Shanghai Hi-Dolphin COFE+, the World’s Leading Robot Barista, Completes Its 5th Round of Funding

Shanghai Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology Co., Ltd., acclaimed as “pioneering the global [light-store] revolution,” recently announced the global launch of the world’s first sixth-generation coffee robot machine. Alongside this milestone, the company has fully initiated its Series B financing, with the first round already completed. The round was led by the founder of the renowned billion-yuan fund Dapu Asset and Shanghai Hanyuan Investment Co., Ltd., with continued participation from existing shareholders. This marks the fifth VC funding round successfully closed by Shanghai Hi-Dolphin COFE+ coffee robot machine, making it the only player in the global beverage robot sector to have achieved five successful fundraisings so far.

Shanghai Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology Co., Ltd. is one of the very few companies worldwide capable of independently researching and developing coffee robot machines. Since its establishment in 2018, it has grown into a leading enterprise in Shanghai’s artificial intelligence and Internet+ sectors, ranking among the Top 30 AI Application Benchmark Enterprises in Shanghai, Top 50 Service Robots in China, and operating as a Postdoctoral Research Workstation and a specialized “Little Giant” enterprise. With over 100 patents equivalent to the combined total of the second to fifth players in the industry, it is the only coffee robot machine globally to have passed authoritative certifications from the EU, US, UK Commonwealth, Australia-New Zealand, Middle East, and the United Nations; the only one to receive a quality qualification certificate from the US FDA; the only one compliant with the EU’s stringent environmental regulations; and among the first in China to obtain a fresh-made food operation license valid nationwide. It is also the first coffee robot machine to achieve a grand slam of prestigious awards, including Europe’s Best Award, the US Innovation Gold Award, and China’s AI Gold Award. To date, COFE+ fully intelligent, multi-category coffee robot machine has expanded across 15 provinces and municipalities in China and exported to over 50 countries across five continents, serving Fortune 500 companies, China’s Top 500 enterprises, and industry leaders. It is widely recognized as the world’s leading coffee robot machine brand with the longest practical testing duration, most extensive deployment points, broadest scenario validations, highest food hygiene and safety standards, most stable machine operation, best beverage taste, widest variety of drinks, most comprehensive machine models and series, largest number of global patents, most successful operational testing, and highest market share. The company achieved overall profitability as early as 2024, solidifying its position to offer the best robot cafe sale opportunities worldwide.

COFE+ is the world’s first coffee robot machine brand to advance to its sixth generation. This innovative product, refined over six years, boasts functionality that leads the global market by a significant margin: its product design surpasses the global limit of a lifespan of 10 years and a minimum of 500000 cups; it achieves a world record of over 1,000 cups per day with near-zero error; it sets a new industry benchmark with a beverage variety ranging from at least 50 to as many as 350 types; it leads the industry with the ability to operate unattended and produce over 300 cups consecutively after a single refill; and it is the first of its kind to enable fully intelligent remote management of an entire store via a single smartphone. Uniquely globally, it integrates payment systems across 197 countries, POS hardware, multiple languages, and global recipes, earning the title of “New Global Pass.” The COFE+ sixth-generation coffee robot machine also surpasses the limits of traditional cafés, pioneering the integration of “freshly ground, manual latte art, 3D printing of images and text, personalized taste customization, and global recipes” into one system. 

• Every cup features quick manual latte art.

• Every cup can be 3D printed with images, photos, or text.

• Every cup can be personalized to your favorite taste.

• Every cup replicates specialty flavors from 197 countries worldwide.

• Every cup achieves 100% replication of the exquisite skills of human barista champions.

• Every cup serves freshly ground coffee, milk tea, matcha, chocolate drinks, favored milk beverages, and more.

• Every cup delivers taste and variety comparable to the world’s top specialty coffee shops.

At the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games, the sixth-generation COFE+ demonstrated multiple technical indicators that are beginning to surpass those of renowned brands such as Starbucks and Luckin Coffee. This marks the first time in human history that a coffee robot machine has started to outperform traditional baristas in every aspect, and robotic cafés have begun to exceed traditionally operated cafés. It has redefined global industry standards and set the blueprint for the next 30 years of café trends. A sweeping new industrial revolution is underway, led by innovations in robot AI coffee technology…

Compared to the challenges of traditional cafés, which are “labor-intensive, rent-heavy, and management-demanding,” COFE+ coffee robot machine stands out with its “compact size, massive output, and high returns,” completely overturning the logic of physical store operations. From a cost perspective, COFE+ represents a “dimensional reduction strike”: its daily production capacity exceeds 1,000 cups, averaging one cup every 50 seconds, with an error rate only 1% that of humans. It requires just 15 minutes of daily maintenance, enabling unattended 24/7 operation and making it an ideal choice for the best robot cafe sale. The coffee robot machine works diligently around the clock, earning money for its owner tirelessly. Annual water and electricity costs are remarkably low, equivalent to just half a month’s expenses for a traditional store. Raw material waste is nearly zero; its monthly data and connectivity costs are only a few dollars per month, and software operation is almost cost-free (according to real operating data from some of our locations in China). “With just one mobile phone, you can manage an entire store; one employee can oversee ten machines, reducing operating costs by up to 90%.”

Reporters did the math: rent, labor, and energy costs account for over 60% of traditional café expenses, while COFE+ significantly lowers the break-even point through unattended operation and precise resource control. Selling just a few dozen cups a day can turn into a profit. “Even when offering a premium Geisha coffee at an affordable price of $1.34 per cup, we can maintain a gross profit margin of over 50%. The mission of COFE+ is to eliminate location risks for opening stores, remove the worries of off-peak seasons, put an end to loss-making cafés worldwide, and free the service industry from its hardships,” a spokesperson for Hi-Dolphin stated during a phone interview with reporters. These advantages make every robot AI coffee not only an equipment purchase but a profitable business model in the making.

