S’pore robot barista has been released in Tokyo to serve coffee at train stations – Wired PR Lifestyle Story

Singapore Technology Retail Company Crown Technologies In January 2021, it made its first major investment with JR East Business Development SEA Pte Ltd., a subsidiary of the East Japan Railway Company.

This led to a company initial valuation $ 33 million.

The investment will accelerate the expansion of ELLA – Crown Technologies ’AI robotic robot – serving an average of 17 million passengers a day on the 1,657 train station network of the 1,657 train stations of the East Japan Railway, which is expected to meet the increased demand for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. .

However, ELLA was launched in Tokyo, Japan, yesterday (December 8) after 11 months of preparation and meeting.

“Because of Covid-19, we faced logistically unimaginable challenges, the trips were stopped, we didn’t know we could enter Japan for this launch, but we kept our faith and continued to believe that things would be resolved in the end. It was an impossible project,” said Keith. Tan, CEO and founder of Crown Digital, gave the opening speech.

ELLA can serve more than 1,000 glasses a day

Founded in 2016, Crown Coffee started as a gourmet coffee shop in Singapore.

Faced with great staff turnover and employee challenges, he decided to rethink his business model and innovate to create a solution that provides gourmet coffee quickly and efficiently through robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).

They ended up with ELLA, Singapore’s first robotic barista. Crown Robotics was responsible for conceptualizing its technology area ELLA, and the application was developed by the smart retail solution provider Crown Digital.

“He has served as a dignitary and leader at conferences and events around the world. He recently won two awards for technology and innovation in Singapore, and can deliver more than 1,000 glasses a day without breaking a sweat, ”Keith said.

He added that Crown Digital technology has become a full-fledged start-up: designing and building their own hardware, software and people.

“Our strengths have been enhanced by our partnership with JR East, backed by a strategic cross-border investment in December 2020. Thanks to our work with JR East, we have successfully integrated the SUICA payment system in Japan and are the first foreign companies to do so.” .

He has also teamed up with Crown Digital Stellar Lifestyle (formerly known as SMRT Commercial) to bring in robotic baristas who serve gourmet coffee. 30 MRT stations by the end of 2022 in Singapore.

With the right partnership, bigger things can be achieved

Keith humbly believes that this trip would not have been possible without the cooperation of a esteemed company like JR East.

“As a starup, we have great ideas, we move fast and we take risks to win big prizes. However, startups often do not have the resources to turn ideas into reality. However, large organizations do. Therefore, if a startup is collaborating with a large company and working collaboratively, great things can be achieved in a short time, ”Keith said.

“I want to take this opportunity to encourage other startups to move forward and achieve their dreams. And I encourage large corporations to take on the startup ecosystem, support them, and provide opportunities to put their ideas into practice. This will help them to make their wonderful and exciting ideas a reality. ”

He also stressed that the future of F&B and retail is automated, and that automation and AI will be everywhere in our daily lives, so that technology companies can continue to help improve industry and society.

“This is just the beginning, and we know that ELLA and JR East will create a very exciting future,” he said.

Featured Image Credit: Crown Digital