Paris-based PAZZI has raised €10 million Series A to accelerate the development of its technology and open its 100% autonomous pilot restaurant with the first pizza robots.
The round was led by the Singaporean investment fund Qualgro – its first investment in Europe – along with the French fund Eutopia, and existing investors Partech and Daphni.
With the new funding, Pazzi will accelerate its technological development by strengthening its R&D teams and industrial partnerships for the manufacturer of the next robots, and will open its first restaurant in the Paris region in September at the Val d’Europe shopping centre, one of the leading shopping centers in France.
PAZZI is more than just a ‘pizza robot company’. The startup’s mission is to use the most advanced technology in robotics and automation to provide a plug-and-play solution to source quality ingredients, recruit staff, increase food traceability and safety and enhance the fast food experience by offering delicious and affordable pizzas.
“Pazzi means ‘crazy’ in Italian,” said Philippe Goldman, CEO of PAZZI. “It’s in the image of our team and the crazy bet invested in research for 6 years, concretized in particular by five patents. The objective is now to conquer not only the global fast food market estimated at €900 billion by creating a European champion but also to fight junk food while meeting the structural challenges of the sector. Pazzi’s mission is to put technology and robotics at the service of taste and healthier food.”
Pazzi was founded by two young French inventors, Sébastien Roverso and Cyrill Hamon, engineers passionate about robotics and electronics since childhood, who crossed paths with Philippe Goldman, former L’Oréal, who is now CEO. The 15-person team has been working with chef Thierry Graffagnino, since 2017, a 3-time world champion of pizza, who signed the dough and recipes for pizzas, and the engineers that have taught robots to replicate the movements of pizza makers.
“The autonomous restaurant concept offered by Pazzi is meeting a growing demand from consumers across the world for fast, qualitative and affordable food options,” said Heang Chhor, founder of Qualgro VC. “Its user friendly digital tools and exciting robotics add to the overall great consumer experience. We are convinced that this concept could be rapidly scaled and implemented in big cities across USA, Europe and Asia. We are very happy and proud to support the Pazzi team and their disruptive concept and technology in their international expansion.”
