Kitchen Robotics Players Make a Deal

Autonomous robotic delivery company Serve Robotics is picking up Vebu, the companies announced this week.

Vebu is the manufacturer of the avocado-processing cobotic prototype, Autocado—one of two automated creations currently being tested by Chipotle in California.

The acquisition is expected to expand Serve Robotics’ offerings into back-of-house automation, potentially allowing Serve to “become a more integral partner to restaurants” as the company expands its geographic footprint across the U.S.

“By adding Vebu’s pioneering kitchen automation capabilities to our autonomous delivery offering, we will be uniquely positioned to utilize robotics and AI to solve the labor shortages plaguing the restaurant industry,” says Dr. Ali Kashani, CEO and co-founder of Serve Robotics. “This acquisition underscores our commitment to helping our partners operate more efficiently and to expanding our partnerships with national chain restaurants.”

Upon the closing of the transaction, Vebu Founder and CEO Buck Jordan—also the founder of Miso Robotics—will join Serve Robotics as its SVP of kitchen automation. He will continue to lead the Vebu team, overseeing Autocado’s continued development as well as driving additional innovations.

Financial terms of the all-stock transaction were not disclosed.