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.
https://tx0cb8.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Option-2-Cali-Group-Logo-300x110.png00caligrouphttps://tx0cb8.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Option-2-Cali-Group-Logo-300x110.pngcaligroup2023-02-09 16:39:432024-04-18 11:16:24Visa and PopID Form Partnership to Launch Facial Verification Payments in the Middle East
Blue Chip Investors & Strategics, Founders, and CEO Bet on World-Class Proprietary Technology and Capital Efficient Growth to Drive Further Consolidation of the Ghost Kitchen Industry
PASADENA, Calif., July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Kitchen United, ghost kitchen and restaurant hub technology pioneer, announced a $100M Series C fundraise, which includes some of the world’s preeminent financial and strategic investors. Kitchen United welcomes new investors: Alimentation Couche-Tard / Circle K (TSX: ATD), The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), Restaurant Brands International (NYSE: QSR), B. Riley Venture Capital, a subsidiary of B. Riley Financial (NASDAQ: RILY), Simon (NYSE: SPG), Phillips Edison & Co (NASDAQ: PECO), and The HAVI Group. Additionally, strong participation continued from all existing institutional and strategic investors: GV, various funds managed by Fidelity Investments Canada ULC, RXR, DivcoWest, Cali Group, GoldenArc Capital, General Global Capital, and Rich Product Corporation. Lastly, Kitchen United founders, Harry Tsao and John Miller, Kitchen United CEO, Michael Montagano, and two-time NFL Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning, made significant investments in the round. On completion of this round, the company’s total raise to date reaches approximately $175M.
“This Series C financing further solidifies Kitchen United’s leadership position in the industry,” said Michael Montagano, Kitchen United’s Chief Executive Officer and Board Member. “Kitchen United uniquely sits at the intersection of technology, food, and real estate. Our solution serves as the technological and physical infrastructure revolutionizing centrally located distribution hubs through streamlining off-premises ordering and consumption. To that end, we are thrilled to partner with leading investors across grocery, convenience, restaurants, malls, packaging, logistics, distribution, automation, and urban and suburban real estate development,” says Montagano.
“We see many commercial opportunities in partnering with Kitchen United as it prepares for considerable scale. We believe this business stands apart from other industry players with its centralized locations, multi-format offerings, experienced management team, and mature technology stack — all of which align with Circle K’s mission to make our customers’ lives a little easier every day as we work together to shape the future of convenience,” said Kevin Lewis, Chief Marketing Officer, Alimentation Couche-Tard.
“The rising trend of off-premises dining presents a major growth opportunity for the ghost kitchen sector, and Kitchen United is uniquely positioned for significant expansion in the years ahead,” says David Krane, CEO and Managing Partner, GV. “We’ve long been impressed with Kitchen United’s exceptional execution and unparalleled leadership in the sector. We’re excited to continue partnering with Michael Montagano and the entire Kitchen United team as they open more kitchen centers across the country and reach more restaurants and consumers.”
In the past two years, Kitchen United has unveiled multiple industry-leading initiatives, including collaborations in grocery with Kroger and at Simon properties nationwide.
Kitchen United currently has approximately 200 operational kitchens across 20 regions, powered by its industry-leading proprietary technology, with plans to significantly increase its technological and physical footprint in the near term. The company has seen triple-digit top-line growth for three consecutive years, all supported by industry-leading metrics. Kitchen United’s proprietary technology enables customers to order from multiple prepared food and consumer goods brands on the same ticket and with the same delivery driver, all synchronized to maximize quality and payload, and minimize time and expense.
Kitchen United will continue its focus on Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Texas as key markets with continued expansion throughout other US trade areas. Additionally, Kitchen United will be further evolving its industry-leading multi-concept ordering technology platform Kitchen United OS, for use by customers including Burger King, Popeyes, Chick-Fil-A., Portillo’s, Panera Bread, Dog Haus, Wingstop, and Brinker International.
