Network International and Carrefour implement PopID’s face verification platform, a first for biometric payments in the UAE

In a first for biometric payments in the UAE, Network International, the leading enabler of dig-ital commerce in the Middle East and Africa region, and Carrefour, owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in the UAE, announced today that they have implemented the Face Pay face verification platform for payments from consumer authentication service provider PopID.

Customers to Carrefour stores in Deira and Amsaf are now able to purchase food, daily essen-tials, and more using Face Pay. Consumers can enroll for the service through the Carrefour mo-bile app or website, and then purchase products at Carrefour by smiling at a payment terminal instead of pulling out a phone or card. This solution is based on proprietary facial recognition technology developed by PopID, and provisioned through Network International’s acceptance network for mass adoption across the UAE.

“Carrefour is a leader in introducing new technologies that enhance the customer experience, whilst finding solutions that can eliminate friction,” said Bernardo Perloiro, Chief Operating Of-ficer – GCC at Majid Futtaim Retail. “Face verification will make it easier and more convenient for our customers to check out efficiently – without having to reach for their wallets. This safe, seamless payment method only takes a few seconds, and we are excited to be one of the first re-tailers to be rolling this out across the UAE in partnership with PopID and Network Internation-al.”

“We are thrilled to continue driving the evolution of biometric payments with the UAE’s first-of-its-kind face verification platform. Face Pay aims to make checkouts quick, convenient and seam-less for a superior customer experience, and secure businesses from potential fraud with robust security protocols,” said Andrew Key, Group Managing Director – Acquiring at Network Inter-national. “Network International is proud to be the first acquirer to launch Face Pay-enabled bi-ometric payments acceptance in the country. With a strong track record of leading payments in-novation in the region, we aim to continue investing in strategic partnerships that further the po-tential of payments across the UAE.”

“In America and Japan, we have demonstrated that allowing consumers to link Face Pay to loyalty accounts and payment methods enhances revenue, increases speed of ordering and check out, drives loyalty engagement, and reduces fraud,” said John Miller, CEO of PopID and investment company, Cali Group. “We are excited to implement the platform with Carrefour and Network International in grocery for the first time in this region.”

QNB is first in Qatar to launch Facial Payments Solution

Doha, – January 22, 2023 – QNB Group, one of the largest financial institutions in the Middle East and Africa, has launched a new biometric payment acceptance solution for its merchants in Qatar.
QNB, together with its key partners, will be helping merchants with outlets in Qatar to offer customers the simplicity, convenience, and security of facial biometric payments.
This solution is based on proprietary facial verification technology developed by PopID, provisioned through QNB’s acceptance network, and supported by Visa via tokenization.
The technology enables customers to authenticate payments for goods and services through facial verification, without a physical card or mobile phone after initial enrolment. As a one-time sign-up, users will create their profile by taking a selfie of their face using their smartphone, before entering their phone number and card details. The technology then tokenizes the card number and securely links it to the facial biometric template. It only takes a minute or two to set this up and then only a few seconds to make the payment. The merchants will offer the in-store sign-up using a QR capability.
These developments highlight the driving forces behind facial biometric technology and the wide range of opportunities it is opening up for the future of payment solutions and much more.
Mr. Adel Al-Malki, Senior Executive Vice President – Group Retail Banking, stated:
As the payment landscape evolves, QNB is always at the forefront of this evolution, and constantly willing to be an early adopter of innovative technologies that drive frictionless and enhanced payment experience – putting our customers and merchants experience at the centre of everything we do. Being the ‘first in Qatar’ in another innovation that augments the already rich range of payment options that includes functionality such as contactless payments, QNB “MyPOS” (Tap on Phone payment acceptance) and Samsung/Google/Apple pay, to mention a few.
“In America and Japan, we have demonstrated that allowing consumers to link PopPay to loyalty accounts and payment methods substantially increases speed of ordering and check out, drives loyalty engagement, and reduces fraud,” said John Miller, CEO of PopID and its parent company, Cali Group. “We are excited to work with Visa and QNB to bring this loyalty and payment platform to businesses and consumers in Qatar.”

About QNB
QNB Group, currently ranked as the most valuable bank brand in the Middle East and Africa. Through its subsidiaries and associate companies, the Group extends to more than 30 countries across three continents providing a comprehensive range of advanced products and services. The total number of employees is 27,000 operating through 1000 locations, with an ATM network of more than 4,600 machines.
About PopID
PopID provides a comprehensive platform, PopPay, for revolutionizing digital interactions and payments using facial verification. PopPay gives consumers the option of identifying themselves in the most natural way possible – with their face – for ordering and payment – enabling more personalized, secure, and streamlined experiences. To learn more about PopPay, visit www.popid.com
About Visa
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network – enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit About Visa and @VisaNews.

