- Targets 20–30 robotic kitchens in Singapore by 2026
- Claims to have pilots with universities, hospitals & transport hubs, with Australia next in Q1 2026
Rolo Robotics, the startup behind what it claims is APAC’s first fully autonomous hot food kiosk, has closed an oversubscribed funding round of US$3.4 million (RM14 million), backed by A2D Ventures, Beenext, Seedstars, TIS Japan, Antler, Lotus One Investment, and Blueprint Ventures.
The investment will accelerate Rolo’s mission to revolutionise food retail through automation—serving hot, on-demand, customisable meals with zero staff, minimal overhead, and full remote operability.
Rolo’s full-stack food robotics system is designed to operate independently in real-world environments. Its autonomous kiosk prepares made-to-order meals—customisable with adjustable sauce, seasoning, and crispiness—powered by multi-nozzle dispensers, real-time heat control, and AI-driven sensors, all remotely managed for consistency and safety.
At the core is a complex orchestration of robotics: multi-nozzle dispensers, real-time heat control, crispiness sensors, and a four-stage air filtration system, all managed via remote software. This level of precision and hygiene enables Rolo to deliver consistent quality, safety, and uptime at scale.
According to the company, these kiosks are already solving key operational bottlenecks in high-footfall areas such as campuses, offices, and transit hubs, offering a rent-light, labour-free alternative where traditional F&B formats struggle to operate efficiently.
As global fast-food and quick-service restaurant (QSR) chains increasingly invest in automation, Rolo’s technology presents a compelling opportunity to extend their footprint. Studies show that self-order kiosks can lift average ticket size by eight to fifteen per cent while significantly reducing labour costs—making automated formats a key growth area for the industry.
Rolo’s modular platform can be white-labelled and deployed in locations that typically cannot support full-service outlets, enabling restaurant brands to expand into office lobbies, university campuses, and remote areas with ease. Its infrastructure-grade design positions Rolo as a long-term technology partner for QSRs exploring robotics as a core pillar of their multi-channel strategy.
Since launching, Rolo claims to have secured pilots with food operators, universities, hospitals, and transport hubs, with pilot sites in Australia to follow in Q1 2026. The company targets 20–30 autonomous micro-kitchens in Singapore by 2026, creating a distributed, connected network of always-on robotic micro-kitchens. Kiosks are fully integrated with food delivery apps, enabling seamless access to hot meals with zero operational friction.
The new capital will be used to scale production, deepen the tech stack, and expand the engineering and operations team to accelerate deployments across other APAC markets.
Ankit Upadhyay, general partner at A2D Ventures, said, “Food robotics is one of the hardest sectors to crack—there’s hardware reliability, food safety, operational complexity, and customer experience all rolled into one. Rolo has solved the hard engineering problems most never get past the prototype stage. They’re not just building kiosks—they’re building food infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, Ravi Nahappan, co-founder and CEO of Rolo Robotics, said, “We believe the future of food service lies in human-robot collaboration—affordable, customisable, always-fresh meals powered by intelligent automation. Our kiosk, Maya 3.0, brings industrial-grade precision into everyday kitchens.
“This funding accelerates our deployments in Singapore and Australia, while strengthening the connective tissue between robotics, AI, and future humanoid collaboration,” he added.
