Yo-Kai Express, Supported by Scrum Studio for its Japan Expansion, Launches a 24/7 Autonomous Restaurant Platform with Japan's Largest Railway

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Apr 08, 2022, 07:00 ET

U.S. Startup Yo-Kai Express Represents Scrum Studio's Second U.S. Startup to Successfully Expand into Japan

TOKYO & SAN FRANCISCO, April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Scrum Studio today announced the official debut of the Yo-Kai Express Inc. autonomous restaurant platform in Japan, the first major expansion for the Silicon Valley-based startup. The first of its kind machines will be available in three transportation locations including Japan's Haneda Airport Terminal 2, JR East Tokyo Station, and Shibaura Parking Area. With Yo-Kai Express' innovative vending machines, on-the-go travelers will now be able to enjoy freshly made gourmet ramen, just like those served at street-side restaurants.

Yo-Kai Express is an innovative autonomous restaurant platform that serves contactless, freshly prepared meals with over 30 menu varieties 24 hours a day. Yo-Kai's proprietary cooking technology makes hot ramen noodles available on demand.

For its Japan debut, Yo-Kai will offer four original ramen flavors (Chicken Yuzu Shio, Tokyo Shoyu, Sapporo Spicy Miso, and Kyushu Tonkotsu), as well as Ippudo Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen and Ippudo Plant-Based (Tonkotsu-style) Ramen soon.

"We are very excited to bring Yo-Kai-Express to Japan, the birthplace of ramen," said Andy Lin, founder and CEO, Yo-Kai Express. "Our vision has always been to come to Japan and we are incredibly pleased with the positive reception Yo-Kai is getting from consumers and organizations. With partnerships we forged through Scrum Studio, we now have products in three highly visible locations in Japan and we are looking forward to expanding our platform to bring other types of food innovation to Japan's food ecosystem."

Yo-Kai is one of 85 startups to be selected by Food Tech Studio - Bites!, an open innovation program by Scrum Studio which helps U.S. startups grow and gain a foothold in Japan. Through this relationship, Yo-Kai gained business development, and key partner introductions like the one with JR East, Japan's largest railways. Most recently the company established its Japan headquarters at K,D,C,,, in JR East's food-tech coworking space, where it's been perfecting its technology and testing its ramen offerings with world renowned chefs. Yo-Kai is Scrum's second supported startup to establish itself in Japan, following Miles, the popular universal rewards app, which recently launched its Japan subsidiary.

"We are honored to support the launch of this first-of-its-kind ramen-making vending machine in Japan," said Masami Takahashi, President of Scrum Studio. "In just a short time, Yo-Kai Express has established its brand and demonstrated a vision around autonomous restaurant solutions for Japan. It's great to see such an innovative startup enter the Japanese ecosystem with strong customer and partner support, such as JR East. We are excited to watch how Yo-Kai expands globally."

About Yo-Kai Express Inc.
Yo-Kai Express (YKE) is a rapidly growing global food tech startup with offices in Northern California, Japan, and Taiwan. YKE is redefining gourmet autonomous restaurant solutions using patented technology that performs last-mile cooking of an array of both hot and cold, savory and sweet menu selections. YKE first launched the robotic platform, built for high-traffic areas such as airports and ski resorts, in 2018, offering steaming hot bowls of Tonkotsu ramen 24 hours a day and in under a minute. For more information, visit yokaiexpress.com/about.

About Scrum Studio, Inc.
Scrum Studio, Inc. is an open innovation platform established by Scrum Ventures, formed to bridge the gap between iconic Japanese corporations with startups from around the world. The platform focuses on three pillars to create new business opportunities: acceleration, incubation, and connection. Its vertical studio programs include: Well-BeingX, SPORTS TECH TOKYO, SmartCityX, and Food Tech Studio - Bites!

Media Contact:
Mary Magnani
CodePR
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SOURCE Scrum Ventures