PopPay Integrated Into XPR-Samsung Self Service Kiosks For QSR Restaurants

PopID-XPR Partnership Powering Samsung System Displayed at Booth #3657 at NRF

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, January 15, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — PopID, a biometric fintech company and XPR, a global kiosk software platform, announced today a fully integrated solution on the new Samsung Kiosk Windows 10 IoT Enterprise edition using face verification to check in and check out. These products, which are also in commercial production in quick service restaurants, are on display at the NRF Show in New York at Booth #3657.

The face verification platform for ordering and payment, called PopPay, has been demonstrated to have various benefits for operators and consumers over the last few years. Specifically, the benefits of PopPay Check In for quick service restaurants are:

* Increased speed. When consumers use face verification to check in at the beginning of the ordering process, they immediately see their favorite orders and can quickly click to repeat the order instead of having to spend time recreating the entire order from scratch. The result is that the average time to order for regular customers moves from minutes to seconds.

* Increased ticket size. When consumers repeat their favorite orders, there is an opportunity to upsell them based on their ordering history. Statistically significant data shows that consumers using PopPay Check In spend about 4.5% more than consumers anonymously ordering.

* Increased loyalty engagement. Loyalty engagement on self ordering kiosks is limited by the complexity of consumers needing to open up an app on their phone and scan a QR code or type in a phone number on the kiosk in a public environment. PopPay has been shown to substantially increase loyalty enrollment and usage on self ordering kiosks in quick service restaurants.

“Consumer expectations are ever-evolving, especially in the food service industry, which is prompting quick-service restaurants to dramatically transform the way they meet these growing demands,” said Chris Mertens, Vice President of U.S. Sales, Displays, Samsung. “Delivering quality meals is no longer enough – restaurants must now entice and delight customers through seamless and secure transactions. Through our strategic partnerships with PopID and XPR, our customers can achieve this goal by embracing the new Windows kiosks that captivate consumers through every point of contact.”

The benefits of PopPay Check Out on the new Windows kiosk for quick service restaurants are:

* Decreased payment processing fees. PopPay has developed new forms of money transfer and settlement that can substantially reduce payment processing fees for operators.

* Reduced fraud. PopPay has been working with global financial institutions to demonstrate that, when a picture is used to verify a payment transaction, there is less risk of fraud.

“Samsung and XPR have delivered a high quality, low cost self ordering kiosk to the fast food market,” said John Miller, CEO of PopID and Chairman of retail tech investment company, Cali Group. “Now their customers can increase revenue, lower costs, and improve the guest experience by adding PopPay software to their hardware systems.”

“We are excited to deliver this new solution to our global customer base. Facial verification for payment and reorder from history will speed up the ordering process” said Nikhil Lagoo, Vice President Global Sales of XPR. “XPR can ‘turn on’ this enhanced functionality with a simple software update, and operators can easily leverage the benefits of personalized communications with their customers on self ordering kiosks.”

About PopID

PopID provides a comprehensive platform, PopPay, for revolutionizing digital interactions and payments using facial verification. PopPay gives consumers the option of identifying themselves in the most natural way possible – with their face – for ordering and payment – enabling more personalized, secure, and streamlined experiences. To learn more about PopPay, visit www.popid.com.

About XPR

XPR is a leading hospitality technology solution provider that offers Plug & Play, Cloud-based and AI-backed Self Ordering Solutions, including Self Ordering Kiosks, Virtual Kiosks for Contactless Ordering and Mobile Apps. XPR’s solution helps every restaurant set a new standard of guest experience while simultaneously boosting revenue. With a customer base across restaurant types, locations, and countries, XPR’s success is driven by the agility and commitment to innovate and develop customer focused solutions. Visit www.xprpos.com for more information.

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com.
Evan Grant
PopID, Inc.
+1 949-478-2012
Evan@popid.com

Visa Brings Innovative Payment Experiences to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™

DOHA, Qatar–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As the world awaits kick-off of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Visa (NYSE: V), the Official Payment Technology Partner of FIFA, has readied a payments network that will enable contactless purchases throughout all official venues, including eight stadiums and the FIFA Fan Festival™. With more than one million fans expected to travel to Qatar for the tournament, Visa has installed 5,300 contactless-enabled payment terminals at official FIFA venues, making FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ the most payment-enabled FIFA tournament ever. Visa will also trial new payment innovations to give fans easy access to simple and secure digital ways to pay.