About Kitchen United
Founded in 2017, Kitchen United is a leading provider of restaurant hub technology, streamlined logistics and turn-key commercial kitchen space that empowers foodservice operators to tap into the growing off-premises business opportunity and offers consumers a first-of-its-kind to-go experience. The company offers a value-driven, low-risk way for emerging and established restaurant brands to enter into new markets, grow revenue through off-premises dining and expand delivery areas. For additional information, please visit: http://www.kitchenunited.com.
https://tx0cb8.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Option-2-Cali-Group-Logo-300x110.png00caligrouphttps://tx0cb8.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Option-2-Cali-Group-Logo-300x110.pngcaligroup2022-07-25 11:32:372022-07-25 11:32:37Kitchen United, the Ghost Kitchen and Restaurant Hub Technology Pioneer, Announces $100M Series C Fundraise
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.
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.
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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.
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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
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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/
https://tx0cb8.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Option-2-Cali-Group-Logo-300x110.png00caligrouphttps://tx0cb8.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Option-2-Cali-Group-Logo-300x110.pngcaligroup2021-05-04 14:58:072021-05-04 15:00:41Miso Robotics Announces CookRight Software as a Standalone Offering to Increase Accuracy in Kitchens
New Flippy ROAR comes equipped with zero-footprint design and advanced cooking capabilities including the Impossible Burger and financing options
PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Miso Robotics today announced global commercial availability of the Flippy Robot-on-a-Rail (ROAR) – a zero-footprint, cost-efficient intelligent robotic kitchen assistant for the evolving commercial kitchen. Flippy ROAR hits the market with advanced cooking capabilities to quickly learn menu items, allowing operators to appeal to new customers and retain eaters with consistently cooked options. As the restaurant industry looks to reopen and regrow in a post-pandemic world, Miso Robotics plans to offer financing options through TimePayments to empower food service providers to quickly adopt automation technology – now mission critical for addressing ‘new normal’ challenges such as indoor staffing and dining limitation, the need for enhanced health and safety standards, and improved margins as delivery and takeout increase in popularity.
Earlier this year, Miso unveiled a prototype enabling Flippy to glide across multiple workstations on a rail. The final design for global commercial availability mounts Flippy on an overhead rail (ROAR), keeping it out of the path of busy kitchen staff to increase safety and throughput by interacting with a food hopper capable of dispensing the perfect amount of food for preparation before moving to the cooking station. New backend advancements to ChefUI, Miso Robotics’ proprietary software, assist kitchen workers with operational interactions and workflows through an easy to navigate dashboard view of the web-based application displayed on a 15.6″ touchscreen monitor mounted on the ROAR system.
Through the dashboard, employees can see the foods in line to be prepared next. Capable of identifying current temperatures, predicting time remaining to meet consistency in taste perfection, and alerting staff of unsafe internal cooking temperatures, ROAR features powerful image processing and depth perception from Intel® RealSense™ technology. Enabled by Intel® RealSense™ Depth Camera D415, ChefUI can not only identify food and temperatures, but can also learn and reclassify new foods introduced to Flippy. Staff can also opt to change cooking times and alter portion sizes for foods coming out of the hopper to map back to customer customization requests.
“Intel® RealSense™ technology is used to develop products that enrich people’s lives by enabling machines and devices to perceive the world in 3D,” said Joel Hagberg, head of product management and marketing, Intel® RealSense™ Group. “We are excited to be a part of the new Flippy ROAR design that delivers new automation and intelligence to the restaurant industry.”
Along with enhanced camera, thermal sensing and UI capabilities, Flippy ROAR makes new advances in machine learning to quickly adapt to new menu items – jumping to include 19 (and counting) total food items to its frying abilities, and adding the Impossible Burger to Flippy ROAR’s grilling skillset. With a different patty make-up than the traditional burger, Impossible Burgers require special cooking care to lock in the flavor and taste that has escalated them as a new menu item favorite across quick service restaurant chains and independent operators. The combination of advanced computer vision and deep learning software Miso Robotics has brought to their latest design is able to account for differences in texture and thickness of the Impossible Burger, in real-time, adjusting grilling technique to achieve perfection.
