Appetronix Acquires Cibotica to Accelerate Multi-Cuisine Expansion and Elevate Food Robotics & AI Ecosystem

Strategic Acquisition of Cibotica's AI-Driven Dispensing Technology, Proven at Scale Through Commercial Deployment, Fast-Tracks Appetronix's Next Robotic Kitchen Concepts

LONDON, ON, April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Appetronix, the pioneering robotics company transforming foodservice through intelligent automation, today announced it has acquired Cibotica, a leader in proprietary ingredient dispensing and portioning technology. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal brings Cibotica's flagship product, an automated bowl and salad assembly system, to Appetronix along with the company's proprietary ingredient-agnostic dispensing platform, enabling Appetronix to rapidly scale robotic kitchen concepts across multiple cuisines beyond its current pizza operations.

"This acquisition represents far more than just expanding our technology stack. It's about elevating the entire food robotics ecosystem," said Nipun Sharma, CEO of Appetronix. "We've worked closely with the Cibotica team for years, watching them build breakthrough technology that solves real operational challenges, and bring it to market through their partnership with MOTO Pizza in Seattle, WA. Bringing them into the Appetronix family allows us to scale new cuisine formats faster while demonstrating that the food robotics space can create meaningful exits for innovative founders."

Appetronix currently operates robotic pizza kitchens through its partnership with Donatos, including a fully autonomous location at John Glenn Columbus International Airport and another location opening this Spring. The addition of Cibotica's dispensing technology positions Appetronix to launch robotic concepts across multiple cuisines and other formats requiring precise ingredient portioning.

Cibotica's Remy is distinguished by its ingredient-agnostic technology that works with any ingredient, compact modular design that integrates under-counter into existing layouts, and turn-key integration with all mainstream ordering, POS, and back-of-house systems. The platform can assemble up to 300 bowls per hour, reduce labor costs by up to 30%, and minimize food waste by 50% through AI-driven precise portioning. Remy's proprietary dispensing library uses machine learning to achieve precision accuracy across diverse ingredient types.

"We founded Cibotica with a simple conviction: the best robotic solutions come from understanding the operator's world first." said Ashkan Mirnabavi, Co-Founder of Cibotica. "This acquisition validates that approach and signals that the food robotics ecosystem is ready to deliver real outcomes for the industry."

Strengthening the Food Tech Ecosystem

The acquisition comes at a pivotal moment for food robotics. While the sector has attracted significant attention, successful exits remain rare. By creating a pathway for innovative startups like Cibotica to join larger platforms, Appetronix aims to demonstrate the viability of building in this space.

"Our collaboration with Cibotica demonstrates our commitment to building a sustainable food robotics ecosystem globally," added Sharma. "We're acquiring technology that was built by a team that truly understands the operational challenges we're solving."

The acquisition follows Appetronix's recent announcement of over $12 million in total seed funding, led by AlleyCorp and the Grote family. The combined resources position Appetronix to accelerate deployment of multiple robotic kitchen concepts across airports, hospitals, entertainment venues, universities, and other high-traffic institutional environments. "Appetronix's track record with Donatos proved they can execute," said Soroush Sefidkar, Co-Founder of Cibotica. "This partnership allows our dispensing technology to reach its full potential."

About Appetronix
Appetronix Inc. (formerly SJW Robotics) is a foodtech company specializing in the development and design of autonomous robotic solutions for commercial restaurant kitchens. With an expert team with extensive experience in restaurant kitchen design, worldwide expansion of restaurant chains, advanced automation, robotics, and data science, Appetronix is at the forefront of innovation in the foodservice industry. Our mission is to revolutionize the way restaurants operate by leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver custom solutions that are scalable and tailored to meet the requirements of the next generation of quick-service restaurants. Our autonomous robotic solutions holistically automate all back of house functions including portioning, cooking, plating, and even cleaning with a singular goal of providing the best tasting food.

About Cibotica
Founded in 2021 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Cibotica is a food robotics company built by a team that lived on both sides of the problem: robotics engineering and restaurant operations. The company created the industry's first patented, ingredient-agnostic dispensing platform, using proprietary machine learning to accurately handle any ingredient type. With its own operating system, conveying technology, and the smallest footprint in food robotics, Cibotica delivered a complete plug-and-play robotic platform that fits into any kitchen as it stands today.

SOURCE Appetronix Inc