The FIFA World Cup™ provides a global stage for Visa to showcase and test new technologies, enhance the fan experience and leave a lasting impression on the host country. Visa will bring a number of digital payment solutions to Qatar, including several limited pilots to demonstrate how future Visa payment solutions may come to life:

Pay with Your Face: Marking the first-time it will be used for payments in Qatar, facial recognition technology is a collaboration between Qatar National Bank (QNB) and POP ID and supported by Visa via tokenization. The solution allows customers to authenticate payments using just their face, without a physical card or mobile phone after initial enrollment. It will be piloted at three Flat White Specialty Coffee branches.
Card Art Gets Animated: As consumers become more accustomed to getting things instantaneously, Visa is piloting a digital card issuance solution for limited cardholders in Doha. After simply scanning a QR code, a digital prepaid card will be instantly issued and can be added to a mobile wallet. The digital card will feature animated card art, with the official mascot La’eeb, demonstrating a future in which consumers could bring greater personalization and even digital animation to their Visa cards.
Accepting Payments Gets Simpler for SMBs: In partnership with three Qatar-based banks the Visa Tap to Phone solution is now available to merchants in Qatar who want to fast-track their ability to accept digital payments in advance of the expected tourist influx. Visa Tap to Phone makes it easier for merchants to use their Android NFC-enabled devices they already own to accept contactless payments—simply by downloading an app.
Tap to Ride Around Doha: Keeping traffic flowing smoothly during FIFA World Cup™ has been a top priority and Visa, in partnership with Qatar’s Ministry of Transport, is enabling contactless payment acceptance on taxis so fans and Qatari residents will be able pay for their trips with their Visa card or smartphone, making paying for their journeys in and around Doha faster and more convenient.
Earlier this month, Visa unveiled Visa Masters of Movement, a first-of-its-kind hybrid experience featuring an interactive pitch at the FIFA Fan Festival™ in Doha where fans will be able to create digital art inspired by their own signature movements. Eligible fans will have the option to mint this digital art into their own NFT in partnership with Crypto.com.

Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for GCC at Visa, said: “As FIFA’s long-standing partner, Visa wants to give football fans from around the world the best way to pay in Qatar, while experiencing exciting new innovations such as the fusion of art, football and technology at Visa’s Masters of Movement venue. With thousands of contactless payment terminals, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ promises to be the most payment-enabled FIFA tournament ever for the more than one million fans coming to enjoy the magic of football.”

Visa has been FIFA’s Official Payment Technology Partner since 2007. As a global supporter of both men’s and women’s football, Visa aims to offer experiences that bring people closer to the action, whether they are among the one million people anticipated in Qatar or the five billion viewers expected worldwide for this year’s tournament. In addition to providing the latest in payments innovations at official FIFA venues, Visa seeks ways to further its commitment to uplift lives through the power of sport through programs such as Financial Football, a video game that combines entertainment and education in an action-packed virtual football tournament.

For more information about Visa’s activities during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, please visit Visa.com.

About Visa Inc.

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

Contacts
Media Contacts
Kryssa Guntrum (Global)
kguntrum@visa.com

Anna Shulga (Central Europe, Middle East & Africa)
ashulga@visa.com

,

Visa and PopID Form Partnership to Launch Facial Verification Payments in the Middle East

PASADENA, Calif. and DUBAI, UAE, April 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — PopID, a consumer authentication service, and Visa (NYSE: V), the world’s leader in digital payments, announced a partnership to collaborate on launching facial verification payment acceptance in the Middle East region. The goal of the partnership is to provide cardholders with new safe, secure, and innovative ways to pay.

The first operators to welcome PopPay (PopID’s facial biometric payment solution) in the market will be Costa Coffee, MMI, and grocery chain Géant, in addition to Cove Beach at Caesars Palace Dubai and Coca-Cola Arena Dubai, both of which belong to the portfolio of Dubai Holding, the diversified global investment company headquartered in Dubai, UAE.

In addition to select brick-and-mortar businesses of Dubai Holding adopting PopPay as a new way to accept payments, PopID has recently signed an agreement with Dubai Holding to soon establish a joint venture that will support the roll-out of PopPay in the CEE and MENA regions.

During the initial phase of the partnership, Dubai Holding will deploy PopPay at some of its assets across its leading destinations and attractions, which will be followed by the adoption of the payment technology across Dubai Holding’s wider ecosystem and through partners across CEE and MENA region.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, 85% of executives believe biometrics will be used to authenticate the vast majority of payments in the next ten years. “Facial biometric payments are at the forefront of payments innovation, providing cardholders a fast, seamless and most importantly, secure way to authenticate and make a payment,” said Akshay Chopra, Head of Visa CEMEA Innovation & Design. “From across our partner network, we’ve seen heightened interest in co-creating new facial and biometric payments moments. Through this partnership with PopPay, we are keen to help clients roll out biometric payment capabilities faster and with more success.”

Under the alliance with Visa, issuing banks will be invited to join the platform and give their customers the ability to link their facial biometrics to their debit or credit cards to make payments; and acquiring banks will be offered the opportunity to distribute PopID’s proprietary face pay terminals to brick and mortar businesses. “We expect face pay to become the global standard for payments, and we are determined to make PopPay the consumer brand that is used and trusted by people all over the world,” said John Miller, CEO of PopID.

