Euphotic Labs, a Bengaluru-based AI start-up has unveiled an autonomous robot called ‘Nosh’ which can prepare more than 200 dishes. Some of the noteworthy dishes on the menu include Kadhai and Matar Paneer, Chicken and Fish Curry, Carrot Halwa, and most importantly, Potato Fry.
Nosh’s menu is quite impressive. It claims to be able to cook Breakfast, Veg and Non-Veg curries, Sautéed Veggies, Dry Non-Vegetarian Dishes, Rice Based items, Sweets, Continental dishes, Asian dishes and Soup.
AI Cooking – Market and Consumer Base
The urban consumer base of corporates living in Tier I and II cities have a major lifestyle problem pertaining to home-cooked food. The ideal customer profile for ‘Nosh’ are corporate employees and married couples with fast-paced lifestyles belonging to the median-high income segment. Nosh is solving the major urban consumer problem of access to fresh, home-cooked meals.
The market is relatively new and the product is still a novelty for the urban consumer base. Nosh belongs to a new product category which combines AI, home sciences and robotics. Euphotic Labs is currently targeting two prominent markets with the highest market demand, India and the United States. The product is priced on the expensive side with a median pricing point best suited for the upper middle class consumer base.
How the product works
Euphotic Lab’s product is an app-driven automated cooking robot which is designed to make one-pot cooking dishes. Technically, this means that it’s still not on par with full-fledged Indian home cooking. The recipes can be customized which is a much-needed feature for consumers with varying taste palettes.
Classic Indian home cooking involves the use of spices, alongside the generic base (onions + tomatoes) and an addition of protein (meat/tofu/veggies) for a typical side gravy or curry. Nosh can make all kinds of basic stir fry recipes. The product has slots to add in the spices and condiments. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the robot is trained to emulate human cooking by using an AI-enabled camera to add ingredients in an orderly sequence.
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Nosh’s menu is quite impressive. It claims to be able to cook Breakfast, Veg and Non-Veg curries, Sautéed Veggies, Dry Non-Vegetarian Dishes, Rice Based items, Sweets, Continental dishes, Asian dishes and Soup.
What’s in it for me?
B2C Cooking is a relatively new sector but there are already several new entrants offering automated kitchen technologies. Food start-ups should consider new-age technologies like Robotics, AI, ML and Computer Vision since the adoption rate is significantly higher post lockdown.
The market is steadily becoming more competitive as more entrants are cropping up. The time is ripe to venture into the market. First, come up with a successful prototype and get the word out. The advantage of venturing into this brand-new industry is that you don’t have to go for mass manufacturing until you have a significant number of pre-bookings and advance payments. Food Tech is a growing sector which has immense potential to scale up even before the pandemic ends.
