Nommi, a start- up automating customisable bowl-based meals, aims to raise US$20m (£14.8m) in seed capital as it begins accepting reservations for its robotic kitchen.
Backed by robotic incubator Wavemaker Labs, Nommi has developed a standalone robotic kitchen that is able to produce and dispense any grain-, noodle- or lettuce-based dish through a fully integrated cooking system. Along with lead innovation partner, C3, Nommi aims to offer consumers a more efficient way to access healthy and fresh food.
Nommi is designed to be a high-grade, robotic kitchen that cooks meals in as little as three minutes from start to finish. The battery powered and self-charging machine has a range of menu options and consumers will be able to select multiple bases and toppings to meet their specifications. The system can be configured for both single- and multi-brands, opening it up for market opportunities to partner with restaurants and chefs.
Nommi and C3 will begin an initial pilot program through ‘Iron Chef’ Masaharu Morimoto’s Sa’Moto restaurant brand, with a projected order volume of 1,000 units.
C3’s Founder and CEO Sam Nazarian, said:“The sky is the limit through our partnership with Nommi to further expand C3’s food tech offerings. With Nommi, we are working to reimagine the restaurant experience by partnering AI with proven recipes and menu’s helmed by C3’s world renowned chefs.
“By doing so, we are taking traditional concepts and making them new for an ever changing restaurant industry. We are thrilled to be at the forefront of the digital kitchen revolution and with the support of the team at Nommi.”
Each Nommi machine is able to hold 330 bowls and lids before needing to be refilled. It moves forward and back to collect ingredients and allows for multiple bowls to be prepared simultaneously given its holding functionality.
The bowl rotates 360 degrees as it moves through the machine to allow for precise ingredient placement. Once a meal is prepared, it is stored in a safe and sanitary locker (capacity to hold 21 meals) for the consumer to pick up via a unique QR code. As a fully operational kitchen, Nommi also self-cleans after preparing each meal and gives consumers a completely contactless experience with no human interaction.
Additionally, the entire Nommi kitchen can fit into a single container or food truck for easy transport. The collaboration said this opens up opportunities for on-the-go delivery and catering at medium- and long-term events like corporate parties, movie productions and construction sites.
“Nommi’s secret sauce is undoubtedly its unmatched versatility, both from a brand and consumer perspective,” said Buck Jordan, president and co-founder of Nommi. “Partnering with an innovative platform like C3 adds another layer of access to numerous revenue streams and unique customers. Both companies are disrupting the food industry and our