Throughout 2022, the platform will look to further scale across the Middle East region by partnering with key merchants to provide this leading payments technology to consumers. This second international deployment follows the launch of PopPay Japan through a joint venture with a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp.

About PopID
PopID provides a trusted and secure platform that enables businesses to give their customers and employees the option of authenticating their identity using advanced facial verification.

About Visa
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network – enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit About Visa and @VisaNews.

About Dubai Holding
Dubai Holding is a diversified global investment company with operations in over 13 countries and employing over 20,000 people. Established in 2004, Dubai Holding touches the lives of millions of Dubai residents and visitors through its extensive portfolio of over AED 130 billion worth of assets that support the diversification and sustainable growth of Dubai’s economy across 10 key sectors: Real Estate, Hospitality, Leisure & Entertainment, Media, ICT, Design, Education, Retail, Manufacturing & Logistics and Science.

www.dubaiholding.com
www.twitter.com/dubaiholding
www.instagram.com/dubaiholding
www.facebook.com/dubaiholding
www.youtube.com/user/dubaiholding
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dubai-holding

Press Contact
Diane Zuniga
Golin
dzuniga@golin.com / 909-510-0433

CHIPOTLE TESTS AI KITCHEN ASSISTANT, CHIPPY

Brand leverages Miso Robotics to innovate its culinary process for tortilla chips

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) today announced its latest digital innovation, Chippy, an autonomous kitchen assistant that integrates culinary traditions with artificial intelligence to make tortilla chips. Chipotle’s culinary and technology teams called on Miso Robotics to customize its latest robotic solution to cook and freshly season Chipotle’s delicious tortilla chips.

“We are always exploring opportunities to enhance our employee and guest experience. Our goal is to drive efficiencies through collaborative robotics that will enable Chipotle’s crew members to focus on other tasks in the restaurant,” said Curt Garner, Chief Technology Officer, Chipotle.

Chipotle’s culinary team guided Miso in tailoring its technology to maintain the culinary integrity of the brand. Leveraging artificial intelligence, Chippy is trained to replicate Chipotle’s exact recipe – using corn masa flour, water and sunflower oil – to cook chips to perfection, season with a dusting of salt, and finish with a hint of fresh lime juice. It was imperative that the technique remained the same so customers receive delicious, craveable chips every time.

“Everyone loves finding a chip with a little more salt or an extra hint of lime,” said Nevielle Panthaky, Vice President of Culinary, Chipotle. “To ensure we didn’t lose the humanity behind our culinary experience, we trained Chippy extensively to ensure the output mirrored our current product, delivering some subtle variations in flavor that our guests expect.”

Chippy is currently being tested at the Chipotle Cultivate Center, Chipotle’s innovation hub in Irvine, Calif., and will be integrated into a Chipotle restaurant in Southern California later this year. The company is leveraging its stage-gate process to listen, test and learn from crew and guest feedback before deciding on a national implementation strategy.

“When Chipotle challenged us to see if our technology could meet the brand’s high standards for culinary quality, we couldn’t wait to flex our engineering and design muscles,” said Mike Bell, CEO, Miso Robotics. “This partnership will allow us to move into new territory to help improve back-of-house functions and assist team members with their day-to-day responsibilities.”

An innovator in restaurant technology, Chipotle continues to invest in emerging solutions to support its growing digital business and reduce friction in its restaurants. The company believes technology deployed consistently and correctly can improve the human experience. Chipotle already leverages artificial intelligence with its concierge chat bot, Pepper. Pepper ensures guests have an exceptional experience on the Chipotle app and Chipotle.com. Chipotle customers can select from frequently asked questions or ask their own questions to get a response quickly. Chippy joins Pepper in Chipotle’s artificial intelligence suite to improve Chipotle’s overall guest and employee experience.

ABOUT CHIPOTLE
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Chipotle had over 2,950 restaurants as of December 31, 2021, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants. Chipotle is ranked on the Fortune 500 and is recognized on the 2021 lists for Forbes’ America’s Best Employers and Fortune’s Most Admired Companies. With nearly 100,000 employees passionate about providing a great guest experience, Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food industry. Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible to everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated purpose as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable business practices. For more information or to place an order online, visit WWW.CHIPOTLE.COM.

ABOUT MISO ROBOTICS
Miso Robotics is revolutionizing commercial foodservice through intelligent automation solutions that solve some of the largest gaps in back-of-house kitchen operations. Ready to make an immediate financial impact on a restaurant’s bottom line, Miso’s AI-driven platform incorporates robotics, machine learning, computer vision and data analytics to power and develop its breakthrough products, including: Chippy, Flippy 2, CookRight and Sippy.

