Concept: “Alfred,” a food industry collaborative robot, or “cobot,” trained to assist in the assembly of items such as salads and food bowls at commercial kitchens and fast-casual restaurants. Through AI, Alfred is particularly skilled at working with difficult-to-handle items, including hard-to-scoop ice cream, gloopy guacamole, and prepped fruits and vegetables of various sizes (the Dexai name is a portmanteau of dexterous and AI).

Stats: Headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, Dexai has 14 full-time employees and eight interns. In March, the company announced $5.5 million in funding.

COVID-aware: “Our business model is CapEx light; business owners pay on a commission basis for every meal the robot makes, which alleviates a lot of risk. And in terms of health and safety, I think we all want a more sanitary solution for employees and customers.”

Heard: “We’re working on a pilot with a foodservice provider in the Boston area. For us, the biggest milestone will be putting a robot in the market so we can become a more proven concept before we start expanding. With 40 to 50 percent of restaurants projected to close due to the pandemic, the big question is, can we help them stay in business before that happens?”

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