The idea of robot bartenders may sound like a science fiction fantasy, but they could soon become more commonplace after a prototype received $2 million in funding.
In early 2014, the artificially intelligent robotic bartender named Monsieur received substantial funding from seed investors following a crowdfunding campaign.
Glen Davis, Derrick Morgan, Paul Judge, Base Ventures, TechSquare Labs, and BIP Capital lead the group.
By investing, the creators of Monsieur will be able to roll out the robot across US on-trade accounts this year.
Monsieur co-founder and CEO Barry Givens said, “People are looking for smart connected devices that are convenient, stylish, and offer variety.”
In bartending and cocktails, Monsieur has been the first to deliver this. Our product development will be accelerated through this investment.”
The Monsieur is capable of dispensing 25 types of cocktails based on a user’s preferences, while choosing the perfect cocktail for them based on their preferences.
Using Bluetooth, wifi, and Zigbee, the robot can also make drinks remotely and send real-time usage analytics and analytics to businesses.
Jamie Hamilton, managing director of BIP Capital’s Early Stage Fund, said social drinking is a core part of the hospitality industry, but technology has overlooked it for a century. According to Monsieur, his products help venues improve their customer experience, lower costs, and increase revenue.
While pre-orders for the US$3,999 Monsieur are currently being taken, the first batch of units has sold out.