With real industry knowledge and learnings accrued through brand partnerships over its first five years, Miso’s products are constantly evolving to drive consistency, increase productivity, reduce costs and improve the overall dining experience. For more information about the future of restaurant automation, visit: https://misorobotics.com.

SOURCE Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

White Castle Expands Partnership with Miso Robotics to Install Flippy 2 in 100 New Locations

he world’s first fast-food hamburger chain doubles down on automation after success of pilot program

PASADENA, Calif., Feb. 15, 2022 — Today, White Castle – the world’s first fast-food hamburger chain – announced plans to further expand its work with Miso Robotics and install Flippy 2 in 100 standalone locations. The announcement is the latest milestone for the partnership, which began in September 2020 with the deployment of the original Flippy to a White Castle in the Chicagoland area. Following an upgrade to Flippy 2 in November 2021, White Castle’s commitment to Miso’s technology was cemented after seeing an immediate positive impact on daily operations and the productivity of its team members.

By taking over the work of an entire fry station, Flippy 2 alleviates the pain points that come with back-of-house roles at quick-service restaurants to create a working environment for its human coworkers that maximizes the efficiency of the kitchen. The improved workflow allows for the redeployment of team members to focus on creating memorable moments for customers. White Castle anticipates many improvements in efficiency, product quality and team member experience as a result of its partnership with Miso Robotics.

Rollouts of Flippy 2 are being phased by region and will be planned out and scheduled in the months and years ahead.

“We could not be more grateful for the confidence White Castle has shown in us as we enter into the next phase of our partnership,” said Mike Bell, CEO of Miso Robotics. “White Castle was the first large brand to embrace our technology and we are thrilled that our Flippy pilot made such a positive impact on their operations that they want to integrate 100 more. We can’t wait to continue on this journey with such an outstanding partner.”

Miso Robotics is primarily funded by individual investors and has been one of the most successful equity crowdfunding campaigns in history. With over 15,000 shareholders, the company has raised more than $50MM in crowdfunding to date and is currently in its Series E round, which kicked off with a market valuation of $500 million. To invest in Miso Robotics, visit: https://invest.misorobotics.com/.

Miso Robotics is offering securities through the use of an Offering Statement that has been qualified by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Tier II of Regulation A. A copy of the Final Offering Circular that forms a part of the Offering Statement may be obtained from: Miso Robotics https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1710670/000110465922012145/tm222587d2_partiiandiii.htm.

About White Castle

White Castle, America’s first fast-food hamburger chain, has been making hot and tasty sliders as a family-owned business for 100 years. Based in Columbus, Ohio, White Castle started serving The Original Slider® in 1921. Today, White Castle owns and operates 350 restaurants dedicated to satisfying customers’ cravings morning, noon and night and sells its famous fare in retail stores nationwide. The Original Slider, named in 2014 as Time Magazine’s most influential burger of all time, is served alongside a menu of creatively crafted sliders and other mouthwatering food options, including White Castle’s Impossible™ Slider, named by Thrillist in 2019 as the “Best Plant-Based Fast Food Burger.” White Castle’s commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants, bakeries and frozen-food processing plants. White Castle is known for the legendary loyalty of its team members, more than 1 in 4 of whom have worked for White Castle for at least 10 years, and of its faithful fans, affectionately referred to as Cravers, many of whom compete each year for entry into the Cravers Hall of Fame. The official White Castle app, available at iTunes App Store or Google Play, makes it easy for Cravers to access sweet deals and place pickup orders any time. They can also have their orders delivered using one of White Castle’s delivery partners. For more information on White Castle, visit whitecastle.com.

About Miso Robotics

Miso Robotics is revolutionizing commercial foodservice through intelligent automation solutions that solve some of the largest gaps in back-of-house kitchen operations. Ready to make an immediate financial impact on a restaurant’s bottom line, Miso’s AI-driven platform incorporates robotics, machine learning, computer vision and data analytics to power and develop its breakthrough products, including: Flippy 2, CookRight and Sippy.

With real industry knowledge and learnings accrued through brand partnerships over its first five years, Miso’s products are constantly evolving to drive consistency, increase productivity, reduce costs and improve the overall dining experience. Miso is now accepting new investors for its Series E round. To invest in the future of restaurant automation, visit: https://invest.misorobotics.com.

PopID and SoftBank’s Japan Computer Vision Partner to Launch PopPay In Japan

Wendy’s First Kitchen is First QSR Chain in Japan to Accept Face Pay

PASADENA, Calif. & TOKYO PopID, Japan Computer Vision (“JCV”, a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp), and Wendy’s First Kitchen (“WFK”) announced today the launch of PopPay – PopID’s face-recognition-based ordering and payment system – in Tokyo, Japan. As a first step in the launch, Wendy’s First Kitchen locations in Akasaka Mitsuke, Shibuya Center, and Jiyugaoka will begin accepting payments using PopPay, representing the first time a QSR chain in Japan is accepting payments authenticated using a customer’s face.

