Picnic Raises $16.3M for Pizza-Making Robots | Robotics Business News

A Shift in Restaurant Automation

The last eighteen months may represent a pivotal moment for the restaurant robotics industry. The pandemic significantly impacted traditional operations, prompting numerous businesses to seek reliable automation solutions.

These solutions aimed to maintain functionality while simultaneously minimizing potential avenues for disease transmission.

Picnic Secures Series A Funding

Picnic, a company based in Seattle, is experiencing growth due to this increased demand. They recently announced a $16.3 million funding round.

This Series A round was spearheaded by Thursday Ventures, with contributions from Creative Ventures, Flying Fish Partners, and Vulcan Capital.

It also incorporates a $3 million bridge round that was finalized last autumn.

Focus on Pizza Automation

Picnic is among a select group of companies concentrating on automating the pizza production process.

Pizza is a logical choice for this type of technology due to its widespread appeal and the consistency of its preparation, in comparison to more complex dishes.

XRobotics unveiled its own pizza-making system recently, while Zume, a previously prominent player in this field, has since moved away from this specific application.

Expanding Partnerships and Deployment

Picnic reports a surge in interest regarding its pizza system, and has established several key industry partnerships.

These partnerships include collaborations with Orion Land Mark, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, National Service Cooperative, and Baseline Hardware Financing.

The company intends to deploy its technology in a variety of locations, including restaurants, schools, stadiums, and hospitals.

The newly acquired funding will be allocated to increasing personnel and broadening operational capacity.

This expansion will allow Picnic to meet the growing demand for automated pizza solutions.