Tag: Crown Digital

Homegrown Robobarista Ella Achieves Highest Daily Record of 400 Cups of Coffee Sold at Sengkang General Hospital, Paving Way for Additional Waves of Expansion in the Healthcare Sector

On-demand, AI-powered Robobarista further expand its footprint to Alexandra Hospital as testament to the rising demand for quality beverages coupled with high-tech automation in healthcare and service sectors.

  • Ella, Singapore’s AI-powered Robobarista, has integrated into the healthcare ecosystem with major healthcare facilities namely, Sengkang General Hospital (SKH), Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Alexandra Hospital as its third location.
  • While it was originally developed for the retail industry, Ella’s success in the healthcare industry has proven its versatility in carving out a niche to serve specialised sectors in need of on-demand beverages 24/7.
  • In 2024, Ella is poised for expansion to more SingHealth hospitals and facilities locally, as it continues to serve barista-grade coffee at precision and speed.

Ella by Crown Digital, Singapore’s first fully-autonomous, AI-led robot barista, has garnered significant acclaim at Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) and Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Her remarkable success in serving healthcare professionals and visitors with precision and efficiency has propelled her expansion into additional healthcare facilities across the nation. Alexandra Hospital is the latest to benefit from Ella’s presence, marking a milestone in her service journey nationwide.

Following Ella’s resounding success in her deployment at SKH, where she not only met but exceeded expectations by achieving a record daily average of 400 cups of coffee, her adaptability and relevance in healthcare settings became undeniable. Seamlessly integrating into the hospital environment, Ella continues to bring convenience and comfort to all through her consistent, efficient and contactless approach to serve high volumes of coffee at precision and speed. Now, with her recent launch at Alexandra Hospital, Ella has elicited positive feedback from healthcare providers, patients, and visitors alike within her first week.

“We are excited to launch Ella in Alexandra Hospital, extending the comfort and convenience of a great cuppa she’s brought to Sengkang General Hospital since October last year. By delivering high-quality barista-grade coffee to our healthcare heroes, patients, and caregivers, Ella embodies our commitment to unparalleled efficiency and reliability. Occupying just four-square-metres, Ella can be easily deployed across various locations while seamlessly managing payments, orders, production, and pick-up through Crown Digital’s technology stack. As we forge ahead, embracing innovation and robotics solutions, our success at SKH drives our continued expansion, commitment and leadership in this space,” said Keith Tan, CEO and Founder of Crown Digital.

Ella’s success underscores the consistent demand in healthcare settings for her precision, speed, and contactless efficiency in serving best tasting coffee ensuring unparalleled convenience and satisfaction to all stakeholders. Originally designed for the retail sector, Ella’s success in healthcare has solidified her position and expanded her reach to serve more consumers. Since her inception in 2018, Ella has delighted coffee enthusiasts locally and globally with artisanal, barista-grade coffee crafted from specially-curated Italian Buscaglione beans, ensuring consistent quality and precision. Capable of serving over 200 cups in an hour, Ella offers a swift coffee fix, significantly reducing wait times during peak periods.

Charity Wai, Chief Operating Officer of Sengkang General Hospital added, “Ella has earned a popular following in Sengkang General Hospital as visitors and staff alike appreciate the barista-grade coffee served with consistency, precision and speed. Having the first fully-autonomous AI-led robot barista aligns well with SKH’s vision also in using robotics and digitalisation to ensure we deliver quality care consistently and efficiently!  It’s great to see our visitors, patients and hospital staff able to access a good cup of coffee around the clock.”

“Ella was a lifesaver during my husband’s 6-week stay at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. On the many occasions that I stayed over with my husband, waking up to a nice fresh cup of coffee was essential. Subscribing to the pre-order service ensured I was able to have a quality cup of coffee anytime of the day which I appreciated the most. The commute between home, office and hospital became such a routine that Ella was the only comfort that kept my spirits up. It’s incredible how technology can bring such comfort, turning every stressful situation into a positive moment. Ella’s more than just a robot barista, but a beacon of cheer in a place where people are most vulnerable,” shared Crystal Bok, whose husband was warded at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Following Crown Digital’s success with three major healthcare providers in Singapore — SingHealth, National University Health System, and Parkway Health — Ella is poised for wider adoption in 2024. 