Using the new system, WFK’s customers will be able to link their face to a credit card or First Kitchen prepaid card and then pay by simply smiling at a camera-equipped tablet connected to a self-ordering kiosk manufactured by PLANET Co. Ltd. (“PLANET”). They will also be able to see their order history to simplify their ordering experiences. In cases where consumers’ hands are full or when they don’t have their wallets with them, they will be able to make payments without the need for cash or a mobile phone.

“We believe that PopPay is a safer, more convenient, and faster way for our customers to order and pay. We will work together with our partner companies to make this payment method the one that our customers prefer,” said a spokesperson from WFK. “In the near future, we would like to upgrade the system so that customers can enjoy even more of the benefits of being a loyal customer with just one look, even if they come to the store empty-handed.”

PLANET and JCV have jointly developed a hospitality solution that uses face recognition technology to simplify transactions in restaurants, solve problems, and strengthen the creation of new points of contact with customers.

Building on their success with WFK, PopID and JCV, (a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp.), will collaborate to pursue additional business opportunities aimed at providing the PopPay platform to other restaurant and retail businesses in Japan.

Andrew Schwabecher, CEO of JCV said, “Hundreds of brands now accept PopPay in the United States, and we have witnessed exponential growth in consumer usage.” He also said, “We have worked closely with the PopID engineering team to customize the platform for the Japanese market, and we expect businesses and consumers in Japan to embrace PopPay as a better way to transact.”

In Asia, face pay has recently exploded as the preferred payment method for consumers, because it is more convenient and secure. “Multinational financial institutions believe that face pay is likely to become a global standard, because it is the most effective way to prevent payment fraud,” said John Miller, CEO of PopID. He also said, “Outside of the US market, we will create open loop platforms for banks, wallets, and other payment companies to enable consumers to link any payment system to their faces to spend against.”

In addition, a presentation for the media regarding this initiative (co-hosted by First Kitchen and JCV) is scheduled for December 1, 2021 (Wednesday).

About PopID

PopID provides a trusted and secure platform that enables businesses to give their customers and employees the option of authenticating their identity using advanced facial recognition.

Contacts
Yale Goldberg
Chief Operating Officer
440-781-9036 | yale@popid.com

Miso Robotics Partners with Lancer Worldwide to Bring Automated Beverage Dispenser to Quick-Service Restaurant Industry

The Intelligent Automation provider for the commercial kitchen and trusted global manufacturer set out to bring new efficiency to order fulfillment.

PASADENA, Calif., June 22, 2021 — Today, Miso Robotics – the startup transforming the foodservice industry with Intelligent Automation – announced its partnership with Lancer Worldwide – a global beverage dispenser manufacturer trusted by the world’s top food and beverage brands – to build an intelligence backed, automated beverage dispenser that will bring enhanced functionality for a future-focused commercial kitchen.

Miso Robotics and Lancer Worldwide Automated Beverage Dispenser
At a time when the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry is facing record labor shortages, operators are looking for ways to streamline operations, cut costs and implement solutions that drive a better and faster customer service experience. The pandemic drastically shifted the paradigm, creating new models for operator revenue streams that relied on drive-thru, takeout and delivery more so than ever before. While sixty to seventy percent of certain QSR sales came from the drive-thru lane pre-pandemic, as COVID spread, major QSRs experienced a jump as high as 90 percent.1Yet, the new delivery and drive-thru model have made the always-critical need of speed and efficiency an even bigger challenge as volume increases and staff decreases have added minutes to the clock for order completion. Because of this, total average drive-thru times slowed down by 29.8 seconds last year.2

Savvy operators are warming up to the power of automation and robotics to accelerate recovery and meet demand. Miso Robotics has been leading the field in commercial kitchen automation through a robot-as-a-service (RaaS) and software-as-a-service (SaaS) model that began with Flippy and has since branched out to CookRight. While these two flagship products focus on food specifically, implementation success has proven broader back of house tasks can benefit from intelligent operational efficiency. Miso Robotics and Lancer saw the need for beverage automation in the commercial kitchen – an area of order completion that has long been plagued with inefficiency as workers look to navigate compact, fast paced kitchens and unpredictable order volume during shifts.

“Lancer has consistently supplied the market with dependable products for more than 50 years and there was no question when it came time to decide who to partner with to create an automated beverage dispenser,” said Jake Brewer, Chief Strategy Officer of Miso Robotics. “Lancer has a legacy of stand-out industry quality and shares in our vision for beverage innovation and futuristic design. Order fulfillment is a major factor for customer satisfaction and operators can’t afford to have a beverage left behind when a delivery driver or customer visits. We are extremely excited to create a product that will not only make the lives of those working in commercial kitchens better, but will be a game changer for the industry as a whole to deliver a world-class customer experience.”

