Restaurants

German startup Aitme introduces self-serve food prep robot

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March 22, 2021

Aitme, based in Berlin, has introduced a fully automated food preparation machine that can serve freshly-prepared meals to go in two minutes or less, according to a report in Handelsblatt, a German publication. The company is currently signing up customers and acting as a foodservice operation on a contract basis.

Founders Emanuel Pallua and Julian Stoss completed the prototype in December and the machine has been operating since February in Auguststrasse in Berlin-Mitte.

The machine measures around three square meters and has two robotic arms that work behind a glass pane. Customers place orders on the touchscreen or from a connected device and purchase food to go.

Customers choose from 10 dishes daily such as bowls, salads, pizza, pasta, risotto and currywurst.

Guests can watch the machine mix the ingredients and dispenses it in one and a half to two minutes.

The founders said the machine offers an economical way to serve food in a workplace that can no longer afford traditional foodservice since there are fewer people working in traditional worksites due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The company has raised 3 million euros ($3.58 million).

Investors include La Famiglia, a venture capital company, Rocket Internet, Atlantic Food Labs, and Vorwerk Ventures,.

Another company, Davinci Kitchen from Leipzig is pursuing a similar concept with a focus on catering, according to the report.

For an update on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting convenience services, click here.