Singapore, Oct. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ROLO Robotics, is a Singapore-based food robotics company pioneering fully autonomous micro-kitchen solutions and systems, has raised US$3.45 million in an oversubscribed Seed round led by BEENEXT, with participation from Blueprint Ventures, TIS Japan, Seedstars, A2D Ventures, SUTD Ventures, Antler, and Lotus One Investment. The round also saw continued support from strategic angels Valentin Schillo and Gilbert Rodrigues.

Labor shortages are a growing global problem driving up consumer prices
Across developed markets globally, mounting labour shortages, soaring wages, and tightening margins are the key challenges for any food operator today. In Singapore, F&B wages have risen 40–50 % over five years while turnover exceeds 100 % annually. Rising rents, food costs and compliance costs further strain profitability, forcing many kitchens to reduce hours or close altogether. Margins are shrinking, yet the demand for variety and optionality continue to soar. Those who win, do so because they have found a way to maintain margins and profitability at scale.  

ROLO’s Robotics micro-kitchen solutions offer unmanned cooking and service through robotics, automation and AI, removing dependency on human labor. Each autonomous unit can operate 24/7 with minimal replenishment, cutting labour costs by up to 80 % across the value chain while improving consistency, quality, food safety, availability and driving down costs for consumers.

“At ROLO, we believe the future of food service is human-robot collaboration — food that’s affordable, customisable and always fresh,” said Ravi Nahappan, Co-Founder & CEO. “MAYA 3.0 brings industrial-grade precision into everyday kitchens. This funding allows us to accelerate deployments in Singapore and Australia while strengthening the connective tissue between robotics, AI and future humanoid collaboration.”

MAYA 3.0 – The World’s First Autonomous Fast-Food Kiosk
ROLO’s flagship solution –      MAYA 3.0 – integrates robotic arms, multi-appliance coordination and proprietary ChefOS AI to cook, package and serve fresh meals in a compact footprint. Unlike vending or reheated meal systems, MAYA visibly cooks food to order with full customisation of flavours and add-ons. It provides convenience with customisation. The menu offering does not stop there with other cuisine workflows including Asian Noodles, Salad Bowls, Pasta and Wok dishes in the pipeline.        

Jeremy Soh, Vice President at BEENEXT, added: “ROLO isn’t just prototyping — it’s deploying real systems that solve real labour and cost challenges. The combination of reliable hardware and intelligent orchestration software gives ROLO a defensible edge. With commercial pilots already signed, Ravi and Tushar are building a category-defining company at the forefront of applied robotics in food service.”

Deployments are planned across Singapore in partnership with food operators, universities, hospitals and transport hubs, followed by pilot sites in Australia (Q1 2026). The company targets 20–30 autonomous micro-kitchens in Singapore by 2026, creating a distributed, connected network of always-on robotic micro-kitchens.

Building the Connected Ecosystem for the Future of Food
Beyond its own units, ROLO is partnering with ingredient producers, kitchen-equipment makers and contract caterers to develop automation-ready products and integrate its control software into next-generation appliances. This ecosystem approach allows the entire supply chain — from central kitchens to facility operators — to scale efficiently and sustainably.    

About ROLO Robotics
Founded in Singapore, ROLO Robotics develops autonomous kitchen systems that merge robotics, AI and food engineering to power the next generation of food service. Its flagship micro-kitchen, MAYA, enables 24/7 unmanned operation across retail, campus, industrial and hospitality environments.

Media Contact
hello@rolorobotics.com | www.rolorobotics.com | ROLO Robotics Pte Ltd, Singapore

TAIPEI, Oct. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) announced the appointment of Dr. Pei-Zen Chang as its new President.

In his inaugural address, Dr. Chang emphasized that innovation remains the driving force behind Taiwan’s industrial growth. He noted that amid global shifts and rapid technological advancement, ITRI will continue to serve as the government’s most trusted think tank and the industry’s most reliable technology partner.

Dr. Chang outlined three key priorities for ITRI moving forward: empowering talent through cross-institutional and interdisciplinary collaboration to advance cutting-edge technologies; accelerating industrial transformation across both high-tech and traditional sectors; and strengthening international engagement to connect Taiwan with global partners and promote the nation’s innovation leadership worldwide.

Dr. Chang earned his Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from Cornell University and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from National Taiwan University (NTU). A distinguished expert in technology policy and R&D management, he has held several prominent leadership positions, including Deputy Executive Secretary of the Executive Yuan’s Science and Technology Group, Chairman of the Nanotechnology and Micro System Association, Secretary General of NTU, Executive Vice President of ITRI, and Dean of D-School @ NTU. His research interests encompass mechatronic systems, industrial sensing, and digital technologies.

