SoftBank provides fixed-line, mobile telephony, internet, telecommunications, and digital television products. It is a multinational telecommunications and internet corporation focused on broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-commerce, the internet, technology services, finance, media and marketing, and other businesses. The company operates through four segments. The mobile communications segment provides mobile communications services, produces and distributes online games for smartphones and other devices, offers mobile broadband services, provides supply chain solutions, handset protection, and insurance, buy-back and trade-in services, omnichannel solutions, and financial services, and sells mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads, and SoftBank smartphones. The Sprint segment offers mobile and fixed-line voice and data transmission services for individual consumers, businesses, government subscribers, and resellers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. and sells mobile devices and accessories. The fixed-line telecommunications segment offers telecom services such as fixed-line telephone and data communications services to corporate customers and broadband services to individual customers. The internet segment is engaged in the operation of the Yahoo! Japan portal, the sale of internet advertising, the operation of e-commerce sites, the provision of membership services, the sale and marketing of data centers, the provision of online automobile-related information, and the operation of the internet affiliate system. SoftBank also generates and sells electricity from renewable energy sources; provides payment processing, invoice collections, and computation services for businesses; distributes video, voice, and data content via media; operates the IT information site ITmedia; provides solutions and services for online businesses; and operates online games and software downloads. Additionally, it is involved in the ownership of professional baseball teams, the operation of baseball games, the management and maintenance of baseball stadiums and other sports facilities, and the procurement of funds by issuing preferred securities.

SoftBank

LINE develops calling and messaging applications for mobile phones in Japan and internationally. It offers LINE, a smartphone application that allows users to make free calls and messaging with other users regardless of which mobile network provider they are using.The company also offers NAVER, a search communication service; NAVER Matome, a user-participatory curation platform; Livedoor, a portal site; livedoor Blog, a blogging service; and livedoor News that provides information gathered from various news sources, as well as a range of advertising products. In addition, it operates LINE GAME, a platform that lets LINE users to play games.

Line

Founder Friendly Labs (FFL) is the equity-free startup accelerator for experienced professionals. Our founders include veterans from Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Twitter, LinkedIn, eBay, Netflix, HP, Cisco, Oracle, IBM, and Sequoia Capital. They are experts in AI, Machine Learning, Marketing, Productivity, Marketplaces, Deep Learning, IoT, NLP, VR, Financial Planning, Insurance, and more. As part of our equity-free startup accelerator, startups get access to valuable resources like peer mentoring, cloud credits from Amazon Web Services (AWS), and a free first year of Carta's Build or Grow plan w/ 409A valuations and 83(b) electronic filing. We understand founders are busy, so we offer a low-commitment experience.

Founder Friendly Labs

FuturePlay is an accelerator and early-stage investor specialized in deep tech startups. Founded in 2014 in Seoul, South Korea, FuturePlay have invested in 55 deep tech, mainly South Korea's startups and about one third of them are US-based startups.  FuturePlay is expanding target regions to Southeast Asia like Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. It also plays a role of LP of some tech-focused funds like 500 Kimchi (500Startups' Korean Fund) and Zeroth.ai (http://zeroth.ai/). FuturePlay is venture-backed mainly from global enterprises such as CISCO, DeNA, LG, NHN, SK Planet.  FuturePlay has two acceleration program, TechUP and TechUP+. TechUP is annual batch program which is a kind of company-building with deep tech engineers. TechUP+ is a co-acceleration program with large enterprise specialized in a particular industry like food, beauty, energy, etc. The first TechUP+ is sponsored by AmorePacific, the number one cosmetic company in Asia, and is running now with 5 beauty tech startups.

FuturePlay

WOOWA BROS (우아한형제들) is a Korean developer of smartphone applications and advertising platforms. Its service portfolio also includes local marketing and web services solutions and products, such as a sports events app and a food delivery app.  WOOWA BROS was established in March 2011 in Seoul, Korea.

Woowa Bros

DSC Investments invests in early stage and growth companies in the field of corporate identify and focus, IT, software, biotechnology, machinery, and future high-growth areas such as environment and resources.

DSC Investment

L-Camp is Lotta Accelerator's Accelerating Program. Program for Development of Start-Up businesses. (Six months program, twice a year) - Discovery : Select +20 Start up companies - Invest 20M ~ 50M KRW for each company.  - Provide office area, Mentoring, networking.  - Demo day : Pitching(7~10 teams) and Display (under 20 units).

Lotte Accelerator

Vela Partners is the world's first product-led and AI-powered venture capital firm.

Vela Partners

Smilegate Investment, founded in 1999 originally as MVP Capital, is a venture capital and private equity firm that grows remarkably alongside invested companies.  Since initial venture capital funding in 2000, the firm has since organized and managed more than 30 venture capital and private equity funds and has invested in more than 200 companies with promising growth potential.

