Bear Robotics

Bear Robotics makes artificial intelligence (AI)-powered robot waiters called “Servi” (formerly known as “Penny”). The severbot comes in two models: Servi (high-capacity, multi-purposes model), and Servi Mini (ideal for drink delivery and bussing), and can handle a payload of up to 66 lbs. Restaurants can lease the robots for a monthly subscription fee of USD 999 (for Servi) that includes maintenance and support. The bots would help improve the operational efficiency of restaurants. For instance, robots are said to increase servers’ time with customers by an average of 30%-40%.

Upon the successful pilot projects of its first version (Penny), undertaken at John Ha’s (co-founder, CEO) restaurant and a Pizza Hut in South Korea in 2018, the company went into commercial production of the robot. In September 2020, Bear Robotics and SoftBank Robotics Group (robotics manufacturer and solutions provider, a key investor of the company) collaborated to introduce the new robot waiter Servi to the foodservice industry, scaling up and rebranding its original version, Penny. Its upgrades include improved agility, enhanced obstacle-avoidance technology, and personalization capabilities (eg: voice interaction and singing).

Key customers and partnerships

As of March 2022, Bear Robotics had delivered more than 5,000 Servi robots to customers (ex: banquet rooms, senior living centers, restaurants, cafés, ghost kitchens, and universities) in the US, Japan, and South Korea. Notable customers include Pepsi, Denny’s, Compass Group, Marriott, Brinker International’s Chili’s (paused in August 2022), the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Ledo Pizza, and VEL Premium Work Café. Given the rising demand for the product, the company established a manufacturing plant in South Korea in April 2020.

Funding and financials

In March 2022, Bear Robotics raised USD 81 million in a Series B funding round led by IMM Investment Corp to introduce new products to automate hospitality industry tasks, expand its reach to Europe and Southeast Asia, and to expand its team. In March 2024 , LG Electronics invested USD 60 million in Bear Robotics in a stock purchase agreement.