We had the opportunity to interview Ms. Ami Sugiyama, co-founder and CEO of SECAI MARCHE Inc., a finalist in the SusHi Tech Challenge 2025.
SECAI MARCHE has developed an e-commerce platform to revolutionize food distribution in Southeast Asia by connecting producers and restaurants around the world. Through a combination of innovative IT technology and support for sustainable agriculture, the company is improving the convenience and transparency of distribution, building the sustainable supply chain, and paving the way for a new future for farming and the food industry.
- ――― Congratulations on being a finalist in the SusHi Tech Challenge 2025! Today, we would like to hear your thoughts on SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025 and your company's initiatives.
- ――― Could you begin by sharing your motivation for participating in the SusHi Tech Challenge 2025?
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Ms. Sugiyama: We’ve just completed a Series A funding round: we raised 910 million yen in October 2025. Looking back at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025, that period was precisely when we were actively engaged in fundraising activities, and our entry into the SusHi Tech Challenge was part of these activities.
As our company is primarily having supply-chain operation in Southeast Asia, we hadn’t done much marketing activity in Japan. However, as we expand our business globally, we expect to add to the number of our partner producers, which will also require us to build networks with stakeholders in various countries. So, we identified a need to increase brand recognition and establish connections with potential collaborators. We know that SusHi Tech Tokyo attracts stakeholders from both Japan and overseas, which makes it an excellent opportunity for networking and strengthening our brand. - ――― How did you approach the pitch contest and booth exhibition? Were there any unique ideas that you were able to implement for the event?
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Ms. Sugiyama: We structured our pitch to convey the growth potential of our business to investors but we also had a goal to reach a wider audience. We decided to focus on creating a simple story that anyone could understand, and avoided overly technical explanations.
For the booth exhibition, our materials included information and data aimed at investors in order to use it as a platform to increase understanding of our business. In short, we centered our preparations around the pitch while designing the booth as a space for deeper follow-up conversations after the pitch.
- ――― What are your notable takeaways from your participation in STT?
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Ms. Sugiyama: One of the primary outcomes was expanding our network, particularly with investors we’ve continued engaging with, leading to signed NDAs. These new connections have laid the important groundwork for future business collaboration and fundraising.
We have also seen the upside of being able to meet face-to-face with existing clients and stakeholders. Given that our company mainly operates overseas, we have less opportunities to meet with stakeholders in Japan, but this event allowed us to deepen those relationships. Of course, being selected as a finalist in the pitch contest has also contributed to our Series A fundraising efforts. Our increased profile and exposure at the event have strengthened the trust of existing investors and business partners, while enhancing our brand recognition in the sector.
The great thing about SusHi Tech Tokyo is its scale and stakeholders who is necessary to expand startup company’s business. For example, it seemed that a wide range of participants were involved, including VC and CVC representatives, as well as officials from municipal departments related to startup support. - ――― How has your business evolved after SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025?
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Ms. Sugiyama: We completed our Series A funding, which has further expanded our foundation for growth. On the business side, we have enhanced operations in Malaysia and Singapore, with a significant expansion of our fresh fulfillment center and logistics in Malaysia. This has increased the volume of products that we can process, facilitating more transactions and more efficiency.
We are also focusing on expanding how and where we source our products, building distribution networks in Thailand and advancing our multi-country sourcing strategy.
In parallel, on the technology front, we have welcomed management-level personnel to strengthen our development team and enhance our supply chain. By accelerating the development of our warehouse management system and system for operational optimization, we are improving service value. And our hiring efforts are expanding so that we can scale up the business. - ――― Could you share your vision and ambitions for future business growth?
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Ms. Sugiyama: Our mission is to become the infrastructure of food supply in SEA. Currently, we are distributing products from producers in Japan, Southeast Asia and more, serving restaurants and business consumers mainly in Malaysia and Singapore. Our aim for the future is to create a system that can be utilized by more people in more countries.
While our current target is the B2B segment, we plan to expand into B2C services within the next 2-3 years, with the aim of being food infrastructure which consumers use.
We also believe that infrastructure companies are not limited to delivering goods. In the future, we intend to strengthen our services to provide information and added value for producers: our aim is to become an indispensable part of the food ecosystem in Southeast Asia. - ――― And do you have any final message for startups thinking of participating in SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026?
- Ms. Sugiyama: SusHi Tech Tokyo is one of Asia's largest innovation conferences, providing a platform to meet a wide range of stakeholders: it ranges from investors, business companies and local governments to fellow startups. Succes as a startup depends on collaboration and support for funding and operations from many people. This event is an excellent opportunity to meet those people and create valuable connections. While there’s no guarantee of immediate results, it can certainly pay off in the long run. My recommendation is that, even if you’re unsure, you should participate. I’m looking forward to joining again if the opportunity arises.
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■ Company Profile
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Company Name: SECAI MARCHE Inc.
Representatives: Shusaku Hayakawa, Ami SugiyamaCountries: Japan, Malaysia, Singapore
Website: https://www.secai-marche.co.jp/ - ■ SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026
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Dates: April 27 (Mon) – April 29 (Wed/Holiday), 2026
Venue: Tokyo Big Sight
Apply for Startup Booth Exhibition:
https://sushitech-startup.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/booth-exhibition/
Apply for the SusHi Tech Challenge 2026 Pitch Contest:
https://sushitech-startup.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/recruiting-pitch/