Food Tech Startup Yo-Kai Express Expands Partnerships with Japan, Celebrity Chefs

YKE announces first Tokyo office opening for Summer 2021 via Scrum Ventures' Food Tech Studio - Bites! Program

SAN FRANCISCO, April 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- While restaurants and small businesses everywhere have struggled to survive the pandemic, U.S.-based food tech startup Yo-Kai Express (YKE) has leveraged its technology and ideas to evolve and transform its business models to broader platforms. An innovator that featured at CES this year, YKE made its first splash in 2018 with a robotic ramen vending machine that served just a few options. Since that time, the firm has successfully built out several partnerships and platforms with major food corporations on multiple continents and is even collaborating now with celebrity chefs.

Scrum Ventures'Food Tech Studio - Bites! (FTS-B!), an open innovation program that connects global startups with Japan's leading food manufacturers, has recognized YKE as a stand out among the participants. This resulted in a series of business matching meetings with program partners such as JR East, Japan's largest railway company, and led to YKE Japan's new Tokyo headquarters plan. The new office will be located at K, D, C,,, a JR East facility developed as a food tech coworking space with shared concept kitchens and dining hall demo workspaces. Other program partnerships have introduced innovative materials to YKE so it can debut new vegan menu items.