Naman Shrestha
In today’s advanced world, we can get almost everything with just the touch of a button, including a freshly-made burger. With the introduction of RoboBurger, you can now have easy access to burgers in just a few minutes. RoboBurger delivers the burger through the bay just like a vending machine. Its impressive features and advantages were presented by the founders in front of the sharks in episode 21 of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ season 15. Hoping to seal the deal with one of the sharks, the presentation of the founders also managed to gain exposure for their brand and attract potential customers.
RoboBurger: Who Are They And What Do They Do?
RoboBurger started as a dream and then became a reality with the combined efforts of Audley Wilson, Dan Braido, and Andy Siegel. It all began with Audley, who had shown a keen interest in food automation since he was in his teens. He received a scholarship to Carnegie Mellon through one of his early inventions, and he met his future business partner, Dan, at the same university. While studying in college, he came up with the idea for RoboBurger. Straight from his garage in Queens, Audley started working on the first prototypes for RoboBurger. Meanwhile, he bagged his first job at 1800flowers, where he was employed as a Senior Analyst and Senior Manager.
After parting ways with the company in October 2010, Audley worked at Atlantic Coast Media Group and Vimeo for the following three years. Next, he went on to work for a couple of other companies, including Bark & Co. and Arkadium. Currently, he is a Garden State NJ member at YPO. During his stints in data science and analytics, he crossed paths with Andy. As for Dan Braido, he began his professional career working as a warehouse assistant at Siemens Healthcare and started climbing up the ladder with his sheer determination and skills. His major stint came as a Project Coordinator and Graduate Researcher at Engineering Research Center, where he worked for almost ten years.
He then got a job at Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), where he served as a Consultant, Senior Technical Consultant, and Head of Applications Engineering. With a specialty in marketing, Andy met Audley while working at Atlantic Coast Media Group, where he was the Chief Marketing Officer and EVP of Sales and marketing. Moreover, since 2012, he has been serving as a Chief Creative Officer at American Marketing & Development Services. Combining their specialties, Audley, Dan, and Andy decided to work upon their shared vision of creating a technology that can give one a delicious burger at the touch of a button any time.
While the prototype was the size of the garage they worked in, the creators managed to create RoboBurger, which was the size of a vending machine, several years later. The co-founder and CEO of RoboBurger passed a statement upon its launch: “I started RoboBurger in my garage 17 years ago, and now there couldn’t be a better time to bring it to life and have everyone experience it. RoboBurger gives everyone freshly grilled, delicious burgers – while ensuring a safe, contactless experience. RoboBurger always comes out piping hot and is never pre-cooked and kept warm.” The machine’s features include a refrigeration system to keep all the ingredients fresh and a dishwasher system that keeps the unit clean.
RoboBurger Update: Where Are They Now?
Headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, RoboBurger self-proclaims that it is the “biggest innovation in hot food vending since the invention of the microwave.” About three years after its establishment, the on-the-go burger vending machine company launched with a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Newport Centre, a mall in Jersey City. In October of the same year, the innovative startup secured $10 million in the Seed 2 round of funding by partnering with Promethean Investments LLP, a private equity firm based in London.
After successfully securing the deal, CEO Audley Wilson stated, “We have received an overwhelming amount of interest from around the world. This new round of funding will allow us to rapidly scale up and keep up with the incredible demand as we continue to roll out RoboBurger units across the US.” In addition, it is the only hot food vending machine that is “certified by the National Sanitary Foundation (NSF) to the highest US food safety regulations.” After its launch, you are likely to find it in various places across the States, including Pilot Flying J and St. John’s Dining. If you wish to know more about it, you can get in touch with the representatives by filling out a form through their official website.
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