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Chef Robotics escaped the robot cooking graveyard and says it’s thriving — here’s why

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Chef Robotics CEO Rajat Bhageria likes to tell people—correctly—that his industry is a veritable startup graveyard. Whether you’re talking about Chowbotics, a salad-making startup that was acquired and later shut down by DoorDash, or Zume, a $400 million attempt to “disrupt” pizza delivery that collapsed in 2023, the effort to automate a process that has heretofore required opposable thumbs and a sentient brain has not always gone so smoothly.

Bhageria thinks he’s figured out the workaround. The premise is simple, even if the execution isn’t: use AI-powered robot arms to take the labor out of large-scale food production. Originally, Chef sought to do that in fast casual restaurants, the kind that litter America’s cities. But the company pivoted early, finding success instead in food manufacturing, where it now serves enterprise customers like Amy’s Kitchen and Chef Bombay, and works with one of the largest school lunch providers in the country.

Now, the company says that it has passed an important milestone: 100 million servings. What’s a “serving,” exactly? A company spokesperson defines it as “a portion of food that our robots deposit into a meal tray.” So it’s not a meal, per se, but instead it represents “one component” of a full meal, the rep says. The takeaway: having ditched more traditional dining venues and instead courted larger, institutional-scale customers, Chef is busier than ever.

Bhageria says that the company’s next move is to expand into what it calls “smaller kitchens.” As for what those kitchens look like, the definition might surprise you. He tells me that one of Chef’s recently signed smaller customers is “one of the largest airline catering companies in the world.”

Other types of venues are also being pursued. The company said it has plans to expand into “ghost kitchens”—operations without any actual restaurant that supply meals for the likes of DoorDash. Eventually, the company would like to expand further into fast casual restaurants, stadiums, and prisons, Bhageria adds.

Bhageria also says that the data being generated from its 100 million servings is being fed into its AI models for food handling and packaging, which help those models to become smarter and more capable. The “inherent nature of food”—a slippery and malleable product without predictable proportions—makes it difficult for robots to handle it, he offers. With its models, Chef hopes to continue to improve the technology so that the robots get progressively better at their job, which will help the business to scale.

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Nigerian Wonderkid “Ostilo” Begins Trials With Turkish Giants Beşiktaş

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Former Nigeria U17 international Adewale Quadri, popularly known as “Ostilo” among teammates and close friends, has officially commenced trials with Turkish giants Beşiktaş J.K. youth team.

The highly-rated Nigerian youngster is currently being evaluated by the Istanbul-based club as he continues his pursuit of a breakthrough opportunity in European football.

Read Also: Diana Eze Sets New Personal Best at AGN Track & Field League in South Africa

Sources close to the player indicate that Quadri has already begun making positive impressions during the trial period with his performances, attitude, and work ethic attracting attention within the club setup.

The talented prospect has reportedly shown strong determination, technical ability, maturity on the ball, and attacking quality during training sessions and evaluation matches.

Known for his confidence, creativity, and energetic style of play, the former Nigeria U17 player continues to strengthen his reputation as one of the exciting young Nigerian talents aiming to establish themselves abroad.

Beşiktaş—popularly known as the Kara Kartallar (Black Eagles)—remain one of the biggest and most historic clubs in Turkish football, making the opportunity another important milestone in Quadri’s young career.

Football followers and supporters close to the player remain hopeful that the talented Nigerian can successfully complete the process and secure a permanent place within the club’s development system.

For Adewale Quadri, the trial represents another major step toward achieving his European football dream while proudly representing Nigeria on the international stage.

As the evaluations continue in Turkey, many will now be eagerly waiting for positive news regarding the future of the promising youngster known as “Ostilo.”

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FAAN announces additional health screening measures, enhanced Ebola surveillance at Nigerian airports

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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has assured travellers and other airport users that enhanced health surveillance measures have been activated across the country’s international airports following renewed Ebola concerns in parts of Central Africa.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, FAAN said the measures were introduced in collaboration with Port Health Services, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and other relevant agencies to strengthen preparedness and prevent possible health risks.

According to the authority, surveillance and passenger monitoring have been intensified, particularly for travellers arriving from high-risk regions.

“Passengers are being screened for symptoms associated with Ebola, and any suspected case will be promptly isolated and subjected to secondary health checks in line with established national and international health protocols,” the statement said.

FAAN noted that additional emergency response procedures have also been reinforced while airport personnel have undergone increased sensitisation as part of precautionary efforts.

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The authority stressed that there is currently no confirmed Ebola case in Nigeria but said it remains vigilant in safeguarding public health and ensuring safe airport operations.

“FAAN remains vigilant and fully committed to safeguarding public health and maintaining safe airport operations,” the agency stated.

READ ALSO: FAAN nabs four unauthorised persons at Akure airport

Passengers were also advised to remain calm, cooperate with health screening procedures and report any symptoms to health officials at the airports.

The development comes as health authorities across parts of Africa continue to monitor Ebola-related concerns and strengthen border surveillance to prevent cross-border transmission.

Nigeria’s aviation and health authorities have previously activated similar emergency screening measures during periods of global and regional disease outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and earlier Ebola scares.


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