Technology is omnipresent across all industries, and the artificial intelligence (AI) boom is even reaching home products. One example is an innovative idea from Italian founders that just arrived on the market.
Liffo, the first kitchen robot with artificial intelligence that prepares meals completely autonomously. After its presentation at CES in Las Vegas and having raised almost $12 million in funding in Italy, Liffo is announcing its expansion into other markets in the Americas.
The global kitchen robotics market is already on track to reach more than $8 billion by 2032, and AI in the kitchen feels like the next chapter; it’s not just smart timers, but fully autonomous machines that take ingredients, cook them and plate them.
Created by Massimiliano Delsante and Stefano Pedrazzi under the company Robomagister, Liffo poses a solution to a modern paradox centered on the desire to eat healthy and homemade versus the lack of time and culinary skills.
All through a kitchen companion that works by simply loading the ingredients, freeing the user to take care of what is really important, going out to work, sharing time with family, taking care of the children, etc.
The arrival of AI in the kitchen
The bet on Liffo comes at a time when AI is already transforming gastronomy in various ways. Startups are currently using it to forecast demand and reduce food waste. In Japan, some restaurants use AI to prepare cocktails based on customer preferences. Meanwhile, in Singapore, labs apply machine learning to vegetable proteins to perfect their texture and flavor.
As for the problems it solves, first of all it gives people their time back. “Real food should be made for you, not by you. it takes care of the whole process, dosing, mixing, cooking and plating, while you take back that space in your day,” explains Massimiliano Delsante, co-founder and co-CEO of Robomagister. “Combining my passion for innovation and cooking to create a robot that cooks automatically was a dream I cherished for over a decade.”
On the other hand, the solution seeks to democratize haute cuisine. The robot offers access to more than 200 pre-installed recipes, including vegetarian and vegan options. Thanks to a self-learning system, the robot not only recreates dishes, but also allows you to upload your own recipes. “You can teach Liffo your family recipes, reinterpret classics or generate new creations adapted to your preferences. Liffo will remember them and offer you suggestions to refine them,” adds Delsante.
Crowdfunding the project
After having debuted at the past CES in Las Vegas, the world’s most important technology trade show, and backed by a funding round of nearly $12 million, the startup now reaches the U.S. market, with ambitions to expand to other areas in the Americas.
“Now, the company is taking its next step through a Kickstarter campaign, inviting Americans to be among the first to bring this innovation to their kitchens,” says Stefano Pedrazzi. “We chose to explore funding methods closer to our community. We believe that crowdfunding is not only a way to raise capital, but above all a tool to create a direct dialogue with users, validate the product and engage a global community that becomes an active part of our journey.”
Behind the founders is Robomagister, which was born from Delsante’s experience as a creator of companies such as OT Consulting and myInvenio, the latter acquired by IBM in 2021. This desire to innovate and the ability to want to excel were a mixture of what Delsante wants to achieve with Liffo, which also received the support of Italian entities such as Banca Progetto and Banco BPM, totaling more than 5 million euros in financing.
The company reveals that it has an expansion plan that foresees the incorporation of more than 100 employees in its new production plant in Reggio Emilia over the next three years.
With a team of 30 professionals and the local backing of several renowned organizations, Liffo hopes that its arrival in the United States will be supported by Spanish speakers and interested parties through its crowdfunding campaign.
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