Smilegate Investment

IMM create immersive experiences that light up your transformation and ignite your bottom line.

IMM Private Equity (“IMM PE”) is an independent private equity firm specializing in significant minority investment and middle market buyout. For the past 10 years, IMM PE has logged an unblemished record of outstanding growth and returns, and maintained its position at the top of Korea’s private equity industry.

IMM Private Equity

Cleveland Avenue invests in seed-stage, early-stage, later-stage, and growth-stage deals focused on food and beverage companies, lifestyle consumer brands, AgTech, and technology companies.

Cleveland Avenue

KT is a telecommunication company that provides ICT-based telecommunications and convergence services.

LG is a South Korean multinational company which includes LG Electronics. LG Englewood Cliffs is a new building initiative that protects the palisades and creates homes for the growing U.S. workforce. The company is focused on delivering products and services that make lives better, easier and happier though increased functionality and fun. It strives for greatness in product leadership, market leadership, and people leadership to realize our growth strategies.

LG Electronics

Bear Robotics

Bear Robotics addresses the increased pressure faced by the restaurant industry around wages, labor supply, and cost efficiencies. It aims to revolutionize the restaurant and food service industry using robotics and AI. The company makes robots that help customers receive an improved dining experience, employees with greater job satisfaction, and owners of restaurants with an increase in profits.

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%.

Helping restaurants become more safe, more profitable, and more interesting.

Restaurant Industry Robotics

LG Energy Solution Partners with Bear Robotics for Battery Supply

LG Energy Solution

To obtain cylindrical battery cells for its service robots. 

Robotic solutions for restaurant services such as waiting tables, bussing tables, dishwashing, kitchen preparation, food quality check, and staff training.

To obtain cylindrical battery cells from LG Energy Solution for Bear Robotics' service robots, enabling efficient food delivery and item transportation.

Covestro

Bear Robotics and Covestro team up to help restaurants. Covestro will supply material for some of Bear Robotics' major plastic parts

To enhance customer experience and operational efficiency in the food service industry by leveraging AI-powered serving and bussing robots.

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. <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/2533">In September 2020, </a>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 partnershipsAs 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.<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/36665">In November 2024,</a>&nbsp;Bear Robotics partnered with LG Energy Solution (LGES), a battery manufacturer, to obtain cylindrical battery cells for its service robots.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div>
 
 Dexai Robotics developed a robotic arm known as “Alfred” that works as a flexible food-preparation assistant using artificial intelligence and computer vision technologies. Alfred is a plug-and-play solution for restaurants and can be used to prepare salads and food bowls, without any alteration to restaurants’ layouts or recipes. The robot debuted in the 2019 Web Summit in Portugal, serving  2,500+ attendees over the course of two days. The company offers its services on a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) basis, where customers are charged a flat fee for dishes the robot prepares.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 The company has partnerships with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to install the robots at 10 military locations across the US 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/8680">
 (February 2022)
 </a>
 and with Boston-based Mediterranean restaurant Bonapita to deploy its robot to prepare salads and other food bowls at the latter’s restaurant 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/10059">
 (April 2022).
 </a>
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In August 2022, Dexai Robotics 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/12258">
 raised USD 6.7 million
 </a>
 in funding. Previously in March 2020, it raised USD 5.5 million in a seed funding round led by Hyperplane Venture Capita to expand its engineering, sales, and product teams.
 