The new automated beverage dispenser will integrate with the point of sales (POS) system and come equipped with a guided workflow for employees to ensure accurate order completion synced with driver and customer arrival times. The machine will be able to automatically pour drinks and advance beverages to enable an easy grab-and-go format for staff. When an order comes in, the connected approach will allow the beverage dispenser to ‘know’ the beverage needs associated with the order and will automatically issue the appropriate sized cup, begin pouring and seal the drink. The entire process is timed to complete as close as possible with the time the meal/remainder of the order is ready for hand off to the customer or delivery driver.

“Lancer has always stood out as a trusted global beverage dispenser manufacturer because we put our customer and partner needs at the forefront of every project we undertake,” said Brad Davis, Director of Applied Technologies for Lancer Worldwide. “The quick service brands we work with every day are well aware of what their challenges are – they know they need more efficiency, and they know there is new technology out there that could make it possible. Miso Robotics will help us bring all the right pieces together for an innovative design that makes automation, connectivity, and intelligence possible for operators. We are excited to collaborate with them to bring this concept to life, and into the hands of operators around the world.”

Miso Robotics’ Series D Opens
The need for new technology to enter the back of house has quickly become a business imperative for quick service brands. As a result, interest in Miso Robotics has continued to surge. The company was able to able to raise over $25mm in crowdfunding during their Series C, which recently closed. On the heels of this partnership, the company is announcing the open of their Series D round raise – which kicks off with a market valuation of $350mm, a $270mm increase since their $80mm Series C open. To invest in Miso Robotics’ Series D and Intelligent Automation visit https://invest.misorobotics.com/ today and shape the future of the commercial kitchen.

About Miso Robotics
Miso Robotics is revolutionizing the restaurant and prepared food industries with innovative robotics and artificial intelligence solutions. Miso was founded with a mission to leverage AI technology to help chefs cook food perfectly and consistently and enable restaurants to increase labor productivity, reduce costs and drive profitability while improving the overall dining experience. Miso employs a respected team of scientists, roboticists, engineers and industrial designers from Caltech, Cornell, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Harvey Mudd, UCLA, USC, Art Center and UNC Chapel Hill. Miso Robotics is now taking reservations for their equity crowd-funding raise, to invest in the future of restaurant automation go to https://invest.misorobotics.com/.

About Lancer Worldwide
Lancer Worldwide, a leader in next-generation beverage dispensing, was established in 1967 in San Antonio, Texas. Lancer Worldwide leads in innovation and is committed to delivering a beverage dispensing experience that exceeds customer expectations. Through quality and a passion for innovation, Lancer creates products that generate profit for its global customers and gives them a distinct advantage in the marketplace. Lancer Corporation is a subsidiary of Hoshizaki Corporation, one of the world’s largest suppliers of commercial kitchen equipment. Lancer Worldwide maintains sales and manufacturing facilities in the United States, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, China and the United Kingdom.

1 Bluedot: State of What Feeds Us Report
2 SeeLevel HX: 2020 SeeLevel HX Annual Drive-Thru Study

Miso Robotics Announces CookRight Software as a Standalone Offering to Increase Accuracy in Kitchens

Equipped with new expanded cooking capabilities, the artificial intelligence-driven platform powering Flippy will now be available without a robotic counterpart

PASADENA, Calif., May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Miso Robotics – the startup transforming the foodservice industry with intelligent automation – announced the release of its standalone software as a service (SaaS) offering, CookRight. Packed with expanded cooking capabilities and accessible through an affordable subscription model, CookRight is the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) powered cooking platform able to automatically identify and track products and tasks. CookRight’s first platform application is focused on the grill and will deliver new levels of precision, quality and efficiency to restaurants – a long-standing gap within the industry. As operators look to rebound from the effects of the pandemic, Miso Robotics brings a data-driven operational approach to enhance customer satisfaction and curb costs to help move the industry into long-term recovery and new growth.

The food service industry has historically relied exclusively on humans to manually follow a cooking workflow that adheres to cooking standards set by operators and health officials. A worker is expected to monitor the cook time, quality and consistency of food in kitchens. Yet, while most cooks think they are accurately overseeing the items on the grill, the traditional practices of relying on a wall clock, a manual timer or intuition when deciding to flip or remove those items has continuously caused food to be undercooked, cooked incorrectly and inconsistently. The resulting effects have led to frequent health and safety risks, as well as customer dissatisfaction. According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), every year, an estimated 1-in-6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases – often caused by exposure to bacteria because the food has not been handled properly or cooked to the correct internal temperature. One outbreak has the potential to drastically reduce the immediate and future success of a restaurant.

