hitoshi Hokamura (Scrum Ventures), and Kazuki Yoshida (Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries). The discussion focused on their efforts to foster entrepreneurship and innovation in Japan.
In a second panel, "Japanese Investors & Corporates," Barry O'Neill (Value Create Ventures), Yoko Fukata (Sony Innovation Fund), Hiroki Osada (Kemuri Ventures), and Hiroyuki Ajinomoto explored the challenges and opportunities within Japan’s foodtech sector.
Shinya Shoda of the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties later shared insights into biomolecular archaeo-gastronomy, addressing the sector’s unique challenges.
Closing the event, Eneko Axpe, a physicist collaborating with BCC, presented "AI, from Farm to Fork," discussing his new "Electrococina" technique developed with chef Julen Baz. This method uses electrical currents to cook food in record time. Axpe also explored how AI is transforming agriculture through precision mapping, enhancing crop resilience, optimizing food distribution, and even assisting chefs in creating innovative dishes.
The Tokyo event attracted a wide range of industry profiles, including entrepreneurs, investors, and agritech experts. Competing startups—Cuzen Matcha, Fermenstation, Kinish, Quantum Flowers & Food, and Electric Salt—pitched their projects to a jury of experts, including Ander López (BCC), Rocky Sawada, Masaru Nagura, and Alessandro Fusco (Future Food Institute Tokyo).
Future competition stops are scheduled for November 19 in Bahrain, February 2025 in London, and late March 2025 in Boston. Each local winner will receive 20 hours of research and innovation support at BCC Innovation, along with access to BCC’s expert network, mentors, investor connections, and assistance in integrating into the local ecosystem.
The six local winners will then compete in the grand final in Donostia-San Sebastián in April 2025. The winner of this fourth "On the Road" edition will be awarded a six-month residency at the BCC startup incubator and an additional 25 hours for research and innovation projects at BCC Innovation.