Chipotle Mexican Grill Makes Strategic Investment in Hyphen, A Food Robotics Company
Additional investors include Tiger Global and existing strategics who backed Hyphen’s Series A financing earlier this year
Hyphen, a foodservice company that automates meal production and augments labor with its Makeline and KitchenOS, announced a strategic investment from Chipotle Mexican Grill via its Cultivate Next venture fund. Tiger Global and existing strategic investors also participated in the financing. Chipotle’s investment in Hyphen will fuel R&D, accelerate hiring plans, and expand Hyphen’s field support capabilities.
Chipotle’s $50 million Cultivate Next fund was designed for strategic investments in companies looking to create meaningful improvements at scale, and Cultivate A Better World. This aligns well with Hyphen’s mission and focus, which starts with its automated makeline. Hyphen’s makeline assembles meals in seconds, plates perfectly, and portions accurately so customers get their food fresh, fast, and consistent. Hyphen’s KitchenOS allows chefs to develop recipes and push new menus to a fleet of restaurants via over-the-air updates.
See related article: CHIPOTLE ANNOUNCES 2022 ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE GOALS TIED TO EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
“Hyphen is reimagining the intersection between makelines and digital kitchens, with a focus on improving speed and order accuracy,” said Curt Garner, Chief Technology Officer at Chipotle. “Their use of robotics to enhance the employee and guest experience aligns with the mission of the Cultivate Next venture fund as it leverages emerging technology to increase access to real food.”
“Chipotle’s investment in Hyphen will accelerate our hiring plans; allowing us to invest more heavily in R&D, all while providing the necessary infrastructure to scale sustainably,” said Stephen Klein, Co-founder and CEO of Hyphen. “We’re thrilled to work with Chipotle to find more innovative solutions by removing repetitive tasks from the employee experience so they can focus on creating delicious dishes and providing outstanding hospitality.”
Source: Chipotle Mexican Grill