Adapting to new food trends is key for operators looking to attract customers and stay competitive as delivery and takeout explodes to offer customers a wider pool of restaurant choices amid the pandemic. Operators reopening are being faced with smaller margins, less foot traffic and new health and safety concerns. The need to minimize the risk of contamination and scale production with limited staffing options due to social distancing concerns – quickly – has never been more important for the industry. With that in mind, Miso Robotics’ brings Flippy ROAR to global commercial availability with NSF International (NSF) certification. An independent, global public health organization that certifies products to regulatory standards and protocols, NSF ensures health and cleanliness standards are incorporated into new product designs.
“Certification to NSF/ANSI food equipment standards mean Flippy ROAR meets rigorous requirements for material safety, hygienic design and performance,” said Sara Risley, associate managing director of food equipment at NSF International. “The NSF mark signifies Miso Robotics’ commitment to health and safety – providing reassurance that the product can be easily cleaned to prevent foodborne illness and won’t leach harmful chemicals into food.”
Flippy ROAR gives operators a certified product to decrease human contact in the cooking process and recent partnerships with PopID and Pathspot will further bring less contamination and spread of viral infections to future kitchen environments. With Flippy ROAR, production speeds increase and social distancing concerns in the kitchen are quickly addressed. Staff are able to shift to front of the house roles where needs have increased for customer service-oriented activities like heavier and regular cleaning regimes, delivery and takeout order fulfillment, and outdoor ordering and hosting.
“We’re are incredibly excited to announce global commercial availability of Flippy ROAR,” said Mike Bell, CEO of Miso Robotics. “After we shared a sneak peek of the prototype in January, we’ve seen demand through the roof from operators, especially in light of COVID-19. Miso Robotics is confident that this demand will set us up for success and provide the automation the industry needs to not only recover but accelerate growth.”
To help operators tackle regrowth challenges immediately, Miso Robotics has partnered with TimePayments to offer financing options for immediate access for Flippy ROAR. Miso Robotics will also evolve their robot-as-a-service model to include cheaper upfront cost Flippy ROAR and a manageable monthly software fee for operators.
For more information, please contact [email protected]. The company also continues its crowdfunding raise on SeedInvest to allow individual investors to become a part of bringing innovative technology to the food service market. To invest in Miso Robotics visit: https://www.seedinvest.com/miso.robotics/series.c
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/.
Newest Release of PopEntry+ Platform Lets Employees
Answer Health Questions Using Hand Gestures Alone
PASADENA, CA, September 14 – No population has been struck harder by COVID-19 than seniors. PopID, a Pasadena-based company, today announced the installation of its AI-enabled health screening system at its 35thsenior living community in the U.S. The fixed biometric device, PopEntry+, is the first true, contact-free platform to combine facial recognition for employee identification, instant fever detection, and hand gesture recognition for health question screening.
PopID’s latest system was installed this week at Modena Cherry Creek, a newly built 96-unit senior community in Denver owned and operated by Solera Senior Living, which develops, owns and operates many innovative senior communities across the country. The system will serve as a key safety measure to protect this vulnerable demographic.
Solera’s founder and CEO Adam Kaplan said this: “We are confident that PopEntry+, as part of our overall suite of technology, will continue to be an important protocol for helping keep our residents, staff and family members as safe as possible.” He added: “Solera has had no members infected with COVID-19 within any of our properties. I really credit that to our protocols and technology such as PopID’s, which has been an important line of defense to keeping this virus outside our walls.”
The employees at senior communities simply scan their faces into the system via the PopID website. They then can stand before the fixed device to be recognized and have their temperatures taken instantly, hands-free, with or without masks. The device lets them know within seconds whether they have a fever. Additionally, the employee uses a thumbs up or thumbs down hand gesture to answer health questions on the screen, making the process 100% contact-free.
