Pizza robot maker Picnic raises $5M as Seattle investor Andy Liu joins board

Picnic, the food automation startup known for its pizza-making robot, has raised $5 million and attracted backing from Unlock Venture Partners, the firm co-led by longtime Seattle-area entrepreneur and investor Andy Liu.

The new funding will be used to scale operations, ramp up production, and meet increasing demand for Picnic’s technology, the company said in a news release Tuesday. Cercano Management led the round and existing investors Thursday Ventures, Flying Fish Ventures, and Creative Ventures participated.

Founded in 2016, Picnic makes a device called the Picnic Pizza Station in two sizes — the original “Leonardo” and the smaller “Michelangelo.” The machines automatically add toppings to pizzas and can help a single employee churn out up to 100 12-inch customized pizzas per hour. Customers include high-volume locations such as universities, stadiums, big-box retailers and more.

Like others bringing food automation to kitchens and restaurants, Picnic says its goal is to reallocate labor, reduce waste, enhance consistency, and boost employee and customer satisfaction.

Liu told GeekWire his firm was drawn to Picnic because of CEO Michael Bridges, who took over in May 2023, as well as “major tailwinds in robotics and automation especially in the food industry.”

Liu, who will join Picnic’s board of directors, is a prolific individual investor across the Pacific Northwest who co-founded Unlock in 2018. He was previously co-founder and CEO of NetConversions, a Seattle startup acquired by aQuantive in 2004. He later went on to launch BuddyTV, an online video portal that was later acquired by Vizio.

Picnic, which employs about 20 people, has raised about $25 million to date.

Bridges previously spent time at Lifelenz, Accenture and Covario. Picnic was previously led by Seattle tech vet Clayton Wood.

GeekWire saw the Picnic Pizza Station in operation in 2023 at Moto Pizza, a Seattle chain run by chef Lee Kindell, who called robotics “the future of food.” Moto has expanded operations to T-Mobile Park in Seattle and a new restaurant in Bellevue, Wash.

“Picnic’s platform gives us the efficiency we need without compromising the quality that defines our brand,” Kindell said in a statement. “It’s an inspiring blend of tradition and technology.”

Related: Inside Seattle’s new Sweetgreen restaurant, where a large robot helps the humans make your salad

Story updated with comments from Liu.