U.S.–Japan Innovation in Agri-Tech and AI: California’s Environmental Challenges, from Drought to Data

Name: U.S.–Japan Innovation in Agri-Tech and AI: California’s Environmental Challenges, from Drought to Data
Start: 2026-03-16T14:00:00-07:00
End: 2026-03-16T17:00:00-07:00

Mar 16 2026, 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Join us for the special program, held in conjunction with the World Agri-Tech Summit in San Francisco, highlights collaborative solutions to today’s agricultural challenges.

Discover how innovation at the crossroads of water, climate, agriculture, and artificial intelligence is reshaping global food systems. Let’s learn how California’s environmental and agricultural challenges are creating new business opportunities, and how the growing role of AI is scaling agritech and biotech innovations while strengthening cross-border partnerships.

The event will also feature a special Japan AgriTech Startup Pitch Showcase, highlighting emerging technologies and opportunities for cross-border collaboration.

Date & Time:
March 16 2026, 2:00 pm – 5:00pm(1:30 pm Doors Open & Registration)

Venue:
Coming Soon

Agenda:

1:30-2:00 PM	Doors Open & Registration
2:00-2:05 PM	Opening Remarks
	Part 1. Turning California’s Water, Environmental, and Agritech Challenges into Business Opportunities (2:05 – 2:50)
2:05-2:10 PM	NEC X \| Nobu Morita, Director of Innovations
2:10-2:15 PM	Verdi \| Arthur Chen, CEO
2:15-2:20 PM	ClimateAi \| Will Kletter, COO
2:20-2:40 PM	Panel Discussion SVG Ventures \| John Hartnett, Founder and CEO – Moderator
2:40-2:50 PM	Q&A
	Japan AgriTech Startup Pitch Showcase
2:50-2:55 PM	AGRIST Inc. \| Junichi Saito, Founder & CEO
2:55 – 3:00 PM	Milk. Inc. \| Daiki Nakaya, CEO
3:00 – 3:20 PM	Break
	Part 2 AI-Driven Biology: Unlocking Scalable AgriTech and Biotech Innovation (3:20-4:05)
3:20 – 3:25 PM	Norinchukin Bank \| Kenichi Katsuhara, Senior Manager
3:25 – 3:30 PM	Terrana Biosciences \| Ryan Rapp, Co-Founder and CEO
3:30 – 3:35 PM	Kanvas \| Matt Cheng, CEO
3:35 – 3:55 PM	Panel Discussion – Pangaea Ventures \| Janelle Goulard Pangaea, Partner
3:55-4:05 PM	Q&A
4:05-5:00 PM	Networking

Sponsors and Co-Organizers

In Cooperation with

Norinchukin Bank | Kenichi Katsuhara, Senior Manager
The Norinchukin Bank is a leading financial institution in Japan, serving as the central cooperative bank for agricultural, forestry, and fishery cooperatives. Its primary mission is to support and promote the sustainable development of these industries, which are vital to Japan’s economy and society.

AGRIST Inc. | Junichi Saito, Founder & CEO
AGRIST Inc. is a Japan-based agri-tech startup addressing agricultural challenges through technology, with the goal of realizing sustainable agriculture for the next 100 years. The company develops AI-powered automated harvesting robots and data-driven cultivation support systems to deploy scalable smart agriculture nationwide, tackle global labor shortages, and improve farm productivity.

NEC X | Nobu Morita, Director of Innovations
NEC X is a Silicon Valley-based corporate venture studio and accelerator, backed by the global tech giant NEC Corporation, that transforms innovative startup ideas into successful businesses by providing funding, mentorship, access to NEC’s extensive technology portfolio (like AI, vision tech), and global network to early-stage tech entrepreneurs.

Verdi | Arthur Chen, CEOVerdi makes irrigation automation easy and affordable for modern farms. Verdi retrofits automation, monitoring, and verification onto existing irrigation systems, allowing valves and pumps to be controlled, scheduled, and checked remotely, without trenching, rewiring, or replacing infrastructure. Using real-time field data, Verdi helps growers manage irrigation based on actual conditions, verify that irrigations ran as planned, and identify issues like leaks or pressure drops early.

SVG Ventures | John Hartnett, Founder and CEO

ClimateAi | Will Kletter, COO

ClimateAi is a climate adaptation and resilience platform purpose-built for the agriculture, food, and consumer goods sectors. It combines AI-powered weather modeling with phenological and water-scarcity data to deliver highly localized, crop-specific agricultural impact insights across the short, medium, and long term. With deep expertise in climate–agriculture interactions and a client base that spans agricultural and consumer-goods multinationals as well as agricultural investors, ClimateAi turns complex climate data into actionable insights.

Terrana Biosciences | Ryan Rapp, PhD, President & CEO
Terrana is the first comprehensive AI-powered RNA-based platform company for agriculture. Much in the same way that Moderna and others in genetic medicine are demonstrating the tremendous breadth of possibilities for RNA, Terrana’s proprietary platform leverages the inherent characteristics of RNAs native to plants – abundance, versatility, and programmability – to deliver a new category of technologies and products that exist beyond the limitations and silos of traditional seed genetics or crop protection chemicals.

Pangaea Ventures | Janelle Goulard Pangaea, Partner
At Pangaea Ventures, we are dedicated to generating meaningful returns for our investors by supporting breakthrough hard tech innovations that drive transformative solutions for planetary and human health. Founded in 2000, we were one of the earliest venture firms focused on identifying and supporting high-potential hard tech startups. We leverage our deep expertise and global network to support groundbreaking companies reshaping industries and creating a sustainable future. Our investments focus on high-impact technologies that address the most pressing challenges of our time, from clean energy to food security.

Milk. Inc. | Daiki Nakaya, CEOMilk. Inc. is a deep-tech company specializing in hyperspectral imaging technology. Through the development of proprietary cameras and advanced analytical algorithms, the company is dedicated to visualizing the invisible world. By applying its technology across medical, agricultural, food, and industrial fields, Milk. Inc. drives data-driven innovation and addresses complex societal challenges. Its mission is to create meaningful and sustainable impact through the power of science and technology.

Kanvas | Matt Cheng, CEO

Kanvas Biosciences is a technology platform company advancing spatial biology, AI, and biomanufacturing to decode and engineer complex microbial ecosystems. Its integrated data-to-product platform enables scalable, reproducible solutions across human health, animal health, and agriculture — transforming how microbial systems are understood, designed, and deployed across industries.