“Our new hand gesture recognition technology enables humans to communicate with public devices without touching the screen,” said John Miller, chairman of the Cali Group and founder/CEO of PopID. “This new mechanism for human-computer interaction will play a central role in the future of facilities management as well as retail ordering and payment.”
The PopEntry+ device also integrates easily with different HR systems, resulting in efficient storage and organization of health screening data for audibility and traceability. Finally, it offers office and academic building administrators an added level of security. Once the device recognizes the employee or student, it can unlock the door for entry or deny entry if the user is unrecognized or determined to have a fever.
PopID, a Cali Group company, offers businesses a secure platform that gives workers and consumers the option of authenticating their identity using advanced facial recognition. The company’s PopEntry device adds temperature screening to help ensure their safety and wellness. The company’s PopPay opt-in digital wallet allows customers to pay with their faces as a hands-free alternative to cash, credit cards or Apple Pay. After registering for the service once, people can choose to use PopID for various purposes, including logging into loyalty accounts, receiving personalized food ordering recommendations, processing payments, and entering facilities. Learn more about PopID‘s vision at: https://www.popid.com.
https://tx0cb8.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Option-2-Cali-Group-Logo-300x110.png00caligrouphttps://tx0cb8.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Option-2-Cali-Group-Logo-300x110.pngcaligroup2020-09-20 16:53:522020-09-20 16:53:52Senior Communities Rush to Adopt AI-Enabled Health Screening System to Enhance Safety of Staff & Residents
Ole Miss Among Many to Implement PopID’s “Return to Learn” Platform
PASADENA, CA, August 26 – As college, university, and K-12 school administrators grapple with how best to enhance the safety of their communities for a possible return to the classroom and athletic field, a growing number have embraced a new automated temperature screening technology as one important measure to help them do so.
The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) is among many academic institutions across the nation that are implementing PopID’s “Return to Learn” platform, which utilizes PopEntry+ for automated temperature testing, a health screening questionnaire, and on-campus certification.
Keith Carter, Athletic Director, University of Mississippi, had this to say: “Like other college athletic programs around the country, Ole Miss puts the health and safety of its student-athletes and staff above all else. We are pleased to add PopID’s technology to the steps we are taking to ensure their safety on and off the field.”
Once students, faculty, administrators, and athletic staff scan their faces into the system via a website, they need only stand before the fixed device to be recognized and have their temperatures taken instantly, hands-free, with or without masks. If they are shown not to have a fever, they will receive a text message confirming their daily health status, thus allowing entry to other campus buildings. PopID is offering academic institutions a significant discount for its “Return to Learn” platform versus the commercial sector.
Dozens of large and small academic institutions are installing PopEntry+, including: University of Antelope Valley (CA), Bismarck State College (ND), Lane College (TN), Lock Haven University (PA), Metropolitan Community College Kansas City (all schools) (MO), and University of Redlands (CA).
“As a college professor, I am extremely satisfied with the progress made by our university’s leadership,” observed Bill Southworth, University of Redlands. “Return to Learn complements the many measures we are implementing to provide the safest possible environment for students and faculty returning to campus.”
In addition to temperature screenings, PopEntry offers college communities enhanced security using advanced facial recognition technology. When affixed to the entryway of a dormitory, for example, the hands-free device can unlock the door when the student is recognized. It is easily adaptable to a variety of on-campus locations, e.g., library turnstiles, dining halls, auditoriums, and stadiums, and is expandable to include pay-by-face transactions on and around campus using PopID’s PopPay function.
