208: Why High-Mix Manufacturing Is a Sweet Spot for Flexible Automation and AI with Rajat Bhageria, Founder & CEO of Chef Robotics

Did you know your last meal might have been picked and packed by a robot? With a gaping hole in the labor market in food manufacturing, it seems inevitable. But while food manufacturers are crying out for more staff, some companies like Chef Robotics are offering a solution that’ll leave them hungry for more.

Rajat Bhageria, Founder & CEO of Chef Robotics, joins this episode to talk about how his company uses robotics and AI to fill in the gap in the labor market, while also offering high-mix manufacturing abilities to customers in food manufacturing.

Starting out in stealth mode, Chef Robotics has steadily perfected its product in collaboration with customers and real-world feedback. We hear about the strategy behind the company’s aims to scale in the assembly stage of manufacturing rather than branching out into the restaurant space.

In this episode, find out:

• What Rajat learned from his previous tech company about using AI
• An origin story to Chef Robotics and why Rajat chose to focus on the pain points in food manufacturing
• Why Rajat decided to launch Chef Robotics in stealth mode until recently
• We debate whether you need to be an expert in your niche to succeed in it
• How Rajat positioned Chef Robotics to customers and investors, focusing on pain points and larger companies
• We hear how Chef Robotics works and offers the flexibility that high-mix manufacturing
• Rajat shares his predictions on the future of AI
• What Rajat has learned from other automation businesses and competitors
• Why Rajat isn’t working on automation from restaurants and is instead happy to stick to his niche for now
• Rajat shares predictions on the future of food manufacturing and how restaurants will become a place to appreciate human artistry

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Tweetable Quotes:

• "The biggest pain point is labor shortage... It's actually the number one labor shortage in the US, with over 1.1 million people that companies are looking to hire."
• “If you're starting a company, you should find a problem statement which is so pressing that your customers are willing to work with you to get there.”
• “AI gets better over time. And that's what allows us to be flexible without custom. You could build custom hardware or custom software per ingredient. You could do that, but that's not really scalable.”

Links & mentions:

• Chef Robotics, robotics-as-a-service company transforming food production with flexible robots and AI
• Chef Robotics Link to Chat, how to get in touch with Chef Robotics
• Chef Robotics Case Studies, use cases showcasing their system in action

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.