The Importance of Human Capital in an Increasingly Automated World

As a smarter solution for service industry employees, Bear Robotics has made it our mission to not only enhance end-guest experiences through the efficiencies of automation but to also engineer working environments that promote greater potential, possibilities, and peace of mind for servers. Each of our innovations is conceived with a mission of amplifying human interactions by removing repetitive obstacles.

These values not only drive our innovative endeavors in the service industry, but also extend to our own employees. We strive each day to cultivate a culture of progress, personal development, and growth within the ever-evolving team at Bear Robotics. We understand our power lies within our people.  Sustaining continued growth across a diverse spectrum of departments is something we’ve been proud to achieve.

Having recently closed on $81M in Series B funding, we’re more empowered than ever to ensure our employee base is strong, sustainable, and satisfied.  However, headwinds have begun to surface across some of our peers.

In recent days, others in the hospitality sphere have slashed human capital. Lunchbox, a New York-based food-tech startup which raised $72 million in less than three years, laid off 33% of its employees. Also, DoorDash recently offloaded 35 employees after ending its robotics operation.

Similarly, Pudu Robotics  – China’s leading food delivery robot manufacturer announced an extreme round of layoffs. What’s even stranger – this announcement follows Pudu’s 2021 funding to the tune of nearly 1 billion RMB. In a post from “Pudu Robotics Colleague Circle” the company reports that no department will be spared in these upcoming layoffs, all their fresh graduates would be dismissed, as the company cannot afford the compensation. 

There does, however, remain some areas of upside for the hospitality industry. At a time when global consumer sentiment is so high, even blue-chip companies like Blackstone are betting on a healthy return to hospitality as Covid restrictions ease and consumers flock to the market.

In the cross section where the automation and hospitality industries combine to provide synergistic value, there must be a fundamental belief in the power of people. Without that, the entire philosophy of enhancing human interaction with the aid of robots is lost. Ultimately, these values should be demonstrated by the companies who claim to believe them. This is why Bear Robotics will do everything in our power to not only keep our employees but to cultivate their growth.