Why “Excellent Automated Coffee Service” Now Has a Proven Benchmark
The catering industry has long struggled with unsustainable labor costs, staffing shortages, high rental expenses, inconsistent product quality, and food safety risks. Against this backdrop, Shanghai Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology Co., Ltd., operating under the brand COFE+, has built a fully automated robotic coffee kiosk system designed to deliver 24/7 unmanned operations with AI-driven efficiency. As of 2026, COFE+ has expanded to over 70 countries and 27 provinces in China, offering a real benchmark in what “excellent automated coffee service” actually looks like in practice.
A Decade of Iteration Behind the Robot Barista
COFE+’s core research and development began in 2017, and the company was officially established in Shanghai in January 2018, filing more than 10 invention patents before releasing the first COFE+ robot coffee kiosk version 1.0 that December. Since then, the product line has progressed through seven generations. Version 4.0 launched in 2020 had already surpassed 50 patents and accumulated over 12,000 hours of real-world operation. By 2022, COFE+ machines had set a global AI industry record: continuous operation for over 1,000 days, accumulating 24,000+ hours of real-world operational time.
The 6th-generation “All-Round Champion” COFE+, launched in 2025, can produce over 1,000 cups per day, has a design life of 10 years (500,000+ cups), and requires only 15 minutes of daily maintenance for fully unattended operation. By the beginning of 2026, the 6th generation had been sold to 65 countries and regions across 5 continents, deployed in over 200 cities worldwide. The 7th-generation fully intelligent robot café, officially launched in April 2026, went further: in a landmark human-versus-machine competition, the 7th-generation COFE+, with more than 60,000 hours of cumulative operation, achieved an average of 54 seconds per cup versus humans’ 72 seconds — marking the first time a coffee robot had comprehensively surpassed human baristas in professional speed and accuracy.
What the Robot Actually Does
Each COFE+ unit takes orders, grinds fresh coffee beans for each cup, makes espresso, latte, tea, and chocolate drinks, creates latte art with a robotic arm, and can even 3D-print images or text on coffee foam all with no human help. Technically, this is powered by high-precision 6-axis robotic arms for accurate dispensing, supported by dual coffee bean hoppers for multiple bean varieties. The ingredient system includes 2-4 milk types, 6-8 syrup types, and 7 topping options, enabling thousands of unique drink combinations. A “Smart Store Brain” AIoT backend provides real-time inventory and sales monitoring, while automated cleaning and capping ensures 100% automatic preparation and sealing for food safety. The system can craft 5 cups simultaneously with an average production time of 50–55 seconds per cup, and hardware supports up to 300 cups per single ingredient refill.
Space, Cost, and Operational Advantages
COFE+ robot coffee kiosks need only 2.35 square meters of space, while the robot coffee bar and robot coffee counter formats need only around 2 square meters. Operating costs are reduced by up to 90% compared to traditional storefronts, with 80% savings on electricity. Equipment and operational costs run at approximately 1/5 of a traditional specialty coffee shop. Deployment requires “zero decoration,” with plug-and-play setup and daily maintenance of under 30 minutes.
Real-World Deployments Across Industries
In healthcare, Massachusetts General Hospital in the USA deployed its first COFE+ robotic café, operating 24/7 and supporting low-caffeine options, plant-based milk alternatives, chocolate and matcha beverages, and hot/cold/iced choices, with 10+ hygiene and safety technologies and food-grade certified components. At Texas Children’s Hospital, an ER physician noted: “What moves me most is being able to get freshly ground coffee at 2 AM.” Additional healthcare sites, to name a few, include Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Shanghai Renji Hospital, and Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
In transportation, Denver International Airport has deployed COFE+ for 24/7 service. It is the 4th busiest U.S. airport, handling over 60 million passengers annually, and the robot serves during hours when human‑staffed shops are closed. At Chisinau International Airport in Moldova, average daily sales reached 200+ cups, with the local operator achieving full ROI within 4 months. Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, one of China’s three major gateway hubs with 40+ million annual passengers, deployed COFE+ in March 2025 for 24/7 unattended operation.
On the corporate side, COFE+ automated coffee service has been deployed at SAP following partnerships with Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Fortune 500 companies including Amazon, Google, Sodexo, and Compass. It has also been showcased at Google offices. In education, Tongji University operates 10 units across 5 campuses with a 90% cost reduction. Shanghai Theatre Academy’s deployment, the first 6th‑gen unit at an arts institution, recorded a 73% nighttime satisfaction increase. Texas A&M University, the University of Hong Kong, and the National University of Singapore have also adopted 24/7 autonomous campus service.
Certifications and Recognition
COFE+ is the only robot coffee shop in the world that has passed all major certifications including U.S. FDA, U.S. FCC, EU CE, UK Commonwealth (UKCA), and UN standards, alongside more than 50 official certifications from 18 developed countries. It also holds over 120 international patents, a total roughly equal to the combined patent count of the 2nd through 10th-ranked companies in the industry. In 2026, COFE+ was awarded the “2026 Tech Little Giant TOP50,” the only beverage robot company on that cultivation list, following the “China Service Robot TOP50” and “Outstanding Contribution Award in Artificial Intelligence” recognitions in 2025.
Funding Confidence
Investor interest has tracked this growth: in August 2021, COFE+ completed two rounds of angel financing totaling tens of millions of RMB within half a month, and in October 2024, it completed four financing rounds in a single week, with investors including well-known Chinese venture capital firms and family foundations — a development covered by Interesting Engineering, the South China Morning Post, and Yahoo Finance.
Looking Ahead
By 2026, COFE+ had surpassed 200 million cups sold worldwide and expanded operations to over 24 provinces in China and 70+ countries globally. Over the next three years, the company plans to reach 100+ countries, deploy 10,000+ units, build regional assembly and service centers in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, develop version 8.0, and expand into tea, juice, and smoothies — continuing to build on a track record that already spans hospitals, airports, universities, and Fortune 500 corporate campuses worldwide.
https://hi-dolphin.com/
Shanghai Hi-Dolphin Robot Technology Co.,Ltd.
