Bobacino
Shut DownRaised Since FeaturedYour personal robo-bobarista
Fully automated robotic kiosk that makes customizable boba tea drinks using AI and robotics.
About
Bobacino developed a fully automated robotic boba tea bar that used an articulating arm to mix tea, sweetened milk, syrup, and tapioca pearls into customizable bubble tea drinks. The company was part of the Wavemaker Labs portfolio of food automation startups, targeting the $4.3 billion global boba tea market with a kiosk format that could operate in malls, airports, and college campuses without staff. Founded by Darian Ahler, who previously co-founded robotic coffee kiosk company Truebird, Bobacino raised over $5M through equity crowdfunding on StartEngine and Wax Invest and formed an R&D partnership with Boba Guys. The company put product development on hold in 2024 as part of a broader collapse of the Wavemaker Labs portfolio.
DailyDropout Take
Bobacino represented a bet on robotic food automation meeting the booming boba tea market. While the concept of an automated boba kiosk was compelling, the company ultimately fell victim to the broader collapse of the Wavemaker Labs portfolio, shutting down before reaching commercial deployment.
Discovery signal: Wavemaker Labs backing, growing boba tea market, equity crowdfunding traction
What Makes Them Unique
Bobacino was one of the first companies to apply robotic automation specifically to boba tea, a beverage category with complex preparation steps (tapioca pearls, tea brewing, milk mixing) that made it a natural fit for automation.
~$5M
Total Raised
1,256+
Crowdfunding Investors
Target Markets
Founders
Darian Ahler
Founder & CEO
Previously co-founded and served as head of operations at Truebird, a NYC-based robotic coffee kiosk company.
Funding History
Lead: StartEngine
Lead: Wax Invest