“With the help of data science and AI, our pollination success rate is above 95%,” said Hiroki Koga, founder of Oishii, a vertical farming startup that is revolutionizing the way strawberries are grown, during a TED talk earlier this year. Koga’s innovative approach combines AI, robotics and sustainable practices to cultivate strawberries year-round, and his vision promises to reshape the future of farming.
Koga’s journey into vertical farming began when he tasted strawberries in the US and found them lacking in flavor. His response?
“I immediately realized there’s a huge opportunity here if I could grow Japanese-quality fruits and vegetables on US soil using vertical farming technology,” he said. This realization sparked the creation of Oishii, which now operates vertical farms powered by AI and robotics to optimize crop growth and quality.
In vertical farms, technology plays a central role. Koga explained: “We have self-driving camera carts that take real-time visual data of every single plant, helping us determine yield, plant health, and bee activity needed for pollination.” These AI-powered systems not only monitor the plants but also guide bees to ensure optimal pollination, something that traditional farms cannot do at such precision.
One of the game-changing aspects of Koga’s operation is the ability to experiment with crop growth in controlled environments, free from the limitations of weather or seasons.
“We can conduct experiments so much more efficiently in a controlled manner. In a traditional farm, it could have taken us nearly 500 years to get the same outcome,” said Koga. This fast-paced innovation allows Oishii to constantly improve its methods, leading to healthier and more productive crops.
As Koga put it: “When data is coupled with AI and robots, you can do so many things you simply can’t in a traditional farm setup.” With the ability to grow crops year-round and at scale, vertical farming presents a sustainable, cost-effective alternative to conventional agriculture.
The future of farming, led by AI, is already here — and it’s growing sweeter by the day.