PopID, a Cali Group company, offers businesses a secure platform that gives workers and consumers the option of authenticating their identity using advanced facial recognition. The company’s PopEntry device adds temperature screening to help ensure their safety and wellness. The company’s PopPay opt-in digital wallet allows customers to pay with their faces as a hands-free alternative to cash, credit cards or Apple Pay. After registering for the service once, people can choose to use PopID for various purposes, including logging into loyalty accounts, receiving personalized food ordering recommendations, processing payments, and entering facilities. Learn more about PopID‘s vision at: https://www.popid.com.
https://tx0cb8.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Option-2-Cali-Group-Logo-300x110.png00caligrouphttps://tx0cb8.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Option-2-Cali-Group-Logo-300x110.pngcaligroup2020-09-20 16:52:342020-09-20 16:52:34Academic Institutions Adopt New Automated Temperature Screening Technology As Plans to Return to Classrooms and Athletic Fields Take Shape
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.
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Kitchen United, the Ghost Kitchen and Restaurant Hub Technology Pioneer, Announces $100M Series C Fundraise
Blue Chip Investors & Strategics, Founders, and CEO Bet on World-Class Proprietary Technology and Capital Efficient Growth to Drive Further Consolidation of the Ghost Kitchen Industry
PASADENA, Calif., July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Kitchen United, ghost kitchen and restaurant hub technology pioneer, announced a $100M Series C fundraise, which includes some of the world’s preeminent financial and strategic investors. Kitchen United welcomes new investors: Alimentation Couche-Tard / Circle K (TSX: ATD), The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), Restaurant Brands International (NYSE: QSR), B. Riley Venture Capital, a subsidiary of B. Riley Financial (NASDAQ: RILY), Simon (NYSE: SPG), Phillips Edison & Co (NASDAQ: PECO), and The HAVI Group. Additionally, strong participation continued from all existing institutional and strategic investors: GV, various funds managed by Fidelity Investments Canada ULC, RXR, DivcoWest, Cali Group, GoldenArc Capital, General Global Capital, and Rich Product Corporation. Lastly, Kitchen United founders, Harry Tsao and John Miller, Kitchen United CEO, Michael Montagano, and two-time NFL Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning, made significant investments in the round. On completion of this round, the company’s total raise to date reaches approximately $175M.
“This Series C financing further solidifies Kitchen United’s leadership position in the industry,” said Michael Montagano, Kitchen United’s Chief Executive Officer and Board Member. “Kitchen United uniquely sits at the intersection of technology, food, and real estate. Our solution serves as the technological and physical infrastructure revolutionizing centrally located distribution hubs through streamlining off-premises ordering and consumption. To that end, we are thrilled to partner with leading investors across grocery, convenience, restaurants, malls, packaging, logistics, distribution, automation, and urban and suburban real estate development,” says Montagano.
“We see many commercial opportunities in partnering with Kitchen United as it prepares for considerable scale. We believe this business stands apart from other industry players with its centralized locations, multi-format offerings, experienced management team, and mature technology stack — all of which align with Circle K’s mission to make our customers’ lives a little easier every day as we work together to shape the future of convenience,” said Kevin Lewis, Chief Marketing Officer, Alimentation Couche-Tard.
“The rising trend of off-premises dining presents a major growth opportunity for the ghost kitchen sector, and Kitchen United is uniquely positioned for significant expansion in the years ahead,” says David Krane, CEO and Managing Partner, GV. “We’ve long been impressed with Kitchen United’s exceptional execution and unparalleled leadership in the sector. We’re excited to continue partnering with Michael Montagano and the entire Kitchen United team as they open more kitchen centers across the country and reach more restaurants and consumers.”
In the past two years, Kitchen United has unveiled multiple industry-leading initiatives, including collaborations in grocery with Kroger and at Simon properties nationwide.
Kitchen United currently has approximately 200 operational kitchens across 20 regions, powered by its industry-leading proprietary technology, with plans to significantly increase its technological and physical footprint in the near term. The company has seen triple-digit top-line growth for three consecutive years, all supported by industry-leading metrics. Kitchen United’s proprietary technology enables customers to order from multiple prepared food and consumer goods brands on the same ticket and with the same delivery driver, all synchronized to maximize quality and payload, and minimize time and expense.
