Bear Robotics, Inc. aims to adress the increased pressure faced by the restaurant industry around wages, labor supply, and cost efficiencies. The startup designed the robot Penny, which was designed not to replace human servers, but to act as an assistant. The Kang Nam Tofu House, a Korean restaurant in a strip mall in Milpitas, California, is the first to use the robot.

Penny is an autonomous runner and busser. As an assistant to staff, Penny can take food directly from the kitchen to a programmed table in the dining room. Weight sensors determine when customers takes their plates from Penny, so she can move onto the next task. But Penny can serve customers more than just their meals. Penny can even work in crowded spaces and navigate around diners.