Cultivate Next, the $50 million venture capital fund of Chipotle, has incorporated Hyphen and Meati Foods into its next cohort. Hyphen is a foodservice platform helping restaurants automate kitchen operations and Meati Foods is a plant-based company maximizing the potential of mushroom-root-derived proteins.
Hyphen created The Makeline, an automated system leveraging advanced robotics and a customized operating system to improve the creation and fulfillment of orders. The robot assembles all digital orders under the counter, while the staff assembles in-house orders atop the counter.
"Chipotle's investment in Hyphen will accelerate our hiring plans; allowing us to invest more heavily in R&D, all while providing the necessary infrastructure to scale sustainably," said Stephen Klein, co-founder and CEO of Hyphen, in a statement. "We're thrilled to work with Chipotle to find more innovative solutions by removing repetitive tasks from the employee experience so they can focus on creating delicious dishes and providing outstanding hospitality."
This continued trajectory toward behind-the-counter automation is also demonstrated by Chipotle’s tests of Chippy, the robotic kitchen assistant from Miso Robotics.
Plant-based Meati Foods produces its mushroom roots year-round in indoor facilities free from pollutants, pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones.
"With their industry-leading commitments to sustainability and responsibly-raised ingredients, Chipotle is a like-minded leader in the movement to create sustainable food systems," said Tyler Huggins, co-founder and CEO of Meati Foods, in a statement. "Breaking ground on the Cultivate Next venture fund is an important signal of Meati's industry leadership potential, and new investments like this will help us scale operations and our mission-driven team."
The fast-casual restaurant has long been committed to providing plant-forward and meat alternative options, like in its tofu-based sofrita dish, and cilantro-lime cauliflower rice.
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