Kitchen United will continue its focus on Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Texas as key markets with continued expansion throughout other US trade areas. Additionally, Kitchen United will be further evolving its industry-leading multi-concept ordering technology platform Kitchen United OS, for use by customers including Burger King, Popeyes, Chick-Fil-A., Portillo’s, Panera Bread, Dog Haus, Wingstop, and Brinker International.
About Kitchen United
Founded in 2017, Kitchen United is a leading provider of restaurant hub technology, streamlined logistics and turn-key commercial kitchen space that empowers foodservice operators to tap into the growing off-premises business opportunity and offers consumers a first-of-its-kind to-go experience. The company offers a value-driven, low-risk way for emerging and established restaurant brands to enter into new markets, grow revenue through off-premises dining and expand delivery areas. For additional information, please visit: http://www.kitchenunited.com.
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 | [email protected]
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
[email protected]
Miso Robotics’ Flippy ROAR Hits Global Commercial Availability to Spur Regrowth Amid Pandemic
New Flippy ROAR comes equipped with zero-footprint design and advanced cooking capabilities including the Impossible Burger and financing options
PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Miso Robotics today announced global commercial availability of the Flippy Robot-on-a-Rail (ROAR) – a zero-footprint, cost-efficient intelligent robotic kitchen assistant for the evolving commercial kitchen. Flippy ROAR hits the market with advanced cooking capabilities to quickly learn menu items, allowing operators to appeal to new customers and retain eaters with consistently cooked options. As the restaurant industry looks to reopen and regrow in a post-pandemic world, Miso Robotics plans to offer financing options through TimePayments to empower food service providers to quickly adopt automation technology – now mission critical for addressing ‘new normal’ challenges such as indoor staffing and dining limitation, the need for enhanced health and safety standards, and improved margins as delivery and takeout increase in popularity.
Earlier this year, Miso unveiled a prototype enabling Flippy to glide across multiple workstations on a rail. The final design for global commercial availability mounts Flippy on an overhead rail (ROAR), keeping it out of the path of busy kitchen staff to increase safety and throughput by interacting with a food hopper capable of dispensing the perfect amount of food for preparation before moving to the cooking station. New backend advancements to ChefUI, Miso Robotics’ proprietary software, assist kitchen workers with operational interactions and workflows through an easy to navigate dashboard view of the web-based application displayed on a 15.6″ touchscreen monitor mounted on the ROAR system.
Through the dashboard, employees can see the foods in line to be prepared next. Capable of identifying current temperatures, predicting time remaining to meet consistency in taste perfection, and alerting staff of unsafe internal cooking temperatures, ROAR features powerful image processing and depth perception from Intel® RealSense™ technology. Enabled by Intel® RealSense™ Depth Camera D415, ChefUI can not only identify food and temperatures, but can also learn and reclassify new foods introduced to Flippy. Staff can also opt to change cooking times and alter portion sizes for foods coming out of the hopper to map back to customer customization requests.
“Intel® RealSense™ technology is used to develop products that enrich people’s lives by enabling machines and devices to perceive the world in 3D,” said Joel Hagberg, head of product management and marketing, Intel® RealSense™ Group. “We are excited to be a part of the new Flippy ROAR design that delivers new automation and intelligence to the restaurant industry.”
Along with enhanced camera, thermal sensing and UI capabilities, Flippy ROAR makes new advances in machine learning to quickly adapt to new menu items – jumping to include 19 (and counting) total food items to its frying abilities, and adding the Impossible Burger to Flippy ROAR’s grilling skillset. With a different patty make-up than the traditional burger, Impossible Burgers require special cooking care to lock in the flavor and taste that has escalated them as a new menu item favorite across quick service restaurant chains and independent operators. The combination of advanced computer vision and deep learning software Miso Robotics has brought to their latest design is able to account for differences in texture and thickness of the Impossible Burger, in real-time, adjusting grilling technique to achieve perfection.