</div>

Dexai Robotics

Miso Robotics offers a range of kitchen automation solutions and a software platform that powers its robots (the latter as a standalone service). The company’s latest product line includes&nbsp;<ol><li>Flippy 2,&nbsp;&nbsp;a burger flipping robot that can load, fry, and place the items in a hot holding area without assistance and can handle up to 60 baskets per hour. This is the latest version of the original Flippy introduced in 2018.</li><li>Flippy Wings, a robotic chicken wing frying solution that can identify the food using AI vision technology, to pick up the food, cook, and drop into a hot holding area. Both the models are equipped with its “AutoBin” system—an array of customizable food-safe bins into which the food is dropped to be cooked.&nbsp;</li><li>Flippy Lite which focuses on a single product that needs seasoning and finishing.</li><li>Sippy,&nbsp;a beverage dispensing robot developed in partnership with beverage dispensers manufacturer Lancer Worldwide. Sippy is equipped with a fully-automated conveyor system to dispense drinks. Sippy directly integrates with a point-of-sale system, which triggers the beverage-making process including selecting the appropriate sized cup and pouring and sealing the drink while ensuring appropriate delivery of orders.&nbsp;</li><li>CookRight, an AI and machine learning-driven cooking platform that includes a user interface tablet, two cameras, and a small computer. CookRight focuses on grill-based cooking and is capable of tracking food items on a grill for precision-level cooking and sends alerts to kitchen staff when an action is needed. The platform is also capable of managing the food serving workflow to ensure freshness and correct assembly of orders. Miso Robotics also launched “CookRight Coffee,” a coffee monitoring system powered by the platform in&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9725">April 2022.</a></li></ol>As of April 2022, the company had commercialized its Flippy 2 robots, while Flippy Wings, Flippy Lite, and Sippy were available for reservation. Its products are available on a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) basis—Flippy and Flippy 2 Wings are offered to customers starting at USD 3,000 per month (fees related to other products were not made available as of April 2022). The CookRight platform is offered as a standalone software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering for restaurants at a monthly subscription of USD 100.Key customers and partnershipsMiso Robotics’ customer partnerships include&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/8509">White Castle</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9156">Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/6135">Inspire Brands</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9725">Panera Bread,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9940">Jack in the Box,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/10692">Wing Zone,</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/11139">Americana Restaurants,</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/11567">Wings and Rings.</a> In&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25118">December 2023</a>, Miso Robotics partnered with restaurant technology company Cali Group and PopID, a developer of identity verification solutions, to launch an automated restaurant named CaliExpress in Pasadena, California.&nbsp;The company also has a June 202&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/10929">partnership with Amazon Web Services</a> (AWS) to test its software powering Flippy 2 and Flippy Lite at scale, using AWS RoboMaker, a cloud-based simulation service and an&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/35619">October 2024</a> partnership with NVIDIA to integrate accelerated computing and robotics technologies into its next-generation Flippy Fry Stations.

Miso Robotics

MiFood designs and manufactures a fully automated robotic chef for restaurants that can prepare burgers and hotdogs. The company has offices in Spain, Poland, and the US.

MiFood

Endurance is a Russian-American technology startup offering robots, lasers, and chatbots. Under its robotics solutions, it provides customer-based robotics systems such as telepresence systems, robot waiters, and truckbots.

Endurance

<div>
 
 Blendid (also known as 6d bytes) offers a smoothie-making robotic kiosk that uses machine learning and computer vision to blend fruit drinks. The system is a plug-and-play solution that can be set up on-site in food-service operations. The kiosk comes with a robotic arm, blenders, refrigerators, and dispensers to store and dispense ingredients. It can produce up to 45 drinks per hour and nine drinks simultaneously. Customers can place orders via its mobile app or Blendid tablets, and the robot generally prepares the drink in under two minutes for a price of USD 5&ndash;USD 6 (for a 12-ounce drink). Blendid&rsquo;s kiosks operate at universities, retail outlets such as 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/2529">
 Walmart,
 </a>
 and at juice maker Jamba&rsquo;s co-branded locations including Walmart stores, a shopping mall, a university,
 a 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15502">
 hospital
 </a>
 and 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/11829">
 Love&rsquo;s Travel Stop locations
 </a>
 in California, as well as 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/8519">
 two universities in Georgia.
 </a>
 
 
 As per the company, it has generated USD 149,624 in total revenue since inception, with USD 64,449 generated in FY2020 (ending October 31st). However, annual net losses have been in the USD 3-USD 4 million range during FY2018-FY2020. Salary and benefits accounted for around half of total operating expenses in FY2020, while non-payroll research and development&rsquo;s (R&amp;D&rsquo;s) share of operating expenses had declined to less than 20% from almost 50% in 2018. As of October 31st, 2020, the company had USD 2.1 million in cash on hand and an average quarterly burn rate of USD 910,000
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/5410">
 .
 </a>
 
 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/5410">
 In September 2021,
 </a>
 Blendid raised USD 2 million through equity crowdfunding at a valuation of almost USD 50 million. The company intended to utilize the funds to fast track its geographical expansion into Southern California and Georgia by opening in a range of locations including malls, airports, hospitals, universities, and retail outlets.
 
</div>

Blendid

Robots that pick, place, slice, and butcher fruits, vegetables, meats and other food products. Also includes companies that develop robots for picking, placement, and dispensing of processed foods (ex: cake decorating).

Robotic solutions for pizza, burger and hotdog preparation.

Robotic solutions for salad and food bowl (pasta, ramen etc) preparation.

Robotic solutions for coffee, tea, soda, and smoothie preparation.

The majority of companies in the industry use robotics technology

Some companies in the industry uses AI and ML-based robotic solutions

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 Bear Robotics, a company that creates robot waiters, has teamed up with battery producer, LG Energy Solution (LGES), to get cylindrical battery cells for its service robots.
 Through the partnership, LGES is to be the exclusive supplier of cylindrical 2170 batteries for two types of robots made by Bear Robotics. These are the “Servi Plus” and “Carti 100” robots. The Servi Plus model is designed to cater to food delivery services in restaurants, whereas, the Carti 100 is meant for carrying goods in factories and warehouses.
</div>

Bear Robotics

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