SoftBank Investment Advisers

SoftBank Investment Advisers is a venture capital firm established in 2017 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It operates as a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp. and specializes in growth capital and late-stage investments predominantly within the technology sector. The firm focuses on a diverse array of industries, including internet-of-things, artificial intelligence, robotics, telecommunications, computational biology, fintech, and digital financial services. With a preference for global investments, particularly in the United States, SoftBank Investment Advisers typically commits a minimum of $100 million to both minority and majority stakes in private and public companies. The firm is known for offering operational expertise and leveraging a vast global network, aiming to support innovative companies that have the potential to revolutionize their respective fields. It maintains additional offices in key locations such as Tokyo, San Francisco, and Singapore.

Karim Abouzahr

Director, SoftBank Europe Ventures

Lee Bocker

COO

John Cassidy

Investment Director, Life Sciences and HealthTech

Tom Cheung

Partner, Americas

Rodrigo Costa

Partner

Serena Dayal

Investment Director

Angela Du

Investor

Colin Fan

Managing Partner, Americas, Asia

Ted Fike

Director, Americas

Ronald Fisher

Executive Vice Chairman

Eric Gan

Executive Vice President

Navneet Govil

Managing Partner, CFO

Ayush Jain

Investment Vice President

Lydia Jett

Partner

Sumer Juneja

Partner and Head of India

Robert Kaplan

Investment Director

Hiroaki Kitano

SVP

Anna Lo

Director, Americas

Amit Lubovsky

Director, Americas

Jimi Macdonald

Director

Ken Miyauchi

Representative Director and Senior Executive Vice President

Greg Moon

Managing Partner, Asia

Akshay Naheta

Partner, EMEA

Karol Niewiadomski

Partner

Shu Nyatta

Managing Partner

Max Ohrstrand

Partner, EMEA

Vikas Parekh

Partner

Yanni Pipilis

Managing Partner

Narendra Rathi

Director, Asia

Saleh Romeih

Managing Partner, Investment Committee Member, SBIA, EMEA

David Thevenon

Partner

Ram Trichur

Partner

Ervin Tu

Partner, Americas

Munish Varma

Partner, EMEA, Asia

Aaron Wong

Vice President

Andrew Zloto

Investment Director

Tim Yap

Director, EMEA

Vishal Gupta

Director

Past deals in Restaurants

Gousto

Secondary Market in 2022
Gousto is a home meal kit service that delivers fresh, organic, and seasonal ingredients along with curated recipes directly to customers' doorsteps. Founded in 2011 by two friends, the company was born out of a desire to simplify home cooking by providing all the necessary ingredients in the right proportions, eliminating the need for multiple grocery trips. Each week, subscribers can choose from a selection of new recipes developed by a team of professional chefs, ensuring a diverse range of cuisines and styles. Customers have the flexibility to pause their subscription as needed, making it convenient for those with busy lifestyles. Gousto's approach combines quality with ease, enabling individuals and families to prepare delicious and healthy meals at home without the hassle of planning or shopping.

7shifts

Series C in 2022
7shifts is a comprehensive team management platform specifically designed for the restaurant industry. It offers a suite of tools that assist restaurateurs in making informed decisions, enhancing team retention, and streamlining operations. Catering to all staff levels, from front of house to back of house, 7shifts is utilized by over 40,000 restaurants and one million professionals in the sector. The platform features employee scheduling software that automates work hour management and provides detailed analytics, which fosters employee engagement and improves communication. By facilitating efficient scheduling and reducing the need for last-minute changes, 7shifts enables restaurant managers to optimize their workforce and lower labor costs.

Gousto

Venture Round in 2022
Gousto is a home meal kit service that delivers fresh, organic, and seasonal ingredients along with curated recipes directly to customers' doorsteps. Founded in 2011 by two friends, the company was born out of a desire to simplify home cooking by providing all the necessary ingredients in the right proportions, eliminating the need for multiple grocery trips. Each week, subscribers can choose from a selection of new recipes developed by a team of professional chefs, ensuring a diverse range of cuisines and styles. Customers have the flexibility to pause their subscription as needed, making it convenient for those with busy lifestyles. Gousto's approach combines quality with ease, enabling individuals and families to prepare delicious and healthy meals at home without the hassle of planning or shopping.

ezCater

Series D in 2021
ezCater, Inc. is an online catering marketplace that facilitates food ordering for both small startups and large corporations. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with an additional office in Denver, the company connects businesses with local caterers and restaurants across the nation. ezCater offers a platform that allows users to easily find and order food for meetings and events, utilizing features that filter caterers by food type, budget, and other criteria. The company's solutions include ezManage, a catering management platform, and ezOrdering, which enables restaurants to accept catering orders directly through their websites. By streamlining the catering process, ezCater helps clients save time and efficiently select suitable catering options.

