Barney Wragg is the CEO and co-founder of Karakuri, a robotic kitchen automation startup that’s aiming to improve efficiency and cut food waste in restaurants.
Founded in 2018, its two main products are a robotic arm that can serve personalised dishes such as Asian fusion bowls, and an automated fryer.
The London-based company has raised £13.5m in funding and is targeting the canteen and quick service market.
Wragg has a background in physics and music, joining British microchip designer Arm in the 1990s when it was still a startup. He went on to have roles at companies including Universal, EMI and AEG before returning to the startup world to launch Karakuri with co-founder Brent Hoberman.
In this week’s Founder in Five Q&A, Wragg explains why Covid was difficult for robotics businesses, reflects on his time at Arm and reveals the technology he thinks is doomed to fail....