About ITRI

Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the world’s leading technology R&D institutions aiming to innovate a better future for society. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan’s industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. To address market needs and global trends, it has launched its 2035 Technology Strategy and Roadmap that focuses on innovation development in Smart Living, Quality Health, Sustainable Environment, and Resilient Society.

Over the years, ITRI has been dedicated to incubating startups and spinoffs, including well-known names such as UMC and TSMC. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, ITRI has branch offices in the U.S., Germany, the UK, Japan, and Thailand in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote international cooperation across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.itri.org/eng.

SHANGHAI, Oct. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, the XMAN-R1, a humanoid embodied service robot developed by Keenon Robotics – a global leader in general-purpose and special-purpose embodied humanoid robots – has been officially deployed at the Shangri-La Traders Hotel, Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. The hotel has not only become one staffed by humanoid robot servers but also establishes the world’s first smart scenario model demonstrating collaborative operations between “General-Purpose + Special-Purpose” robots. Keenon’s integrated robot matrix has been fully integrated into the hotel’s operations, covering diverse scenarios such as front desk greetings, room cleaning, food and item delivery, and luggage handling.

The newly opened Shangri-La Traders Hotel, Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, part of the Shangri-La Group portfolio, aims to create a benchmark for a new generation of business hotels combining efficiency and enjoyment. Facing challenges like high service demand and the critical need for consistent service quality, the hotel management sought technological innovation to optimize human resource allocation, strengthen service standardization, and create a unique stay experience for guests.

In this partnership, Keenon’s humanoid service robot XMAN-R1 assumes the role of a greeter. Through natural language interaction and anthropomorphic actions, it can proactively greet arriving guests, engage in intelligent Q&A interactions, and present a welcome gift to each guest. Its smooth and natural service performance creates a highly technological and immersive experience for guests. Keenon’s special-purpose robots also perform their respective duties diligently: the delivery robot W3 handles in-room deliveries; the high-payload transport robot S100 manages luggage; the cleaning robot C40 takes care of hotel cleaning; and food delivery within the hotel restaurant is handled by Keenon’s T10 and T3 robots.

The XMAN-R1 is Keenon’s humanoid service robot, developed based on vast amounts of real-world scenario data and designed with the philosophy of “Role-Oriented, User-Friendly, and Safety-First,” enabling it to seamlessly adapt to the service industry scenarios Keenon has deeply cultivated for years. The core driving force behind it is the company’s self-developed KOM2.0, the world’s first Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model for the service industry, which forms the foundation of the robot’s general intelligence. The vertically-optimized model for specific domains like hotels, KEENON ProS, acts like comprehensive “vocational training,” equipping the robot with professional job skills. Keenon’s proposed concept of “Robot Role-Orientation” involves deconstructing commercial service scenarios into independent work modules, where each module corresponds to a single, standardized role with clearly defined boundaries and responsibilities, establishing a precise “Robot-to-Role” correspondence. This approach is expected to accelerate the commercial application of embodied humanoid robots.

As a pioneer with 15 years of deep cultivation in the service robotics field, Keenon Robotics has successfully deployed its embodied robot solutions in over 60 countries and regions worldwide, with cumulative deployments exceeding 100,000 units. Addressing the unique challenges of the service industry – characterized by non-standardization, high dynamism, and strong interaction – Keenon’s strategy of synergistic advancement between “General-Purpose” and “Special-Purpose” robots will faster promote the broader commercial adoption of embodied intelligence. Humanoid robots, with their anthropomorphic form, demonstrate innate advantages in environmental adaptation, intent understanding, and complex task execution; while special-purpose robots for delivery, cleaning, etc., achieve superior operational efficiency in their respective roles.

The successful deployment of this Keenon general-purpose and special-purpose robot portfolio at the Shangri-La Traders Hotel, Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, not only embodies the concentration of Keenon’s years of commercial scenario data accumulation and technological development but also signifies that embodied intelligence is now practically enhancing hotel operational quality and guest stay experiences in a more efficient and convenient manner, providing a highly valuable practical reference model for the industry’s intelligent upgrade.

KOHAT, Pakistan, Oct. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In a milestone for higher education in Pakistan, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST) has entered into a strategic partnership with MindHYVE.ai™ to introduce ArthurAI™, an advanced agentic AI learning platform, into its academic ecosystem.

Pioneering the future of learning — KUST partners with MindHYVE.ai™ to bring agentic AI education to Pakistan’s classrooms

The collaboration—formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on October 21, 2025—marks KUST as the first public university in Pakistan to pilot an agentic AI learning platform that integrates artificial intelligence with pedagogy, personalization, and data-driven academic innovation.

