Takeo Kojima, Head of Sumitomo’s Agri-Innovation unit, on how a trading house sequences the anchor, proof, and distribution to turn pilots into repeat orders.
Excellent issue #122 Eshan! Thank you, much appreciated. Very interesting interview! I always learn something valuable from your wonderful newsletters. Keep up the great work my hard working talented friend 👍❤️
The anchor proof activation framework is brillant because it solves the exact problem most agtech startups face, which is bridging the gap from pilot to actual repeatable sales. What's powerful about the sogo shosha model that Sumitomo uses is they can leverage 400 years of trust and 45 subsidiaries across 39 countries to validate market fit faster than any VC backed startup could alone. The fact that they sit next to inputs, farms, logistics, and offtake means they can test on comercial terms in real time rather than burning runway on theoretical TAM calculations. This same structure applies to all five major sogo shosha including Itochu which gives Japanese trading houses a structural moat in agtech adoption.
Excellent issue #122 Eshan! Thank you, much appreciated. Very interesting interview! I always learn something valuable from your wonderful newsletters. Keep up the great work my hard working talented friend 👍❤️
Thank you for the constant support! 🙏🏾
The anchor proof activation framework is brillant because it solves the exact problem most agtech startups face, which is bridging the gap from pilot to actual repeatable sales. What's powerful about the sogo shosha model that Sumitomo uses is they can leverage 400 years of trust and 45 subsidiaries across 39 countries to validate market fit faster than any VC backed startup could alone. The fact that they sit next to inputs, farms, logistics, and offtake means they can test on comercial terms in real time rather than burning runway on theoretical TAM calculations. This same structure applies to all five major sogo shosha including Itochu which gives Japanese trading houses a structural moat in agtech adoption.