Picnic
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle, Washington, USA
- Sectors
- Retail
- Founded
- 2015
- Employees
- 5565
- Stage
- scale-up
Zuckerberg's yacht, Meta's layoffs, a robot pizza flameout, and a reality check on AI expenses
This week on the show: Mark Zuckerberg's superyacht arrives in Seattle the same day Meta discloses nearly 1,400 local layoffs, robot pizza startup Picnic flames out and sells to a mystery buyer, and corporate America confronts the rising cost of AI, including the leaderboard-gaming practice known as "tokenmaxxing." And we return to the theme of billionaire yachts for our trivia challenge. With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Seattle Startup Picnic Shuts Down, Sells $50M Pizza Robot Assets to Undisclosed Buyer in May 2024
Seattle-based food automation startup Picnic, which raised about $50 million to develop pizza-making robots, has shut down and liquidated its assets after becoming insolvent. Its assets and intellectual property were sold to an undisclosed buyer in May 2024 through a liquidation process overseen by CMBG Advisors.
Highspot Takes No. 1 Spot on GeekWire 200 Startup Ranking After Outreach’s Layoffs and CEO Departure
Seattle-based sales enablement company Highspot has claimed the No. 1 spot on GeekWire's 200 ranking of privately held startups in the Pacific Northwest, replacing Outreach which recently downsized and saw its CEO step down. The GeekWire 200 ranking reflects changes in the dynamic startup landscape based on factors like funding, employee growth, and layoffs.
Picnic Raises $5M Led by Cercano Management with Investor Andy Liu Joining Board to Scale Pizza-Making Robot
Picnic, a food automation startup known for its pizza-making robots, raised $5 million in a new funding round led by Cercano Management, with investor Andy Liu joining the board. The funds will support scaling operations and meeting growing demand for Picnic's pizza-making technology used in high-volume venues.
GeekWire 200 Updates Top Pacific Northwest Tech Startups Featuring Chainguard's $140M Raise and $1.1B Valuation
The GeekWire 200 ranking updates the top privately held tech startups in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, highlighting companies like Chainguard that raised $140 million and reached a $1.1 billion valuation. The list spans various industries and regions including Oregon and British Columbia, emphasizing the area's strong B2B enterprise software and consumer tech sectors.
Seattle Startup Aivot, Founded by Ex-Dell EMC Engineers, Deploys AI Humanoid Robots to Automate Tasks for Businesses Amid Labor Shortages
Aivot, a Seattle startup founded by former Dell EMC engineers, develops AI-powered humanoid robots to automate monotonous tasks for mid-sized businesses, helping companies like Evergreens and Marjorie with labeling and packaging amid labor shortages. The firm has bootstrapped since 2017 and focuses on using advanced deep learning to enable robots to operate in unstructured environments.
Seattle Food Automation Startup Picnic Lays Off Employees Amid Tech Downturn, Keeps Domino's Partnership
Seattle-based food automation startup Picnic, maker of a pizza-making robot, is laying off employees amid the tech industry downturn to reduce costs and extend its cash runway. Despite staffing cuts, Picnic maintains partnerships with Domino's and several universities, with plans for further installations in the U.S. and Canada.
Ally Robotics, Founded by Ex-Microsoft Engineer, Raises $10M and Secures $30M Letter-of-Intent with Miso Robotics for Robotic Arms
Ally Robotics, a Seattle startup founded by former Microsoft and UPS engineers, develops AI-powered robotic arms for restaurants and construction, securing $10 million in funding and a $30 million letter-of-intent with Miso Robotics. The company also holds contracts with a bubble tea business and a manufacturing firm, aiming to automate physical tasks to enhance efficiency and tackle labor shortages.
Seattle Startup Artly Raises $8.3M to Expand AI-Powered Robotic Coffee Baristas Led by Ex-AWS Engineer Meng Wang
Artly, a Seattle-based startup led by ex-AWS engineer Meng Wang, raised $8.3 million to expand its AI-powered robotic coffee baristas. The company, which operates five profitable stores and partners with MUJI, aims to scale specialty coffee service with robotics while creating elevated STEM and barista jobs.
GeekWire returns in person for 2022 Awards at Showbox SoDo, honoring 60+ finalists across 15 categories with 16,000+ votes
GeekWire held its first in-person GeekWire Awards in three years at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, honoring 60+ finalists across 15 categories with over 16,000 community votes and appearances by local tech leaders and entertainers.
