Karakuri closed a £6.3 million investment, led by firstminute capital

Karakuri, a London, UK-based developer of robotic automation systems for restaurants, commercial kitchens and caterers, announced that it raised a funding round of £6.3 million ($8.5M).

The money was raised from British investors led by firstminute capital and including Hoxton Ventures, Taylor Brothers, Ocado Group and the Future Fund, which was developed by the UK government and is being delivered by the British Business Bank.

This investment will be used to further accelerate the development of Karakuri’s technologies and create new products beyond the existing one, DK-One.

Karakuri, incubated in 2018 at the Founders Factory venture studio by CEO Barney Wragg, Simon Watt and Brent Hoberman, built the DK-One, a robotic solution for high throughput, fast turnaround, completely personalised, portion-controlled, volume catering. Customers are able to customise and place their order from their phone or an in-store tablet. The robot will individually prepare each meal, selecting from 18 hot or cold ingredients with precise accuracy. The DK-One prepares multiple orders at the same time, ensuring it meets the demand of the busiest restaurants.

Karakuri previously raised £7.2 million in funding including investments from Ocado, Hoxton Ventures, firstminute capital, Taylor Brothers and the Future Fund.