Bringing advanced robotics to UK fast-food and commercial kitchens

The startup driving intelligent automation for commercial kitchens, Miso Robotics has announced its first funding round in the UK. The services sector is seeing a new impetus for automation as it builds back better post pandemic, ensuring more resilient businesses, safer working environments and food production for staff and customers.

The company has previously raised over $17mm in funding rounds in the US, following a valuation of over £64m in 2019. The equity crowd funding round is being hosted in collaboration with Crowdcube with the aim of raising over £24m in new funding worldwide, supporting expansion into Europe. The low barrier to entry and [£10] minimum investment means anyone can invest in this sector.

Founded in 2016, Miso Robotics’ has drawn attention across the US and internationally for its kitchen assistant Flippy that cooks burgers, fries, and chicken. According to the company, it is the world’s first autonomous robotic kitchen assistant arm, can learn from its surroundings and acquire new skills and is already deployed across the US market at CaliBurger restaurants and iconic venues like the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles through Levy Restaurants, part of the UK based Compass Group.

Heavily impacted by COVID-19, fast-food restaurants are now beginning to re-open, working hard to build resilient operations that offer safer working environments and food production for staff and customers. Robots like Flippy can be a key piece of the puzzle and future fast-food experience, now more affordable than ever and available on a subscription service basis. More than 350,000 robots are estimated to have already been sold to the services sector last year according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

The burger-flipping robot promises a safer and healthier work environment for staff and food production by reducing human to food contact, but also completes mundane tasks quickly, while increasing profit margins. Customers in the US deploying Flippy have projected an increase in profit margins of approximately 300%.

Miso Robotics has also recently announced a partnership with PathSpot and PopID to further advance sterile and safe cooking environments. PathSpot is a hand-scanning device, which can check an employee’s hands in two seconds to determine whether pathogens are present, which will be integrated into Flippy. PopID, a face payment platform, attaches to doors to scan and measure the body temperatures of staff, delivery drivers, and guests, and can detect if the person has a fever.

“We are excited to open our first round of funding in the UK, a market where we see huge potential for the growth of the fast food sector and its use of smart technology to improve the experience for both customers and staff,” said Buck Jordan, CEO of Miso Robotics.

“Technology is going to play a vital role in helping restaurants build back better, from improving health and safety to allowing workers to focus on less mundane roles. Crowd funding means that everyone has the opportunity to invest and be part of this emerging and exciting sector.”

“We’ve seen a surge in innovative robotics companies successfully raising with Crowdcube, as advanced robotics technology advances and finds new applications. Miso Robotics has a product and vision that aims to transform commercial kitchens using artificial intelligence that will undoubtedly catch the eye of investors.” said Luke Lang, Co-founder and CMO at Crowdcube.

“Automation in fast-food restaurants is becoming a necessity, not a choice,” said John Miller, Founder and CEO of Cali Group and CaliBurger. “As consumers return to restaurants with higher expectations, Flippy and health screening technologies like PopID are helping the sector fill staffing gaps and deliver top quality food in the most hygienic way possible.”

Invest in the future of intelligence behind the machine, by investing in Miso Robotics here.

Startup Details

Startup Details

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT $13.1M
CB RANK (COMPANY) 985

Miso Robotics

Miso Robotics develops and manufactures artificial intelligence-driven robots that assist chefs to make food at restaurants.

  • Headquarters Regions
    Pasadena, California, US
  • Founded Date
    Jul 2016
  • Founders
    David D. Zito, Robert Anderson, Ryan Sinnet
  • Operating Status
    Active
  • Number of Employees
    1-10