YO-KAI EXPRESS
YO-KAI EXPRESS is a Taiwan-based autonomous restaurant technology company that builds the Octo-chef robotic cooking system and AI management platform, operating unmanned 24/7 restaurant locations and licensing its technology to foodservice partners such as Pulmuone in South Korea.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersHayward, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What YO-KAI EXPRESS does
YO-KAI EXPRESS is a Taiwan-headquartered autonomous restaurant technology company founded in 2016 by CEO Andy Lin. The company builds and operates AI-powered robotic cooking systems branded as Octo-chef, which prepare gourmet meals including ramen, dim-sum, udon, pasta, rice bowls, and desserts in approximately 90 seconds through a proprietary "Step Cooking" precision process with menu-specific parameter optimization. The platform combines cooking robotics with an AI management layer that enables dynamic pricing and smart inventory control, allowing unmanned 24/7 operation.
The business operates across three revenue streams: company-owned autonomous restaurant locations selling directly to consumers, licensing of its robotic cooking technology to partners such as Pulmuone for embedded smart instant cooking vending machines (most notably Korea's first such machine in 2023), and broader B2B technology partnerships with enterprise foodservice operators. Go-to-market mixes direct-to-consumer physical locations with OEM/embedded deployments and event-driven brand visibility through CES 2022, the Qualcomm Innovate in Taiwan Challenge 2024, and NVIDIA GTC Taiwan Demo Day 2026.
The company has raised approximately $18.2 million across six disclosed funding rounds from 2016 to 2022, with strategic investors including SoftBank Robotics Holdings, Pulmuone, Japan Tobacco, and Chikaranomoto Holdings. Geographic footprint spans Taiwan (primary operating market), the United States (Hayward, California), and South Korea (via the Pulmuone partnership), and the company is a member of the NVIDIA Inception Program. Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees, and Yo-Kai Express remains a privately held company with no disclosed revenue.
YO-KAI EXPRESS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- YO-KAI EXPRESS
- Legal name
- YO-KAI EXPRESS
- Website
- https://YOKAIEXPRESS.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- YO-KAI EXPRESS is a Taiwan-based autonomous restaurant technology company that builds the Octo-chef robotic cooking system and AI management platform, operating unmanned 24/7 restaurant locations and licensing its technology to foodservice partners such as Pulmuone in South Korea.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
YO-KAI EXPRESS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Foodservice Robotics and Automation
- NAICS
- Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing (311991), Vending Machine Operators (445132)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing (AFAKAHAA)
Keywords
Where YO-KAI EXPRESS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hayward
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
YO-KAI EXPRESS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Autonomous Restaurant Operations: Operating company-owned or franchise autonomous restaurants that serve food directly to consumers 24/7 using robotic cooking systems
- Smart Cooking Vending Machine Licensing: Licensing robotic cooking technology to partners like Pulmuone for deployment in Korea's smart instant cooking vending machines
- B2B Technology Partnerships: Providing AI-powered autonomous restaurant solutions to enterprise customers including foodservice companies and hospitality operators
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
YO-KAI EXPRESS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
YO-KAI EXPRESS develops and operates AI-powered autonomous restaurants built around its proprietary Octo-chef Robot-Chef, which prepares gourmet meals (ramen, dim-sum, udon, pasta, rice bowls, desserts) in 90 seconds using precision Step Cooking and an AI platform for dynamic pricing and inventory management. The company operates unmanned 24/7 restaurant locations, licenses its cooking robotics to partners such as Pulmuone for smart instant cooking vending machines, and provides AI-driven autonomous restaurant solutions to foodservice enterprises.
Product overview
YO-KAI EXPRESS operates as an AI-Powered Autonomous Restaurant company built around the Octo-chef Robot-Chef system. The platform combines cooking robotics, precision cooking (Step Cooking), AI-powered dynamic pricing and inventory management, and 24/7 operational capability. The system offers more than 30 menu options including ramen, dim-sum, udon, pasta, rice bowls, and desserts, cooking each meal in 90 seconds through automated cooking processes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Octo-chef: AI-powered autonomous restaurant technology and robotic cooking system that can prepare meals in 90 seconds, featuring proprietary cooking robotics with advanced cooking technology, precision 'Step Cooking' process, customizable cooking parameters, and AI platform for dynamic pricing and smart inventory management.
Quantifiable outcome
- Robot-Chef can cook a bowl in 90 seconds
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use YO-KAI EXPRESS
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
YO-KAI EXPRESS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
YO-KAI EXPRESS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NVIDIAcoreYo-Kai Express was highlighted as one of five companies with NVIDIA-accelerated technologies at Taiwan Demo Day 2026 Spring, part of the NVIDIA GTC 2026 prelude events in Silicon Valley. The company is part of the NVIDIA Inception Program ecosystem.
- Startup Island TAIWAN Silicon Valley HubminorYo-Kai Express participated in the Taiwan Demo Day 2026 Spring event organized by Startup Island TAIWAN Silicon Valley Hub, Taiwan Next Foundation, in partnership with StarFab and TAI1 AI Accelerator, showcasing autonomous restaurant technology to over 1,000 investors.
- PulmuonecorePulmuone launched Korea's first smart instant cooking vending machine in partnership with Yo-Kai Express, marking Yo-Kai's technology deployment in the Korean market. The partnership extends Yo-Kai's autonomous cooking technology into new distribution channels through vending machine deployments.
- Nasoya / PulmuonecoreNasoya (parent company Pulmuone) partnered with Yo-Kai Express to feature robotic food platform technology at CES 2022, showcasing the autonomous cooking technology to a global audience at the Consumer Electronics Show.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
YO-KAI EXPRESS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Customer concentration
YO-KAI EXPRESS social profiles
Digital presenceYO-KAI EXPRESS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
YO-KAI EXPRESS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
YO-KAI EXPRESS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
YO-KAI EXPRESS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about YO-KAI EXPRESS
What does YO-KAI EXPRESS do?
YO-KAI EXPRESS develops and operates AI-powered autonomous restaurants built around its proprietary Octo-chef Robot-Chef, which prepares gourmet meals (ramen, dim-sum, udon, pasta, rice bowls, desserts) in 90 seconds using precision Step Cooking and an AI platform for dynamic pricing and inventory management. The company operates unmanned 24/7 restaurant locations, licenses its cooking robotics to partners such as Pulmuone for smart instant cooking vending machines, and provides AI-driven autonomous restaurant solutions to foodservice enterprises.
Is YO-KAI EXPRESS a public or private company?
YO-KAI EXPRESS is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was YO-KAI EXPRESS founded?
YO-KAI EXPRESS was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is YO-KAI EXPRESS based?
YO-KAI EXPRESS is headquartered in Hayward, United States, in the North America region.
How does YO-KAI EXPRESS make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Autonomous Restaurant Operations are the primary driver. The others are smart Cooking Vending Machine Licensing and B2B Technology Partnerships.
Does YO-KAI EXPRESS have an API?
No public API is recorded for YO-KAI EXPRESS.
What industry is YO-KAI EXPRESS in?
YO-KAI EXPRESS's product category is Foodservice Robotics and Automation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAHAA, Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 311991 and its SIC code is 2090.