About Crown Digital
Full-stack start-up Crown Digital began with the goal of delivering a contactless coffee experience gourmet experience to the world’s growing community of grab-and-go commuters. Its creation, ELLA, the one of world’s first successful robot barista, humanised technology and demonstrated the potential of robotics and AI to re-invent the commuter lifestyle experience and re-energize urban retail. As ELLA deploys across major Asian transit hubs and retail locations, and now into the European Market, Crown Digital brings its expertise and insights to find new ways to create social value through robotics. The company strives to re-imagine and re-invent consumer-facing robotics to become the leading inventor, operator, and distributor of future-ready solutions.

For media enquiries, please contact ella@preciouscomms.com.

Crown Digital Spearheads the Future of AI in F&B with Ella the Robobarista at AIM Global

 Crown Digital, Singapore’s first full-stacked F&B tech startup and the creator of Ella the Robot Barista, has joined AIM Global, the Global Alliance on Artificial Intelligence for Industry and Manufacturing.

Crown Digital joins AIM Global as the first Singaporean company together with a diverse range of companies and institutions globally to support its ultimate goal of “progress by innovation” globally by harnessing the possibilities of frontier technologies. This strategic collaboration reflects its commitment to advancing safe, sustainable, and inclusive use of AI in industry and manufacturing.

On being part of AIM Global, Keith Tan, CEO and Founder of Crown Digital shared “This partnership affirms Crown Digital’s belief in responsible adoption of AI technologies for industrial development globally. We are proud of Ella’s recognition as a positive use case in driving the autonomous future of F&B, especially with the recent resurgence of AI and Robotics. We look forward to the opportunity to drive AIM Global’s vision, priorities and key initiatives related to AI with international stakeholders in both private and public sectors,” Keith Tan, CEO and Founder of Crown Digital

Guided by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), AIM Global promotes the responsible development and deployment of AI and frontier technologies. Aligned with the UN Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda, AIM Global shapes a digital future that is open, secure, and beneficial to all.

AI technologies are transforming industry and manufacturing, offering unprecedented opportunities for increased efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. However, the adoption of these technologies also brings ethical considerations, privacy concerns, and the imperative for inclusivity. As a new member, Crown Digital is excited to contribute to AIM Global’s mission of unlocking the full potential of AI for industry.

Continuing its support to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and recognising the importance of sustainability and responsible consumption, Crown Digital has also partnered with Terrascope, a global decarbonisation SaaS platform that supports enterprises in their green transformation. As part of their collaboration, Crown Digital worked closely with Terrascope to measure the carbon footprint of six coffees featured on their Ella menu, encompassing both cradle-to-gate and cradle-to-grave analysis.

Crown Digital, a Singaporean start-up aimed to propel the future of F&B through its autonomous solutions, has since grown to establish itself as a tech-driven enterprise to bring gourmet coffee to lovers of the aromatic beans globally through partnerships with Ella the Robot Barista across multiple industries.

At the 35th Palm & Lauric Oils Price Outlook Conference & Exhibition that took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, conference attendees were served with a special blend of hot chocolate and mocha infused with MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oils. This innovative pairing showcased the potential for combining advanced technology with health products and the endless possibilities to such partnerships in elevating brand experiences.

Crown Digital continued to elevate its partnership versatility when it demonstrated successes of payment gateway integration at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, through a collaboration with e&, one of the largest telecommunications and digital services providers in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Conference attendees got to witness the swift and seamless process and integration from ordering, payment to receiving their customised order of the high-quality caffeine beverage made by Ella.

Singaporeans can also conveniently experience a cup of Ella’s brew by paying using DBS Paylah! or PayNow. This is powered by Crown Digital’s integration with DBS MAX, DBS Bank’s end-to-end cashless collection solution for businesses.

There is no rest planned for Ella just yet as Crown Digital sets its sights on participating in various industry conferences around the Asia Pacific region, including major cities such as Bangkok, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Osaka, as it continues to establish itself as a trailblazer in the emerging robotics and automation space and not just a F&B startup.

About Crown Digital

Full-stack start-up Crown Digital began with the goal of delivering a contactless coffee experience gourmet experience to the world’s growing community of grab-and-go commuters. Its creation, ELLA, the one of world’s first successful robot barista, humanised technology and demonstrated the potential of robotics and AI to re-invent the commuter lifestyle experience and re-energize urban retail. As ELLA deploys across major Asian transit hubs and retail locations, Crown Digital brings its expertise and insights to find new ways to create social value through robotics. The company strives to re-imagine and re-invent consumer-facing robotics to become the leading inventor, operator, and distributor of future-ready solutions.

For media enquiries, please contact ella@preciouscomms.com.