Robot bartender maker Monsieur takes in $2 million

The robo-bartender is now $2 million richer!

Atlanta-based startup Monsieur, which makes robotic bartenders, announced a $2 million seed round of venture funding yesterday. BIP Capital led the round, followed by Base Ventures and TechSquare Labs. Tennessee Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan and Los Angeles Clippers power forward Glen Davis also participated in the round.

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Monsieur claims it has developed what is literally the first AI robot that can bartend and pour drinks. The robot runs in conjunction with Monsieur-produced apps for iOS and Android devices.

The robot’s mixology skills and pours have laser-like accuracy, company executives say, and are, according to a release, “precisely tailored to meet the most discerning tastes, all at the touch of a button.”

Monsieur was started in 2013 by a group of Georgia Tech grads. They launched a well-publicized Kickstarter fundraising campaign, which yielded them capital to help get the idea, and technology, off the ground. A few home state tech awards enabled them to bring the dream of automated barkeeps to fruition.

A press release trumpeting the money said:

Monsieur is a cocktail ordering, preparation, and service system that enables users to enjoy bartender quality cocktails in seconds, and tabulates detailed data on the [business’s] alcoholic beverage operations.

In fact, there are actually three components to the robo-tender: the machine that makes and pours the drinks, the mobile app, and a web-based app that manages the robo-tender remotely. The founders say their creation will help personalize drinking rituals at watering holes and cruise ships the world over.

The cash will be used to hire more engineers and marketing experts.

Pouring drinks and even managing inventory is not all the robo-tender does. If a patron ordering their next Maker’s Mark is too drunk to drive, the robot will send a message to Uber for a safe ride home.

The robot is not cheap. Each machine costs $3,999. Whether patrons, sober or otherwise, want to be served by an AI creation remains to be seen. And it’s not yet clear whether the robot can break up bar fights.

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