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Solving the Coffee Industry’s Toughest Challenge

Traditional cafes face a well-documented set of operational burdens: unsustainable labor costs, chronic staffing shortages, high rental expenses, inconsistent product quality, and food safety risks. A typical shop requires 2 to 5 employees per shift, baristas are increasingly difficult to find and retain, quality varies from cup to cup, and staying open 24/7 is nearly impossible without significant overhead. Meanwhile, older vending machines that rely on powder or pre-ground beans fail to satisfy customers who now expect fresh-ground coffee made with real milk.

Against this backdrop, Shanghai Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology Co., Ltd., operating under the brand COFE+, has positioned itself as a pioneering provider of fully automated robotic coffee kiosks. The company’s mission is to revolutionize the retail beverage industry through 24/7 unmanned operations and AI-driven efficiency, offering what it describes as a “Light Store Revolution.”

What Makes an Automated Coffee Service Best-in-Class

COFE+ robot cafés are designed to automate the entire beverage journey with minimal human intervention: from taking customer orders and grinding fresh coffee beans for every cup to preparing espresso, lattes, teas, and chocolate beverages. The robotic system can also create latte art with precision and deliver personalized 3D-printed images or messages directly onto the coffee foam. By integrating these capabilities into a single automated platform, COFE+ delivers freshly prepared beverages with consistent quality and presentation, while eliminating the need for on-site barista operations.

Compact Footprint, Continuous Operation

One of the most compelling advantages of the COFE+ lineup is its exceptional spatial and operational efficiency. The COFE+ Robot Coffee Kiosk requires just 2.35 square meters, while the Robot Coffee Bar and Robot Coffee Counter operate within approximately 2 square meters. Designed for continuous 24/7 operation, each unit can serve customers around the clock without traditional staffing requirements. By comparison, conventional coffee shops typically occupy 30 to 100 square meters and require multiple employees per shift. This significantly smaller footprint and streamlined operating model create the potential for lower overhead, greater location flexibility, and a highly scalable business model—key advantages for investors seeking efficient and adaptable opportunities in the rapidly evolving coffee market.

Cost Efficiency Built Into the Model

COFE+ reduces operational costs by up to 90 percent compared to traditional cafes and saves 80 percent on electricity. Equipment and operational costs run at approximately one-fifth of a traditional specialty coffee shop, creating a high-ROI model for investors and operators. This value-based pricing approach reflects a scalable business built on low labor input and high margin potential.

Technical Foundations Behind the Robot Barista

COFE+’s engineering team has developed advanced 6-axis robotic arm systems for high-precision beverage preparation, integrated within an AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) architecture that enables remote management and automated maintenance. The machines are capable of crafting 5 cups simultaneously, with an average production time of 50 to 55 seconds per cup. Smart algorithms govern recipe execution, inventory tracking, and automated cleaning cycles, ensuring consistent “champion barista” quality without human intervention.

Ingredient flexibility is extensive: models support 2 to 4 milk types, 6 to 8 syrup types, and up to 7 topping options, enabling thousands of unique drink combinations. A “Smart Store Brain” backend provides real-time sales and inventory tracking, while remote management systems allow secure, smartphone-based monitoring of kiosk operations. High-capacity hardware supports up to 300 cups per single ingredient refill, and daily maintenance requires less than 30 minutes.

A Track Record Built Over Nearly a Decade

Founded in January 2018 in Shanghai, Hi-Dolphin began its core research and development in 2017 and released the first COFE+ robot coffee kiosk version 1.0 in December 2018. Since then, the company has iterated through seven generations of robotic cafes. The 6th-generation “All-Round Champion” COFE+ launched in 2025 can produce over 1,000 cups per day, carries a design life of 10 years (500,000-plus cups), and requires only 15 minutes of daily maintenance for fully unattended operation.

In a landmark human-versus-machine competition in May 2026, the 7th-generation COFE+, with more than 60,000 hours of cumulative operation, defeated veteran human coffee masters in both speed and precision, averaging 54 seconds per cup versus humans’ 72 seconds — marking the first time a coffee robot comprehensively surpassed human baristas in professional speed and accuracy.

Today, COFE+ has deployed over 1,000 units across more than 70 countries and 27 provinces in China, selling over 200 million cups cumulatively. One machine has run continuously for more than 2,000 days, or over six years, and average daily sales per machine surpass 75 percent of human-run cafes.

Certified Safety and Global Recognition

COFE+ is the only robot coffee shop in the world to have passed a comprehensive suite of major international certifications, including U.S. FDA and FCC standards, EU CE certification, UK UKCA certification, and UN standards certification, alongside more than 50 official certifications from 18 developed countries. It was also among the first robot cafes in China to receive the fresh food retail license, known as the “national one-license-for-all.” With over 120 international patents, the company’s portfolio roughly equals the combined total of the second- through tenth-ranked companies in the industry.

Institutional recognition has followed accordingly. In 2026, COFE+ was named to the “Tech Little Giant TOP50” list as the only beverage robot company included, and was recognized on the “China AI Benchmark Enterprise TOP30.” In 2025, it received the “China Service Robot TOP50” honor, an “Outstanding Contribution Award in Artificial Intelligence,” and became the first Chinese coffee robot to win top design and innovation awards across Europe, the United States, and China.

Proven Deployments Across Demanding Environments

COFE+ robotic cafes are already demonstrating their versatility across a diverse range of high-traffic and institutional environments. In the United States, deployments include hospitals such as Massachusetts General Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital, where 24/7 access to freshly ground coffee provides added convenience for medical professionals working around the clock. COFE+ robot systems are also operating at major transportation hubs, including Denver International Airport, Chisinau International Airport, and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. At Chisinau International Airport, the local operator reportedly achieved full return on investment within four months, supported by average daily sales of more than 200 cups. The technology has also gained adoption among major global enterprises, including Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon and SAP, as well as Sinopec and China Mobile. In the education sector, COFE+ systems have been deployed at leading institutions including Tongji University, the National University of Singapore, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University—underscoring the platform’s broad commercial applicability across healthcare, transportation, corporate, and academic environments.

A Scalable Model for the Future of Coffee Retail

Looking ahead, COFE+ plans to reach more than 100 countries, deploy over 10,000 units globally, build regional assembly and service centers across North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, and expand into tea, juice, and smoothie categories with an upcoming version 8.0. For operators, distributors, and institutions seeking an automated coffee solution that combines proven reliability, extensive certification, and a compact, cost-efficient footprint, COFE+ from Shanghai Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology Co., Ltd. represents a thoroughly validated approach to unmanned coffee retail.

https://hi-dolphin.com/
Shanghai Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology Co.,Ltd.

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