The initiative aligns with Pakistan’s Open and Distance Learning (ODL) framework, positioning KUST at the forefront of digital transformation in education.

ArthurAI™: Enabling Intelligent, Personalized Learning

Developed on MindHYVE’s educational reasoning framework, ArthurAI™ is designed to make education adaptive, data-informed, and accessible at scale.

The platform leverages Learning Cognitive Profiling (LCP) — an AI system that continuously analyzes student learning patterns to deliver personalized content, insights, and feedback in real time.

Early institutional deployments have demonstrated measurable improvements in:

• Instructional efficiency, reducing manual course-preparation time and enabling educators to focus on mentorship and research.
• Student engagement, supported by adaptive content generation and predictive analytics.
• Learning continuity and accessibility, through a secure, cloud-based architecture optimized for reliability and performance.

At KUST, the ArthurAI™ Academic Excellence Edition will be implemented across select faculties to evaluate the impact of AI-personalized instruction, data-driven teaching analytics, and real-time curriculum adaptation within classroom and distance-learning environments.

Integrating AI Literacy for the Future Workforce

The partnership will also explore the integration of The Dawn Directive, a groundbreaking AI literacy and fluency program authored by MindHYVE’s agentic AI educator — and developed under the California Institute of Artificial Intelligence (CIAI).

Through this program, KUST students and faculty will gain exposure to AI literacy, digital communication, data ethics, and responsible AI collaboration, ensuring readiness for the emerging AI economy.

The partnership also emphasizes transparency, inclusivity, and responsible technology deployment, aligning with international frameworks for ethical and explainable AI in education.

Dr. Syed Zafar Ilyas, Vice Chancellor of KUST, stated:
“This collaboration represents a turning point for Pakistani higher education. By integrating MindHYVE’s intelligent learning technologies, KUST is embracing the future of academic innovation — one where education is adaptive, data-driven, and student-centered.”

Bill Faruki, Founder and CEO of MindHYVE.ai™:
“With ArthurAI™, education becomes truly personalized and inclusive. Our partnership with KUST creates a scalable model for AI-integrated learning that supports educators, empowers students, and ensures responsible innovation across institutions in Pakistan.”

About Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST)

Established in 2001, KUST is a leading public university located in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The institution offers programs across science, technology, management, and life sciences, and is committed to academic excellence, research innovation, and the digital transformation of higher education (www.kust.edu.pk)

About MindHYVE.ai™

MindHYVE.ai™ is redefining the boundaries of intelligence by engineering autonomous systems and deploying domain-specific AGI agents across real-world sectors. Powered by the Ava-Fusion™ large reasoning model and architected for agent coordination, swarm intelligence, and adaptive autonomy, MindHYVE’s technology stack is revolutionizing law, medicine, finance, education, and governance.

With operations in North America, Asia, and Africa, MindHYVE.ai™ is on a mission to democratize access to transformative intelligence and architect the infrastructure for post-scarcity economies. Backed by HYVE Labs, the company continues to shape the future of agentic systems on a global scale.

Website: www.mindhyve.ai | Email: hello@mindhyve.io | Contact: +1 (949) 200-8668

Media Contact:
Marc Ortiz
Email: marc.ortiz@mindhyve.io

BEIJING, Oct. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — To honour the 80^th anniversary of Taiwan’s recovery from Japanese occupation, China Media Group proudly announces the premiere of a six-episode historical documentary series titled Homeland Restored: 80 Years Since Taiwan’s Recovery from Japanese Occupation starting November 1st.

Drawing on extensive historical archives and the insights of both scholars and eyewitnesses, this documentary series underscores a key fact: that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are two parts of an inseparable community with a shared future together. Highlighting that Taiwan’s restoration to China is an outcome of the WWII victory and part and parcel of the postwar international order, it stresses that China’s reunification is an irreversible trend of history. The film also helps audiences across the Strait and around the world better understand the history of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan standing together in the fight against foreign invasion, fostering a deeper sense of national and cultural identity among Taiwan compatriots.

In making this documentary series, the production team traveled extensively across China and abroad. As well as filming a wealth of invaluable historical relics, they also delved into archival documents, diaries, letters and obtained many rare video materials – many of which will be revealed to the public for the first time come the airing of the series.

The documentary series also provides a systematic review of international legal documents, such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, that unambiguously affirm China’s sovereignty over Taiwan. It also unveils for the first time rare archival materials from the U.S. National Archives and relevant historical institutions in Taipei, presenting solid evidence that powerfully refutes fallacies such as the “undetermined status of Taiwan” and the new “two-state” theory, reaffirming that the historical and legal fact of Taiwan’s return to China is indisputable.