Burger-Grilling Robot Company Raises $12M; Testing at US Restaurants

Aniai, a company developing robotic kitchen solutions, has raised $12 million for its hamburger grilling robot currently undergoing tests at burger chains in the U.S.

The robot can cook as many as 200 patties per hour or eight patties at once.

The pre-series A funding round was led by InterVest, one of the largest venture capital firms in South Korea. It also included investments from new investors SV Investment and U.K.-based Ignite Innovation and brings Aniai’s total funding to date to $15 million. 

The money will go toward launching Aniai’s first manufacturing facility, Factory One, in South Korea, to support the company’s U.S. expansion plans. 

“This capital infusion will help our mission to improve kitchen productivity through robotics and automation while helping us ramp up production to meet current and future demand,” said Gunpil Hwang, Aniai’s CEO. 

Aniai is also planning the launch of a cloud-based AI software platform for the robot, dubbed Alpha Cloud.

The New York-headquartered startup said Factory One will open later this year to meet increasing demand for Alpha Grill. The manufacturing site plans to produce more than 1,000 robots annually once fully operational. 

The company has been testing its robotic kitchen solution at U.S. burger chains since last year, with its flagship Alpha Grill robot deployed behind the scenes in fast-food burger restaurants. 

Related:Chipotle Tests Guacamole-Making Robot

The Alpha Cloud solution is designed to help Alpha Grill monitor the hamburger patties, using real-time vision sensors to identify when they’re ready and alert the staff if the patties don’t meet their cooking standards.

Alpha Cloud will make its debut at the National Restaurant Association Show in May.

The company has already successfully deployed its Alpha Grill across seven South Korean hamburger franchises.