AI implementation in the tangible realm presents lucrative sales opportunities worth several billions of dollars in the circus industry
In a significant milestone, the Circus Group, a leading innovator in autonomous robotics, has moved beyond the research and development phase and is now actively deploying its CA-1 cooking robots to clients. This development comes despite a challenging financial year for the company.
The first CA-1 units are set to be delivered to customers, including REWE supermarkets, HEM gas stations, and Mangal x Lukas Podolski fast food chains in Germany. These robots, currently in serial production, are the result of a partnership with global manufacturing giant, Celestica.
The CA-1 Series 4 robot has been recognised with the International Red Dot Award "Best of Best" for its outstanding industrial design, further validating its commercial readiness. This robot, powered by Circus Group's AI-native CircusOS, is designed for fully autonomous meal production. It can operate 24/7, serve up to 500 dishes per load with 4 cooking stations and 36 ingredient silos, and requires only about an hour of human labour daily.
In addition to the commercial deployment, Circus Group is also working on autonomous supply solutions for refugee accommodations and mobile supply solutions. The company's mission has attracted top talent and partners, including Celestica, a billion-dollar company handling production, maintenance, and global service of autonomous robots.
The foodservice sector is one of the least automated industries in the world, and Circus aims to fundamentally change this market with its new technology. To accelerate growth in the Asia Pacific region, the company has hired Prof. Lin Yang as Managing Director.
REWE, with around 16,000 locations in Europe, is an ideal customer for maximum visibility and seamless integration. Notably, REWE will not pay the full hardware price during the initial 8-month pilot phase. Integration of autonomous systems into multiple REWE markets is proceeding as planned, with live activation starting in October of this year.
The demand for CA-1 robots in urban areas with limited staff is enormous, and the company anticipates being able to provide a forecast covering the current year and the following years in the coming weeks. They are also considering scaling into the triple-digit range with REWE, one of their customers.
Moreover, the demand in the sector of autonomous food systems for defense is overwhelming, and they are actively negotiating with NATO partners and allied forces for initial field deployments. The production capacity at the first facility is unprecedented in autonomous AI robotics systems, with up to 6,000 units per year.
Over the next months and quarters, Circus Group plans to grow quickly from the DACH region into international markets, with a focus on visibility and the core markets: Germany and the US market entry for the initial launch this year. The company is currently in the hot phase, with series production of CA-1 cooking robots running at contract manufacturer Celestica.
The CA-1 robots mark a significant step towards automation in the foodservice industry, and Circus Group is poised to lead this transformation. Stay tuned for more updates as the company continues to make strides in the world of autonomous robotics.
- The financial challenge faced by the Circus Group this year hasn't deterred their progress, as they continue to expand their business by deploying their CA-1 cooking robots, a product of their partnership with Celestica, to major clients like REWE supermarkets, HEM gas stations, and Mangal x Lukas Podolski fast food chains.
- Despite the initial cost reduction for hardware during the pilot phase, REWE's participation as a customer for the CA-1 robots offers significant value to the Circus Group, not only for maximum visibility and seamless integration but also for potential scaling into the triple-digit range.
- Recognizing the demand for CA-1 robots in urban areas with limited staff, the Circus Group anticipates providing a forecast covering the current year and the following years in the coming weeks and is actively negotiating with NATO partners and allied forces for initial field deployments in the defense sector, further showcasing their commitment to leading the transformation of the foodservice industry with artificial-intelligence-powered technologies.
