Equipment & Supplies

Botrista secures $120M in funding to fuel automated beverage platform growth

Photo: Botrista

July 16, 2024

Botrista, the developer of a data-driven, automated beverage platform, has closed its Series C funding round, bringing its total capital raised to $120 million. This investment highlights Botrista's growing presence in the restaurant industry and reflects a changing landscape for cold beverage menus, driven by global demand for innovative and high-quality options, according to a press release.

Founded in 2017, Botrista has partnered with restaurants in 37 states. Their platform allows restaurants to offer a wide range of popular cold beverages, from boba teas and refreshers to smoothies, shakes and craft coffees, all dispensed from a single machine.

This solution has attracted large players in the food service industry, including Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), the lead investor in the Series C round. JFC, a global restaurant company with 18 brands in 33 countries, sees significant potential in Botrista.

Sean Hsu, CEO of Botrista and ex-Tesla automation engineer, expressed his passion for the partnership with JFC: "JFC's support validates the vision for a more exciting beverage menu. This new funding will fuel our hyper-expansion into new markets and help more of our partners elevate their drink menu without increasing labor or complexity."

"Botrista is a game changer for the beverage industry", Dr. Tony Tan Caktiong, JFC chairman, said in the press release. "We're investing in a company that enables food service operators to deliver a world-class customer experience and provides substantial runway for sustained profitable growth."

Botrista plans to utilize the capital to meet demand for its platform. Investments will focus on further developing AI technology to create data-driven beverage menus and on research and development to expand beverage offerings and secure high-quality ingredients from global suppliers.

"We currently serve partners across 37 states, including national restaurant chains, independent restaurants, college campuses, movie theaters, theme parks, and other alternative venues," Jason Valentine, chief strategy officer for Botrista, said in the press release. "The timing of this fundraising perfectly aligns with the high demand from new partners and significant interest from growing restaurant brands on a global scale."