Picnic begins U.S. pre-orders for Pizza System at $3,500–$5,000/month, shipping new units in 2022
Seattle startup Picnic is taking U.S. pre-orders for its Picnic Pizza System, a robotic pizza-assembly machine that can produce up to 100 customized 12-inch pizzas per hour and targets labor and cost reduction in commercial kitchens. The system is offered via monthly subscriptions of $3,500–$5,000, will fulfill existing customer orders through 2021, and begin shipping new orders in 2022.
Picnic raises $4.2M more for Series A to scale Picnic Pizza System as partnerships and customer talks accelerate
Seattle food-automation startup Picnic raised an additional $4.2 million for its Series A, bringing the round past $20 million, to expand its team and commercial operations for the Picnic Pizza System. The pizza-assembly robot — able to produce up to 100 customized 12-inch pizzas per hour — has drawn partnerships and late-stage customer talks with multiple restaurant groups and brands.
GeekWire names winners at 2021 Awards; SeekOut wins Startup of the Year after $65M raise
The 2021 GeekWire Awards returned as a virtual event honoring over 60 finalists across 14 categories from the Pacific Northwest tech community, featuring celebrity cameos and performances. Winners included SeekOut as Startup of the Year, and among 16 winners eight were women and five were people of color and/or immigrant entrepreneurs.
Picnic raises $16.3M Series A to scale pizza-making robot as pandemic fuels demand for food automation
Seattle food-automation startup Picnic raised $16.3 million in Series A financing to scale its Picnic Pizza System, a pizza-assembly device that enables a single employee to produce up to 100 customized 12-inch pizzas per hour. The company says pandemic-driven demand for delivery, carry-out and high-volume food prep has accelerated interest in automation and it recently redesigned the system with improved interface, safety and food-handling features.
Picnic raises $3M from existing investors to commercialize pizza-making robot producing 300 12-inch pizzas/hour
Seattle startup Picnic raised $3 million from existing investors to accelerate commercial rollout of its pizza-making robot capable of producing up to 300 12-inch customized pizzas per hour, citing increased pandemic-driven demand and plans to use funds for development, hires, and marketing.
Seattle VC Flying Fish files to raise $75M 'Flying Fish Fund II' after $80M debut fund
Seattle venture capital firm Flying Fish, founded in 2018, is raising a second fund called Flying Fish Fund II with an SEC filing showing a $75 million offering; the firm previously raised an $80 million first fund and focuses on AI/ML startups in the Pacific Northwest.
GeekWire Awards 2020 Goes Virtual; Ally Wins Startup of the Year as Bill Gates and Celebrities Celebrate
GeekWire held a virtual GeekWire Awards livestream honoring top Pacific Northwest tech companies and leaders across 12 categories, with winners accepting via Zoom and special video messages from figures like Bill Gates. Seattle startup Ally won Startup of the Year, and the event included entertainment such as The Drunken Tenorperforming an "Opera di Zoom."
Seattle robotics startup Picnic 3D-prints prototype parts to rescue UW student Rob Sinclair’s Kokanee Systems after COVID-19 halted lab access
UW entrepreneurship student Rob Sinclair paused his career to build Kokanee Systems, a real-time water contamination testing startup, but COVID-19 shut off access to prototyping equipment. A Seattle robotics startup, Picnic, stepped in to 3D-print parts and help Sinclair continue developing his prototype.
Seattle Startup Picnic Raises $5M Seed Funding for Pizza-Making Robot Assembling 300 Pizzas Per Hour
Seattle startup Picnic raised $5 million in a seed round to advance their pizza-making robot, which can assemble 300 pizzas per hour and has attracted global interest. The funding will help develop the next version and expand pilot programs, addressing labor shortages in the food industry.
Microsoft's new era unfolds
Microsoft is back in the smartphone business with the unveiling of its new Surface Duo dual-screen folding device this week. It's a fascinating story all on its own, as the company finally goes public with a concept it has been experimenting with behind-the-scenes for much of the past decade. Surprise twist: It runs Android. But combined with the larger Surface Neo dual-screen tablet/notebook, the story is much bigger. Microsoft is trying to take the lead in a new category of computing, while expanding its focus beyond Windows to focus on apps and experiences across a range of devices. We share…
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Clayton Wood Executive, Former CEO
