New York City-based Aniai, a robotic company and provider of kitchen solutions, has secured a $12 million pre-Series A funding round.
Led by InterVest, one of the largest venture capital firms in South Korea, the round includes funding from first-time investors, SV Investment and UK-based Ignite Innovation, as well as an existing investor, Capstone Partners. This most recent investment brings Aniai’s total funding to date to $15 million; it secured a $3 million seed round investment led by Capstone Partners and Lotte Ventures in 2023.
Founded in 2020, Aniai’s flagship product, Alpha Grill, leverages robotics for efficient hamburger cooking, boasting a double-sided grill that can cook up to eight patties simultaneously or 200 patties per hour. When Alpha Grill is deployed in a kitchen, restaurant brands can streamline operations by eliminating repetitive tasks associated with hamburger patty cooking tasks such as pressing and flipping. This not only reduces cooking time but also decreases labor intensity for employees, said Gunpil Hwang, CEO and co-founder of Aniai.
« Aniai has successfully completed a round of funding from both domestic and international investors who have recognized our innovative solutions, future potential and remarkable progress within the foodservice industry to date, » he said in a company press release. « This capital infusion will help our mission to improve kitchen productivity through robotics and automation while helping us ramp-up production to meet current and future demand. Additionally, Aniai plans to augment its robotic solutions by adding advanced, cloud-based, AI software to further enhance the capabilities and performance of the Alpha Grill early this year, which will benefit new and existing Aniai customers. »
The upcoming software release for Alpha Grill will include a feature that will employ AI to discern the color of the hamburger patties and assess their quality through real-time vision sensors during the cooking process. For instance, if a hamburger patty does not meet brand’s cooking specifications and requirements, the Alpha Grill promptly notifies the cooking staff, ensuring rigorous and enhanced quality control.
With its most recent funding round, Aniai will fast-track the launch of its first manufacturing facility called Factory One in South Korea to help ensure stable production and supply chain management for Alpha Grill, aligning with its ongoing North American and global expansion efforts. Aniai’s Factory One has the capacity to produce over 1,000 Alpha Grill units per year.
« Aniai has demonstrated its market prowess by successfully commercializing its innovative cooking robots, thereby delivering industry-leading profitable impact to its customers, » a representative from InterVest said in the release. « The company enhanced its value by pioneering a new market and securing substantial contracts within a brief timeframe. We look forward to seeing the positive impact that Aniai’s cooking robots will make on the U.S. Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry. »
Aniai has been piloting Alpha Grill with several North American hamburger brands since Q3 of 2023, targeting multiple implementations and initial rollouts within the next 12 months. The company has deployed Alpha Grill to seven South Korean hamburger franchises, including Down Towner, BAS Burger, CJ Freshway and Mom’s Touch. It has also recently announced a partnership with Lotteria, Teisty Burger and Fault Burger, securing 500 Alpha Grill pre-orders for delivery beginning early in Q1 of 2024.
