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Pazzi is a technology company.
Pazzi engineers autonomous robotic systems preparing and serving fresh, artisanal pizzas. Its automated kitchens handle the full process from dough to dispatch, delivering high-quality pizzas in under five minutes. This approach integrates advanced robotics with premium ingredients, ensuring a precise, superior culinary experience.
Founded by Philippe Goldman, initially EKIM, Pazzi aimed to transform quick-service dining through automation. After development, the company launched its robotic pizzerias. The core insight merged robotic efficiency with authentic Italian tradition, a standard enhanced by World Pizza Champion Thierry Graffagnino's culinary expertise.
Pazzi targets urban consumers desiring rapid, high-quality meals, and seeks master franchisees for global expansion. Its model supports various sales channels, adapting to modern convenience. The company envisions democratizing access to chef-grade pizza worldwide through a scalable, automated platform, redefining casual dining.
Pazzi has raised $14.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Pazzi has raised $14.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Pazzi has raised $14.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Pazzi's investors include Heang Chhor, Alven, Partech Ventures, Portage Ventures, Roosh Ventures, Target Global, White Star Capital, Hugues De Braucourt, Daphni, Eutopia.
Pazzi is a robotics company that developed fully automated, robot-powered pizza restaurants for the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry, using pizzaiolo robots to prepare, bake, and slice customized pizzas in real time.[1][2][4] Targeting high-traffic locations like train stations, airports, shopping centers, and campuses, it served customers seeking fast, convenient takeaway options, including 24/7 operations to address non-peak demand and reduce labor costs.[1][2][3] The company solved labor shortages and inefficiency in pizza preparation by enabling high-volume output—up to 100 pizzas per hour—while maintaining consistency, though it ultimately ceased operations after raising $13.83M and opening two Paris locations.[2][5]
Pazzi originated as EKIM, founded in December 2013 in Paris, France, initially focusing on robotics for QSR automation.[1][2] After nearly a decade of development, it rebranded to Pazzi and piloted its first robot-powered restaurant in the Paris suburb of Marne-la-Vallée in 2019, followed by a flagship dine-in site in Beaubourg, Paris, around 2022.[2][5] Key figures included CEO Philippe Goldman, who highlighted challenges like France's immature hardware ecosystem and public mistrust of robotics, alongside a Head of Hardware founder and an Executive Chef who was a three-time World Pizza Champion.[3][5] Early plans emphasized turnkey solutions for scalable deployment, but despite €12M+ in funding, the company faced liquidation in 2023, closing its restaurants and laying off 35 employees.[2][5]
Pazzi rode the early wave of food tech automation amid QSR labor shortages and rising demand for contactless, efficient service post-2010s.[1][2][5] Its timing aligned with robotics pilots in high-density locations, but market forces like high development costs, an underdeveloped French hardware ecosystem, and public skepticism toward job-displacing robots hindered scaling.[5] As a pioneer alongside failures like Pizzametry and Basil Street, Pazzi highlighted risks in pizza robotics, influencing the ecosystem by validating tech potential (e.g., for competitors like Dexai or RoboChef) while underscoring needs for better funding, valuation, and cultural acceptance in Europe.[2][5]
Pazzi's shutdown marks a cautionary tale for hardware-heavy food robotics, with assets liquidated and no revival reported as of late 2023.[5] Looking ahead, surviving trends like AI-driven kitchen automation and global QSR digitization could revive similar tech via acquisitions or pivots, but Pazzi's legacy warns of ecosystem gaps—expect consolidation favoring U.S.-based players with stronger funding. Its robot-powered vision, once poised to disrupt urban pizza access, now fuels broader innovation in scalable food prep, tying back to its bold start as a QSR robotics trailblazer.[2][5]
Pazzi has raised $14.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $11.0M Series A in June 2019.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2019 | $11.0M Series A | Heang Chhor | Alven, Partech Ventures, Portage Ventures, Roosh Ventures, Target Global, White Star Capital, Hugues De Braucourt, Daphni, Eutopia |
| May 1, 2018 | $3.0M Venture Round | Alven, Partech Ventures, Portage Ventures, Roosh Ventures, Target Global, White Star Capital, Hugues De Braucourt |