CookRight offers a proven method to ensure food safety and cooking standards are met. An advanced AI platform that incorporates machine learning, sensors and computer vision, CookRight has served as the foundation of Miso Robotics’ flagship product, Flippy – known for its robotic grilling and frying capabilities. The software allows cooks to track a food item on a grill and monitor cooking time automatically to deliver precision-level cooking. Able to provide a data-rich workflow with alerts built in to guide staff and keep cooking on track from the moment an item is placed on the grill, CookRight not only improves the cooking process but also assists in ensuring accurate order completion. Built and designed with the modern-day digitized employee in mind – CookRight simplifies tasks and provides operational assistance through an easy-to-navigate user interface to help employees focus on customer service needs such as speed, accuracy and quality. With the adoption of the platform, operators and workers benefit from a streamlined training approach that cuts time investment and costs, while improving cooking performance.

The new release of CookRight as a standalone software service comes to market with advanced grilling capabilities. Now operators can apply precision cooking to a variety of grilled food items on their menus, without the need to purchase Flippy, giving them access to a cutting-edge technology tool capable of unearthing valuable insights that reduce operational expenses and help deliver the best customer experience possible.

Key benefits of the platform and expanded capabilities that will come with the new SaaS offering include:

Wide Range of Grilling Capabilities

In addition to burgers, CookRight provides precision grilling to chicken, fish, steak, sausage, hot dogs, and more. Miso Robotics plans to expand cooking ‘applications’ to other common quick-service menu items as well.

Perfect Consistency and Precision Targeting

Accurate Image Recognition and Product Timing: True cook time is tracked for each product placed on the grill and requires no manual intervention. As soon as a product goes on, CookRight immediately identifies what the item is (with greater than 96% accuracy) and starts the timer for it – eliminating human error like starting a timer late or not at all.

Machine Learning: CookRight identifies exactly where a product is placed on the grill and has the ability to learn each grill’s heat distribution to cook those items more precisely. The software can also flag performance and maintenance issues to the kitchen staff.

Critical Task Alerts: Alerts are sent to kitchen staff when an action needs to occur like flipping the product or taking it off the grill.

Correct Assembly Process: Allows for real-time quality control to prevent quality errors before they go out – ensuring that everything that belongs in the bag gets in the bag.

Powerful Analytics

Miso Kitchen Intelligence (Miso KI) Dashboard: Delivers operational insights – including real-time metrics, automated reporting and data drill downs – to improve food quality, drive efficiency and save money. This intuitive dashboard will enable restaurant managers to supervise multiple workflows simultaneously and understand any precise issues that might compromise the quality of food coming out of their kitchens.

Supply Management: Closely monitors for any supply chain issues – using data to track problems with the food instead of relying on the person cooking it.

Easy Installation

Because CookRight was designed by restaurant people for restaurant people, the software comes with an easy self-installation kit that includes a user interface tablet, camera(s) and a small computer.
“The beauty of CookRight and its machine learning capabilities is that it can literally learn how to identify any item placed on a grill and know how long it needs to be cooked, moved or flipped in real-time,” said Buck Jordan, President and Chairman of Miso Robotics. “CookRight obtains unprecedented amounts of information on kitchen operations that have never been captured before – leading to better food for customers, a better workplace for kitchen staff and cost savings for restaurant owners. It’s the partner restaurant operators and staff need in the kitchen. This is a critical time for the industry and solutions like CookRight can truly turn the tide and move us into recovery.”

According to the National Association of Restaurants, tech adoption for the industry has rapidly accelerated during the pandemic. Across all 6 segments—quick service, fast casual, casual, family, fine dining, and coffee and snack—some 40% of operators said they added tech solutions to their businesses. Miso Robotics is leading the way in valuable solutions to bring the industry forward into a more promising future. Since the pandemic, interest in Miso Robotics has exploded. This announcement comes on the heels of the closing of Miso Robotics’ Series C funding round on April 30.

Since the crowdfunding campaign launched on SeedInvest in April 2020, the company has raised more than $21 million and has become the highest-grossing technology deal ever featured on the crowdfunding platform. To invest in the future of intelligent kitchen automation before the close of the round, visit https://invest.misorobotics.com/.

About Miso Robotics
Miso Robotics (www.misorobotics.com) is revolutionizing the restaurant and prepared food industries with innovative robotics and artificial intelligence solutions. Miso was founded with a mission to leverage AI technology to help chefs cook food perfectly and consistently and enable restaurants to increase labor productivity, reduce costs and drive profitability while improving the overall dining experience. Miso employs a respected team of scientists, roboticists, engineers and industrial designers from Caltech, Cornell, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Harvey Mudd, UCLA, USC, Art Center and UNC Chapel Hill. Miso Robotics is now taking reservations for their equity crowd-funding raise, to invest in the future of restaurant automation go to https://invest.misorobotics.com/

Press Contact
Diane Zuniga
909-510-0433
dzuniga@golin.com