Technology

Robot barista lands $10M for national rollout

Provided

June 28, 2021

Botrista Technology Inc., the company behind the drink-making robot —Botrista DrinkBot — has raised $10 million to ramp up national deployment of the technology that creates craft beverages, including infused teas and lattes, flavored lemonades, iced coffees and more, according to a company press release.

Co-led by Purestone Capital and La Kaffa International with participation from Sony Innovation Fund, Middleby Corporation and PIDC, the cash influx brings Botrista's total amount of capital raised to $16 million.

Automation makes normally complex craft beverages easy to execute
The DrinkBot capitalizes on the growing craft beverage segment while driving additional revenue streams with minimal space requirements and training, Sean Hsu, co-founder and CEO of Botrista, said in the release.

"In 2020, fountain drink sales were down considerably as consumers rapidly switched their drink preferences and were less likely to order fountain drinks during take-out or delivery," said the former Tesla developer. "While craft beverages are trending, it has become increasingly challenging for foodservice companies to meet demand due to labor shortages and lower staff retention. With nationwide expansion plans, these companies will have the opportunity to drive new revenue with the DrinkBot."

Ordered from a touchscreen, the DrinkBot's blender dispenses and mixes drinks in less than 20 seconds with a process that simulates a hand-shaken product.

"Thanks to its highly integrated hardware and software approach, the DrinkBot unlocks new efficiencies and revenue opportunities," Gen Tsuchikawa, chief investment manager for Sony Innovation Fund and CEO and chief investment officer for Innovation Growth Ventures "We look forward to Botrista accelerating its deployment momentum in the U.S. and internationally."

Applying dispensing, industrial engineering and software expertise
Hsu, a serial entrepreneur, who owns dozens of technology and invention patents, spent numerous years at Tesla, where he was part of the first autonomous manufacturing team at Gigafactory and many other factories — with an emphasis on automation and robotics for liquid dispensing processes. Using these robotics and dispensing skills, Hsu and the team developed DrinkBot, according to the release.

In addition to the blending technology, the DrinkBot includes a cloud-based application called CloudBar with real-time data integration for multiple applications and tracking: an efficient inventory management system that offers powerful data management capabilities to provide guidance for inventory replenishment; sales performance analysis to track menu performance; and a user-friendly tutorial video with a step-by-step guide of the drink-making process, cleaning and maintenance.

Included In This Story

---

Botrista

Botrista empowers partners to serve trending, high-quality beverages with ease. Using premium ingredients and a data-driven approach, implementation, operation, and scaling are simplified—ensuring consistency, quality, and profitability in an effortless, ever-evolving program.

Request Info

Learn More