Frubana

Series C in 2021
Frubana is a digital platform based in Bogotá, Colombia, that connects restaurants and small retailers with agricultural suppliers. Founded in 2018, the company aims to streamline the procurement process by enabling direct transactions between restaurants and farmers, eliminating intermediaries to enhance price transparency and reduce trade barriers. In addition to facilitating the purchase of food products, Frubana offers tools for restaurants to digitize their menus and websites, including the creation of "Virtual Frubana Menus" that utilize QR codes for easy sharing with customers. Through its comprehensive services, Frubana supports the food supply chain, making it more efficient for both suppliers and businesses in the urban food market.

Swiggy

Series J in 2021
Swiggy is an on-demand food delivery platform that connects customers with local restaurants, allowing them to order meals conveniently through a user-friendly app. The platform provides a comprehensive listing of nearby restaurants and their menus, enabling users to place orders and track deliveries in real-time. In addition to food delivery, Swiggy has expanded its services to include the pickup and drop-off of various items, such as laundry and documents, catering to both individual and business clients. By offering timely deliveries and promotional discounts, Swiggy aims to enhance the customer experience and ensure that meals are delivered fresh and promptly.

Frubana

Series B in 2021
Frubana is a digital platform based in Bogotá, Colombia, that connects restaurants and small retailers with agricultural suppliers. Founded in 2018, the company aims to streamline the procurement process by enabling direct transactions between restaurants and farmers, eliminating intermediaries to enhance price transparency and reduce trade barriers. In addition to facilitating the purchase of food products, Frubana offers tools for restaurants to digitize their menus and websites, including the creation of "Virtual Frubana Menus" that utilize QR codes for easy sharing with customers. Through its comprehensive services, Frubana supports the food supply chain, making it more efficient for both suppliers and businesses in the urban food market.

Nextbite

Series C in 2020
Nextbite is a technology platform based in Los Angeles, California, that specializes in order aggregation and the management of virtual restaurants. Founded in 2017, the company provides a comprehensive solution for restaurants by offering branding, marketing, and an efficient order management system. This platform allows restaurant partners to optimize underutilized labor and kitchen capacity, ultimately enhancing their operational efficiency and increasing profit margins. By streamlining the online ordering process, Nextbite enables restaurants to grow their business while effectively managing multiple service channels from a single dashboard.

Bear Robotics

Series A in 2020
Bear Robotics, Inc. designs and manufactures autonomous robots specifically for the food service industry. Based in Redwood City, California, the company offers Penny, a self-driven robot that utilizes artificial intelligence to transport food, dishes, and drinks while also providing customer service in restaurants. Founded in 2017, Bear Robotics aims to address challenges faced by the restaurant sector, such as rising labor costs and staffing shortages. By integrating robotics into restaurant operations, the company seeks to enhance the dining experience for customers, increase job satisfaction for employees, and boost profitability for restaurant owners.

Frubana

Series A in 2020
Frubana is a digital platform based in Bogotá, Colombia, that connects restaurants and small retailers with agricultural suppliers. Founded in 2018, the company aims to streamline the procurement process by enabling direct transactions between restaurants and farmers, eliminating intermediaries to enhance price transparency and reduce trade barriers. In addition to facilitating the purchase of food products, Frubana offers tools for restaurants to digitize their menus and websites, including the creation of "Virtual Frubana Menus" that utilize QR codes for easy sharing with customers. Through its comprehensive services, Frubana supports the food supply chain, making it more efficient for both suppliers and businesses in the urban food market.

DoorDash

Series G in 2019
DoorDash, Inc. is a logistics platform founded in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. It connects merchants, consumers, and delivery personnel, primarily in the United States, but has expanded its services to Europe through the acquisition of Wolt in 2022. The company operates a marketplace that allows merchants, including restaurants, grocery stores, and retailers, to reach customers by offering food and other goods for pickup or delivery. DoorDash provides a range of services to help merchants address critical challenges, including customer acquisition, payment processing, and customer support, while also offering a white-label logistics service called DoorDash Drive. The company aims to enhance local economies by facilitating connections between consumers and their favorite businesses.

OakNorth Bank

Venture Round in 2019
OakNorth Bank is a digital-only commercial bank based in London, established in 2015 to address the financing needs of small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the United Kingdom, particularly those overlooked by traditional banks. The bank offers a variety of financial products, including personal and business savings accounts, fixed-term deposits, and tailored debt financing solutions that support growth-oriented businesses such as property developers, care homes, and restaurants. With a focus on using data and analytics, OakNorth evaluates potential borrowers through forward-looking scenario analysis rather than relying solely on historical financial data. This approach has enabled the bank to lend over £10 billion, assisting in the creation of thousands of jobs and affordable housing units. Despite challenges like Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, OakNorth has maintained its commitment to supporting its clients, resulting in a high rate of referrals and repeat business among borrowers.

Bear Robotics

Angel Round in 2017
Bear Robotics, Inc. designs and manufactures autonomous robots specifically for the food service industry. Based in Redwood City, California, the company offers Penny, a self-driven robot that utilizes artificial intelligence to transport food, dishes, and drinks while also providing customer service in restaurants. Founded in 2017, Bear Robotics aims to address challenges faced by the restaurant sector, such as rising labor costs and staffing shortages. By integrating robotics into restaurant operations, the company seeks to enhance the dining experience for customers, increase job satisfaction for employees, and boost profitability for restaurant owners.
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