Unlike traditional robots that often feel impersonal, COFE+ continues to advance through technological innovation, infusing its coffee robot machine with a sense of warmth and human touch. Its virtual server feature mimics human attendants by greeting customers, introducing new products, explaining promotions, and providing important reminders. Users can adjust the virtual server’s voice, choose gender, tone, and volume, while pairing it with real-time graphics and video broadcasts to create a more engaging interaction. With support for over 200 languages, including Chinese, English, Russian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, the robot AI coffee effortlessly bridges communication gaps with consumers. It even supports voice-activated AI ordering. All you have to do is speak. “Right after placing my order, I heard a voice reminder: ‘Your Iced Americano is being prepared. Please be careful when picking it up. The cup may be slippery.’ The attention to service details is incredible,” raved one visitor after experiencing it firsthand.

Going beyond conventional smart machines, COFE+ is evolving from simply “selling coffee” to “creating experiences”. COFE+’s smart store brain, powered by advanced robot AI coffee technology, can help consumers create “personalized custom designs” on the spot: for example, by connecting their phone, they can use 3D printing technology to imprint their favorite photos, patterns, text, or poetry onto the coffee foam. Using its robotic latte art skills, the coffee robot machine can draw hearts, flowers, swans, and more. At tourist attractions, every cup features beautiful scenic designs; in corporate offices, each carries inspirational company quotes; in government buildings, every order promotes key messaging and learning themes; in parks, seasonal flowers and popular pets adorn the beverages. “Every cup is a scene, and every drop delivers an emotion.” 

As of 2025, COFE+’s “World’s First Light-Store” model has been successfully validated across a wide range of venues including tourist attractions, transportation hubs, universities, hospitals, libraries, art galleries, museums, sports stadiums, cultural centers, office buildings, industrial parks, shopping malls, pedestrian streets, and amusement parks, achieving operational efficiency that surpasses 75% of traditional physical cafés. This makes every best robot cafe sale a gateway to unmatched profitability and spatial flexibility.

From the United States, Europe, CIS countries, the Middle East, Australia-New Zealand to Southeast Asia; from the Terracotta Army, Shanghai Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Yungang Grottoes to the Ancient Great Wall; from Xi’an Airport, Shanghai Airport, Kunming Airport to Xishuangbanna Airport; from Shenyang High-Speed Rail Station, Shenzhen Metro Station to Yunnan gas stations; from Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Jinjiang Hotels, to State Guesthouses; from National University of Singapore, University of New Zealand, University of California to Tongji University; from hospitals in Malaysia, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, Sichuan People’s Hospital to Air Force Hospitals; from the National People’s Congress, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the Central Party School, provincial and municipal governments to administrative service centers; from SAP, Sodexo, Temu, Accenture to China Mobile, PetroChina, Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Agricultural Bank of China; from municipalities and provinces such as Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, to Guangdong, and Hainan. With a presence in over 50 countries, hundreds of cities, and thousands of landmarks worldwide, COFE+ has demonstrated the limitless potential of artificial intelligence to transform traditional industries through its unparalleled robot AI coffee ecosystem. A spark is starting a prairie fire. 

The core team behind Shanghai Hi-Dolphin is young and talented, with members graduating from top institutions such as Fudan University, USTC, Harbin Institute of Technology, Tongji University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and renowned universities in Europe and the United States. Many have previously worked for leading multinational corporations like Huawei, SANY Heavy Industry, and KUKA, bringing extensive research, operational, and practical experience. The team possesses deep expertise in internet technologies, artificial intelligence, and chain service operations, making them one of the earliest groups globally to develop robot coffee kiosks. Our company has been inspected and guided by national leaders and municipal officials in Shanghai. For four consecutive years, it has been invited to demonstrate at the NPC and CPPCC sessions how AI integrates into daily life. It has also been specially invited to provide services at the Central Party School, various provincial party schools, and the Davos Forum. Leading media outlets such as Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily, CCTV, as well as Wall Street journals, European media, and Japanese press have repeatedly featured COFE+ in special reports.

It has been reported that COFE+ is the first in the global industry to develop a serialized product line that is “fully intelligent, fully automated, all-scenario, and all-coverage,” including:

(1) The Robot Coffee Kiosk (Indoor/outdoor)

(2) The Smart Robot Coffee Counter

(3) The Smart Robot Coffee Bar

(4) The Corner Robot Coffee Shop

From indoors to outdoors, from counter service to street stores, from open layout to enclosed designs, from seated experiences to quick pickup, the coffee robot machine covers more scenarios, delivers more complete services, and offers increasingly viral consumer experiences.

As interviewed by industry experts, the COFE+ coffee robot machine is driving the global real economy into a new “light” era: defining “the café trend for the next 30 years,” “the new generation of unattended cafés,” “the 24/7 non-stop coffee shop,” “the professional café that you can run while sleeping,” and “the coffee store that never loses money”…The era where robots serve humanity, robotic baristas brew fresh coffee for people, and robotic cafés operate around the clock, all offering high-quality coffee at affordable prices, is rushing toward us.

The future is already here. This cup from COFE+ is a milestone and a World Cup. It is a boiling point and a starting point.

About Hi-dolphin:

Shanghai Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology Co., Ltd. was established in Shanghai in January 2018. It is an AI technology company with core R&D capabilities, superior operating technology, and a strong sales network. Its main business focuses on utilizing artificial intelligence technology to address the issue of unattended freshness in the food and beverage industry.

After rigorous inspection and evaluation by the food safety expert group of domestic and overseas supervision, Shanghai Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology has obtained 50+ officially recognized certifications, meeting the global standards of 20+ developed countries.