Adapting to new food trends is key for operators looking to attract customers and stay competitive as delivery and takeout explodes to offer customers a wider pool of restaurant choices amid the pandemic. Operators reopening are being faced with smaller margins, less foot traffic and new health and safety concerns. The need to minimize the risk of contamination and scale production with limited staffing options due to social distancing concerns – quickly – has never been more important for the industry. With that in mind, Miso Robotics’ brings Flippy ROAR to global commercial availability with NSF International (NSF) certification. An independent, global public health organization that certifies products to regulatory standards and protocols, NSF ensures health and cleanliness standards are incorporated into new product designs.
“Certification to NSF/ANSI food equipment standards mean Flippy ROAR meets rigorous requirements for material safety, hygienic design and performance,” said Sara Risley, associate managing director of food equipment at NSF International. “The NSF mark signifies Miso Robotics’ commitment to health and safety – providing reassurance that the product can be easily cleaned to prevent foodborne illness and won’t leach harmful chemicals into food.”
Flippy ROAR gives operators a certified product to decrease human contact in the cooking process and recent partnerships with PopID and Pathspot will further bring less contamination and spread of viral infections to future kitchen environments. With Flippy ROAR, production speeds increase and social distancing concerns in the kitchen are quickly addressed. Staff are able to shift to front of the house roles where needs have increased for customer service-oriented activities like heavier and regular cleaning regimes, delivery and takeout order fulfillment, and outdoor ordering and hosting.
“We’re are incredibly excited to announce global commercial availability of Flippy ROAR,” said Mike Bell, CEO of Miso Robotics. “After we shared a sneak peek of the prototype in January, we’ve seen demand through the roof from operators, especially in light of COVID-19. Miso Robotics is confident that this demand will set us up for success and provide the automation the industry needs to not only recover but accelerate growth.”
To help operators tackle regrowth challenges immediately, Miso Robotics has partnered with TimePayments to offer financing options for immediate access for Flippy ROAR. Miso Robotics will also evolve their robot-as-a-service model to include cheaper upfront cost Flippy ROAR and a manageable monthly software fee for operators.
For more information, please contact [email protected]. The company also continues its crowdfunding raise on SeedInvest to allow individual investors to become a part of bringing innovative technology to the food service market. To invest in Miso Robotics visit: https://www.seedinvest.com/miso.robotics/series.c
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
[email protected]
Senior Communities Rush to Adopt AI-Enabled Health Screening System to Enhance Safety of Staff & Residents
Newest Release of PopEntry+ Platform Lets Employees
Answer Health Questions Using Hand Gestures Alone
PASADENA, CA, September 14 – No population has been struck harder by COVID-19 than seniors. PopID, a Pasadena-based company, today announced the installation of its AI-enabled health screening system at its 35th senior living community in the U.S. The fixed biometric device, PopEntry+, is the first true, contact-free platform to combine facial recognition for employee identification, instant fever detection, and hand gesture recognition for health question screening.
PopID’s latest system was installed this week at Modena Cherry Creek, a newly built 96-unit senior community in Denver owned and operated by Solera Senior Living, which develops, owns and operates many innovative senior communities across the country. The system will serve as a key safety measure to protect this vulnerable demographic.
Solera’s founder and CEO Adam Kaplan said this: “We are confident that PopEntry+, as part of our overall suite of technology, will continue to be an important protocol for helping keep our residents, staff and family members as safe as possible.” He added: “Solera has had no members infected with COVID-19 within any of our properties. I really credit that to our protocols and technology such as PopID’s, which has been an important line of defense to keeping this virus outside our walls.”
The employees at senior communities simply scan their faces into the system via the PopID website. They then can stand before the fixed device to be recognized and have their temperatures taken instantly, hands-free, with or without masks. The device lets them know within seconds whether they have a fever. Additionally, the employee uses a thumbs up or thumbs down hand gesture to answer health questions on the screen, making the process 100% contact-free.
