Connected Robotics Inc., which develops “cooking robot services,” announced that it has completed raising approximately 850 million yen in a series A investment round with Global Brain Co., Ltd. as the lead investor.
The purpose of the fund raising is to greatly accelerate business promotion by acquiring excellent human resources and strengthening technical capabilities in order to expand sales channels by strengthening marketing and develop new robots and new robot services.
The invested company appreciates Connected Robotics Inc.’s advanced cooking robot development technology and high marketability.
Below is a quote from the press release
Connected Robotics Inc. (Headquarters: Koganei, Tokyo, CEO: Tetsuya Sawato), which develops “cooking robot services,” raised approximately 850 million yen in Series A investment rounds with Global Brain Co., Ltd. as the lead investor. We will inform you that we have completed.
The underwriters are as follows.
[Underwriter]
* Underwriters are listed in alphabetical order.
● Global Brain No. 7 Investment Limited Partnership operated by Global Brain Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, President: Yasuhiko Yurimoto)
● Sony Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO) Sony Innovation Fund, Corporate Venture Capital of CEO: Kenichiro Yoshida)
● Co-creation Platform Development No. 1 Investment Limited Partnership operated by the University of Tokyo Co-creation Platform Development Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, President: Katsuhiko Oizumi) Union
● 500 Startups Japan (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Representative: James Riney)
● Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President: Masanobu Koda) Corporate Venture Fund “31 VENTURES” Global Innovation Fund No. 1 ”
[Purpose of financing]
We are a company that provides robot services specializing in cooking in the kitchen of restaurants with the theme of “innovating cooking with robots”. We have already raised about 100 million yen in the seed round, and together with this funding, we have raised a total of about 950 million yen.
With this financing, we will greatly accelerate business promotion by acquiring excellent human resources and strengthening technical capabilities in order to expand sales channels by strengthening marketing and develop new robots and new robot services.
[Business / Service Overview]
Connected Robotics Inc. is a company that provides robot services specializing in cooking in the kitchen of restaurants under the theme of “innovating cooking with robots”. Currently, labor shortages are becoming more serious in the domestic food service industry, and labor saving and automation of cooking are becoming major issues.
To address this issue, we have made robots intelligent by combining “robot control know-how cultivated from experience in developing robot products in the manufacturing industry” and “sensing and learning technology utilizing deep learning,” and people working in the kitchen. We are developing a “robot service that provides joy to both workers and those who eat” by supporting their work.
Currently, we have already sold the automatic takoyaki cooking robot service “Octo Chef” that can judge the cooking condition of takoyaki using deep learning and cook like a human being, and the automatic soft cream robot service “Reita”. We are doing it.
In the future, we will accelerate research and development toward the commercialization of the automatic dishwasher robot service “Dish Washing System”, the convenience store “Hot Snack Robot”, and the automatic breakfast cooking robot service “Loraine”.
[Comments from underwriters for capital increase through third-party allotment]
We have decided to invest in Connected Robotics Inc. in recognition of its advanced cooking robot development technology and high marketability. We would like to support the company’s business growth in order to contribute to the shortage of human resources in the food and beverage industry.
Connected Robotics Inc. is a startup that can provide “ground-based” solutions with a hybrid model that combines the technology of the management team and industry knowledge to solve the big social problem of labor shortage in the food and beverage industry. recognizing. We hope that the company will grow further toward the world and bring epoch-making experiences to stakeholders involved in the food and beverage industry.
recent years, new businesses have been created one after another with existing industries x technology, but Connected Robotics Inc. has a restaurant industry x robot x AI and 3 It is a challenging company that combines two elements. We sympathized with the approach to realize this initiative by combining the knowledge of various academia such as the University of Tokyo and the big vision of delivering Japanese food to the world, and decided to support it.
<500 startups Japan (now Coral Capital): Managing Partner Yohei Sawayama> We, the first investors at Connected Robotics, are also surprised that their business of robotic cooking is starting up so quickly. I can’t hide. I think this is a result of the excellent teams continuing to gather under Mr. Sawato and the involvement of even more large companies. I am excited that they will innovate the Japanese food and beverage industry and will soon expand globally. We will continue to do our best to support the encouraging investors who joined us this time!
<31VENTURES Global Innovation Fund: Mr. Masaru Sugawara, General Manager of Venture Co-creation Division> At
commercial facilities such as LaLaport, labor shortages such as restaurants are an urgent issue. We hope that the technology developed by Connected Robotics will blossom in Japan, which is an advanced country, and will be spread all over the world.
■ Company profile
Trade name: Connected Robotics Inc.
Representative: Tetsuya Sawato
Location: 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-0012
Established Tama Koganei Venture Port : February 2014
Business: Robot system for food service industry Development / sales
capital: 480 million yen
URL: https://connected-robotics.com/