FARM8 has incorporated Euglena founding member and CTO (PhD in Agriculture and Medicine) Kengo Suzuki as CFO from 1 December 2023.

FARM8 Corporation (Head office: Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture; Representative Director: Atsushi Kabasawa) announces that, from 1 December 2023, it will welcome Mr Kengo Suzuki, one of the founding members of Euglena Co. The company has also welcomed Mr Kengo Suzuki as CFO (Chief Financial Officer).

In addition, Mr Tomoaki Komagata, who is also the representative director of Shutoken Holdings Corporation, will join as an external director. By collaborating with experts in operations and logistics, we will further advance our approach both domestically and internationally.

[Background to involvement]

1. Development of products using fermented sake lees ingredients, development of a drinks stand [Hacco to go!]
https://haccotogo.com
2. Sake delivery service and interactive platform business in partnership with over 70 sake breweries SAKEPOST.
https://sakepost.jp ( For URL for Hong Kong & Singapore https://japan-sakepost.com )
3. Development of the cocktail product Ponshu Guria, which combines sake and fruit to expand the ways in which sake can be enjoyed.
https://ponshu-gria.com
4. Development of products based on the theme of utilising local resources.
5. Development of sake-related products through research into brewing micro-organisms.
…And more.

In recent years, FARM8 has also deepened its own knowledge of yeast and koji and started providing it to industries related to fermentation.

Japanese fermentation technology and traditional brewing techniques, including sake, have elements that can be used to solve global and future problems. We believe that we can maximise international value in the future by utilising the various resources and wisdom lying dormant in these regions and implementing them in society based on scientific knowledge, and have decided to make this appointment in order to develop our business with greater speed.

FARM8 will use this new appointment as an opportunity to promote initiatives to enrich the lives of more people from the resources and wisdom that abound in local communities.

“Designing ‘Eat Local’ and becoming a force for a much more connected society.”

Through our challenges, we will continue to work for the sustainable development and co-creation of society as a whole. We sincerely ask for your continued support and expectations.

[FARM8 New structure]
https://farm8.jp
Board of directors
Representative Director Atsushi Kabasawa
Director and CFO Kengo Suzuki
Director Yusuke Gakuhari
Outside director Tomoaki Komagata

Executive directors
Terumi Ishibashi, Head of Development

Affiliated companies
FERMENT8 Corporation Representative Director Yutaka Nagai
https://ferment8.jp
Itachi Corporation Representative Director Yukitoshi Kihana
https://goku.link
Nieil Corporation Representative Director Mariko Takahashi
https://n-hatsu-r.com

[Introduction of new board members]
■Kengo Suzuki (Director, Chief Financial Officer)　
Biography
Co-founder, Euglena Co.
Visiting Professor, Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Visiting Professor, Graduate Program of Excellence for Future Medical Innovation, Tohoku University
Visiting Professor, Faculty of Biology, Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia)

(Key career achievements)
2003 Graduated with a degree in Biological Systems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo
2005 Founded Euglena Co.
2006 Completed Master’s program, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
2016 PhD (Agricultural Science), The University of Tokyo
2019 Doctor (Medicine) degree, Graduate School of Kitasato University

■Tomoaki Komagata (external director)　
Representative Director, Shutoken Holdings Ltd.
Biography
Representative Director of Shutoken Holdings Ltd (and four group companies), a general logistics company. In May 2022, he founded traevo Inc. to solve common problems in the logistics industry with digital In May 2022, he participated in the establishment of traevo Ltd, a company that solves common problems in the logistics industry with digital technology, and became a director; in September 2023, he established Sakuya Ltd, which produces traditional crafts and develops domestic and international e-commerce businesses.

[Introduction of current board members]
■Atsushi Kabasawa (Representative director)

Born 1979 in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture.
After graduating from university, he worked in Nagoya, but returned home after the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake in his home town, where he worked in IT embedded development and then as a marketing consultant, solving problems for local small and medium-sized enterprises.
At the same time, she supported town planning and industrial development as a director of a non-profit organisation providing intermediate support.
In 2015, he established FARM8 Ltd, which focuses on the utilisation of local resources.
Products and services developed
Ponshuguria / SAKEPOST / Hacco to go!/ Mysake jp / GOKU.link / GO Pocket, etc.

2019- Founded FERMENT8 Corporation, Director ( https://ferment8.jp )
2019- Representative director of Tsunan Brewery Co. ( https://Tsunan-sake.com )

■Yusuke Gakuhari (Director, Brand Manager)
1980 Born in Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture.
Worked for an apparel company for 11 years from 1999 and became independent in 2010.
Returned to Uonuma City and established Hiroshin Rice Grain Co.
WV Inc, NPO Earth Roar and Lost and Found Inc, and has developed activities based on the local area.
Began producing HUSKY GELATO, a gelato shop specialising in Japanese agricultural products.

In addition, it started collaboration with sightseeing farms and event planning at Uonuma no Sato, run by Hakkai Brewing Company, and was commissioned with the design direction of the craft beer RYDEEN BEER and the production and operation of the directly managed shops Sarukurayama Beer Bar and Liquor Shop Sarukurayama.

■Terumi Ishibashi (Executive Officer, Product Development)　
Born 1975 in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture.
Started working for a food manufacturer, engaging in food processing and quality control work.
After getting married, worked freelance as a qualified nutritionist.
In 2015, she joined ‘FARM8 Inc.’ and currently serves as the company’s executive officer. He is also manager of the affiliated company FERMENT8 Co.

[About FARM8 Inc.]
With the mission of “Connecting the soil-based lifestyle to the next generation”, FARM8 develops products such as sake, sake lees and brown rice that originate from the soil and utilise local resources. In the future, by utilising the resources and wisdom that lie in the region, we will push further towards solving global or future issues.

FARM8 Corporation
Head office Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture
Representative Atsushi Kabasawa, President
Established February 2015
HP https://farm8.jp

Operational services
Sake cocktail ingredients “Ponshu Guria” https://ponshu-gria.com
Sake Post “SAKEPOST” https://sakepost.jp
Sake & Fermentation & Sake Kasu Speciality Store ‘Hacco to go!’ https://haccotogo.com