“Our new hand gesture recognition technology enables humans to communicate with public devices without touching the screen,” said John Miller, chairman of the Cali Group and founder/CEO of PopID. “This new mechanism for human-computer interaction will play a central role in the future of facilities management as well as retail ordering and payment.”
The PopEntry+ device also integrates easily with different HR systems, resulting in efficient storage and organization of health screening data for audibility and traceability. Finally, it offers office and academic building administrators an added level of security. Once the device recognizes the employee or student, it can unlock the door for entry or deny entry if the user is unrecognized or determined to have a fever.
Video of the Denver installation here:
https://youtu.be/vNGSYbc4hjo
About PopID
PopID, a Cali Group company, offers businesses a secure platform that gives workers and consumers the option of authenticating their identity using advanced facial recognition. The company’s PopEntry device adds temperature screening to help ensure their safety and wellness. The company’s PopPay opt-in digital wallet allows customers to pay with their faces as a hands-free alternative to cash, credit cards or Apple Pay. After registering for the service once, people can choose to use PopID for various purposes, including logging into loyalty accounts, receiving personalized food ordering recommendations, processing payments, and entering facilities. Learn more about PopID‘s vision at: https://www.popid.com.
Academic Institutions Adopt New Automated Temperature Screening Technology As Plans to Return to Classrooms and Athletic Fields Take Shape
Ole Miss Among Many to Implement PopID’s “Return to Learn” Platform
PASADENA, CA, August 26 – As college, university, and K-12 school administrators grapple with how best to enhance the safety of their communities for a possible return to the classroom and athletic field, a growing number have embraced a new automated temperature screening technology as one important measure to help them do so.
The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) is among many academic institutions across the nation that are implementing PopID’s “Return to Learn” platform, which utilizes PopEntry+ for automated temperature testing, a health screening questionnaire, and on-campus certification.
Keith Carter, Athletic Director, University of Mississippi, had this to say: “Like other college athletic programs around the country, Ole Miss puts the health and safety of its student-athletes and staff above all else. We are pleased to add PopID’s technology to the steps we are taking to ensure their safety on and off the field.”
Once students, faculty, administrators, and athletic staff scan their faces into the system via a website, they need only stand before the fixed device to be recognized and have their temperatures taken instantly, hands-free, with or without masks. If they are shown not to have a fever, they will receive a text message confirming their daily health status, thus allowing entry to other campus buildings. PopID is offering academic institutions a significant discount for its “Return to Learn” platform versus the commercial sector.
Dozens of large and small academic institutions are installing PopEntry+, including: University of Antelope Valley (CA), Bismarck State College (ND), Lane College (TN), Lock Haven University (PA), Metropolitan Community College Kansas City (all schools) (MO), and University of Redlands (CA).
“As a college professor, I am extremely satisfied with the progress made by our university’s leadership,” observed Bill Southworth, University of Redlands. “Return to Learn complements the many measures we are implementing to provide the safest possible environment for students and faculty returning to campus.”
In addition to temperature screenings, PopEntry offers college communities enhanced security using advanced facial recognition technology. When affixed to the entryway of a dormitory, for example, the hands-free device can unlock the door when the student is recognized. It is easily adaptable to a variety of on-campus locations, e.g., library turnstiles, dining halls, auditoriums, and stadiums, and is expandable to include pay-by-face transactions on and around campus using PopID’s PopPay function.
Video showing PopEntry+ on a college campus:
https://youtu.be/pD-7MEydT2o
About PopID
PopID, a Cali Group company, offers businesses a secure platform that gives workers and consumers the option of authenticating their identity using advanced facial recognition. The company’s PopEntry device adds temperature screening to help ensure their safety and wellness. The company’s PopPay opt-in digital wallet allows customers to pay with their faces as a hands-free alternative to cash, credit cards or Apple Pay. After registering for the service once, people can choose to use PopID for various purposes, including logging into loyalty accounts, receiving personalized food ordering recommendations, processing payments, and entering facilities. Learn more about PopID‘s vision at: https://www.popid.com.