Other investors include South Korean private equity firm IMM
and telco KT Corp, the startup's co-founder and chief operating officer Juan
Higueros told Reuters, declining to disclose the firm's latest valuation.
Bear Robotics has shipped more than 5,000 of its Servi food
service robots, which carry food and drink between kitchen and tables on layers
of trays, and partnered with industry players such as Denny's, Chili's, and
Pepsi.
The California-based startup aims to expand beyond its home
market and Japan and South Korea, where it has partnered with SoftBank and KT
respectively, into Europe and Southeast Asia amid industry labour shortages.
SoftBank led the startup's Series A round and has shifted to
reselling robots from third parties and formed a joint venture with household
goods maker Iris Ohyama in Japan.
Bear Robotics charges a $999 monthly fee for Servi in the
US, which gives the robot a running cost of around $2.75 per hour, Higueros
said.
The startup plans to roll out two new robots this year, one
that can detect air quality on the move and another that can carry deliveries
from the lobby to upper floors of a building via the elevator.
Bear Robotics makes its products in South Korea, with the
company relying on its head of manufacturing, who previously worked for
Taiwan's Foxconn, to help navigate the "tough to manage" supply chain
pressures, Higueros said. © Reuters
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