HK’s Wada Bento raises $2.8m for bento machine that delivers meals in 17 seconds

Wada Bento is a Hong Kong-startup that has developed a bento machine that provides quick meal delivery in 17 seconds. And investors are excited at its potential.

The startup said it has raised HK$22 million (about $2.8 million) in pre-Series A funding from a host of investors, including Golden Resources Development Limited, Cyberport Macro Fund, EthAum Capitals in Singapore, Hong Kong Tech300, Gravity Capital Partners, and angel investors.

In a statement, Wada Bento said its patented bento machine with hot-chain technology provides quick meal delivery in 17 seconds and touch-free food pickup.

It also employs the HaaS (Hardware-as-a-Service) model as its business strategy, offering a one-stop solution for quick expansion in the catering industry.

The company has filed for a patent and this year and will launch the first hot-chain bento machine in the world with lifting user interface, which is user-friendly for everyone of different heights.

The new bento machine integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and employs non-personal recognition techniques to automatically track and evaluate customer purchasing behaviour.

With the fresh funding, the startup said it will actively develop further international markets in addition to continuing to expand its Hong Kong business.

“Decentralised catering services will emerge as a new trend in the global catering business. Wada Bento is dedicated to decentralising the traditional catering sector, which concentrated on restaurant sites,” said Wada Bento’s co-founder and CEO Jason Chen.

The machine has already landed in Circle in Vietnam. In the fourth quarter of this year, a Japanese bento chain group will also implement Wada Bento’s proprietary hot-chain technology. Besides, Wada Bento has also opened a branch in Hengqin, Zhuhai and is prepared to expand into the active market in the Greater Bay Area.

Wada Bento has added F&B brands such as Café de Coral, Cafe de Beans, and Lazy Pot as HaaS partners. It also received the MTR’s machine certification for the distribution of bento machines and will be entering the MTR stations in Hong Kong soon to continuously expand the network of sales points.