Hamburg Cooking Startup Circus Goes Public to Fund Further Tech Advancements in AI-Powered Kitchens

The Hamburg-based meal delivery startup Circus has made its public market debut on the Xetra exchange through a direct listing of existing shares. While not raising new capital, Circus founder and CEO Nikolas Bullwinkel sees the move giving employees an ownership stake and replenishing funds for the company’s technology-focused growth plans.

In an interview with F.A.Z., Bullwinkel outlined Circus’ goal of developing automated, AI-powered kitchens. The company is directing resources from operational efficiencies and the stock market launch towards refining its Aitme robotic acquisitions. In tightly controlled tests, Circus is optimizing the robots’ abilities to measure ingredients, mix foods and assemble dishes within five minutes.

By streamlining kitchen production, Circus aims to counter margin pressures in the competitive meal delivery industry. Its smartphone app already employs AI to customize menus and generate recipes tailored to individual user preferences and available supplies. With more user data, the technology is set to continually enhance workflow management and fine-tune demand forecasting.

While not yet scaled for operations, full automation of each kitchen task represents Circus’ long-term vision under Bullwinkel’s leadership. The technology-driven approach differentiates Circus and could unlock profitability as it eyes domestic and international growth funded without issuing new shares via the direct public offering. For investors and employees alike, Circus is firmly focused on robotics and artificial intelligence innovations in the kitchen of tomorrow.