• Yo-Kai Express, a developer of a robotic ramen vending machine, has announced plans to deploy its autonomous ramen vending machine “Yatai” at the Super Bowl party in Los Angeles, California later this month—marking its first general public debut.

• The unit also debuted at Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington and today, the company also revealed its plans to deploy the robot at other locations in the future (yet to be disclosed).

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: Yo-Kai Express first announced its plans to introduce the mobile vending machine in December 2020. At the time, the company noted it was in talks with Universities of California at Berkeley and Irvine to deploy the unit at the university premises. Therefore, we believe the company might tap universities as its first deployment locations in the future. The company would also have a competitive advantage over its rivals, as only a few companies within our coverage offer mobile versions (e.g., Makr Shakr, Stellar), but none offer ramen vending machines.</ul>