A startup that specialized in robot pizza delivery, Zume, which had secured almost $500 million in funding has ceased operations. The cause of the business failure is said to be cheese.
In 2015, Zume was established as a company with the aim of utilizing robots to produce pizza, joining the ranks of several other similar ventures. Despite initial excitement, the concept failed to gain traction and encountered numerous technical obstacles. One such challenge was the difficulty of preventing melted cheese from slipping off the pizzas as they were baked in mobile vehicles.
In a surprising development, despite having received a substantial amount of funding from investors, including SoftBank, totaling approximately $450 million, the company has encountered a setback. The observation made by the user highlights a recurring trend in the field of robotics. Despite the remarkable advancements in artificial intelligence, the viability of practical robotics ventures continues to be a challenge, despite their immense potential.
A new cheese pizza startup has emerged, featuring the use of robots in its production process. According to reports, the company has implemented advanced technology to streamline the pizza-making process, with robots playing a key role in
Building a mechanical pizza is no easy feat, as it has been discovered. For years, the startup focused on robot-made pizzas had been struggling. As per Bloomberg’s report, the company faced a challenge in retaining the melted cheese on the pizza pies that were being baked in their mobile trucks.
In a move that shook the industry, the company made the decision to lay off more than 50% of its workforce and adopt compostable packaging in January of 2020. This decision was based on the expertise of Pivot Packaging, a company located in southern California that had been acquired by the company.
Zume CEO Alex Garden attributed the company’s recent layoffs to the impact of the pandemic and the failure of several business deals.
In recent news, a US man has reportedly paid a whopping 10,000 Bitcoins for a pizza. However, this is not the only noteworthy development in the pizza industry. There are several robot pizza startups that have emerged in recent times.
The robot pizza industry is larger than anticipated, according to recent findings. In Silicon Valley, there are multiple companies attempting to automate the pizza-making process, including the recently closed Zume, a robot pizza startup.
Former SpaceX engineers have founded Stellar Pizza, a company that is reportedly developing a robot capable of making pizza dough, rolling it out, adding toppings, and baking it. This information comes from a report by Futurism.
Despite the significant amount of funding, the stakes are not particularly high in a broader context. Stellar Pizza CEO and co-founder Benson Tsai has acknowledged that his company is not attempting to replicate the traditional Italian, freshly-baked Neapolitan pizza. Tsai has been recruiting other SpaceX alumni for his new venture, and he stated that the company’s goal is to rival Domino’s, rather than high-end artisanal pizzerias.
The success of this startup is yet to be determined, as it could either soar to new heights or meet the same fate as countless others that have failed.
