Shanghai-based Keenon Robotics is launching its international ambitions in Singapore with the help of its latest investor, SoftBank's Vision Fund 2, and the Japanese conglomerate's Robotics division.
On Tuesday, Keenon launched a delivery robot called Keenbot in Singapore and Japan, in partnership with SoftBank Robotics. Later, the Chinese start-up announced plans to expand into Europe, the Middle East and the United States at a press conference.
"In the next two to three years, Kenon aspires to be a world leader in this field. In addition, we are witnessing a milestone in the commercial robotics industry and we will see a lot of these applications in our daily lives, "Tony Li, the company's founder, said via video call at the event.
Just a week ago, Keenon announced it had raised US $200 million (S $271 million) in a Series D funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Founded in 2010, Keenon says it is one of the biggest players in China's mobile robot market, serving industries such as food and beverage (F&B), hospitality and healthcare.
Kenichi Yoshida, chief commercial officer of SoftBank Robotics, told The Business Times on Tuesday that SoftBank Robotics was integrating its cloud system with Keenon's robots, And will help the company distribute Keenbot in China.
When asked how Keenbot differs from Singapore's existing tray recycling robots, Yoshida pointed to Keenon's ability to produce on a large scale. "Kenon is number one in China. Their volume is number one. This is the cheapest in terms of cost. We need mass production."
Mr Yoshida declined to say how much Keenbot cost or what the company's specific goals were in Singapore, but said the focus was on quality and cost. SoftBank Robotics uses Singapore as its Asia-Pacific headquarters, where it has about 20 employees.
Grab, which is also backed by SoftBank, will use Keenbot in its cloud kitchen in Hillview. Grab Singapore managing director Yee Wee Tang said this would help reduce physical contact while boosting productivity.
Similarly, restaurant group Tongle will deploy Keenbot in its restaurants. Andrew Tjioe, the company's chief executive, said the new normal of the pandemic had made customer-facing robots more acceptable.
"Three years ago, if you had asked me if I would have robots serve in restaurants, the answer would have been no: we have always believed that because of the nature of our business, robots and automation should be behind the scenes and not in front of our customers. But clearly there is a change in mentality now."
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