- South Korean startup GoPizza is disrupting the pizza market using AI and robots.
- GoPizza plans to open 100 more compacts.
- The CEO aims to build GoPizza into an international pizza brand, reaching the US market.
GoPizza: AI & robots for pizza
South Korean startup GoPizza is using AI and robots to make pizza more accessible.
GoPizza founder and CEO Jay Lim started the company in 2016 after being frustrated with paying high prices and waiting over an hour for pizza deliveries in Singapore.
Now GoPizza is the third largest pizza chain in Singapore, with over 200 stores across Asia.
GoPizza’s patented ovens can bake pizzas in under 5 minutes, half the time of conventional ovens.
Growth strategy: rapid expansion
Robots precisely sprinkle ingredients while AI monitors the topping process for consistency.
GoPizza competes on value against fast food chains like Subway and KFC. Its pizzas are priced from $5 to $9, slightly cheaper than personal pizzas from Pizza Hut and Domino’s.
The company is expanding rapidly, opening 6 new Singapore stores in December 2023 alone.
GoPizza’s compact 50 sq ft stores situated inside convenience stores and cinemas break even within 6 months.
CEO’s Vision: Asia to US Market
Close to 40% of its Singapore stores were EBITDA positive in their first 6 months. GoPizza plans to open 100 more small stores across South Korea this year.
According to CEO Lim, GoPizza now has enough funding to be EBITDA-positive in 2024.
Lim aims to build GoPizza into an internationally recognized pizza brand, with plans to expand to the US market eventually.
He believes GoPizza’s focus on technology and automation differentiates it from artisanal pizza makers.
