Homegrown Robobarista Ella Achieves Highest Daily Record of 400 Cups of Coffee Sold at Sengkang General Hospital, Paving Way for Additional Waves of Expansion in the Healthcare Sector

• Ella, Singapore’s AI-powered Robobarista, has integrated into the healthcare ecosystem with major healthcare facilities namely, Sengkang General Hospital (SKH), Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Alexandra Hospital as its third location.
• While it was originally developed for the retail industry, Ella’s success in the healthcare industry has proven its versatility in carving out a niche to serve specialised sectors in need of on-demand beverages 24/7.
• In 2024, Ella is poised for expansion to more SingHealth hospitals and facilities locally, as it continues to serve barista-grade coffee at precision and speed.

SINGAPORE, June 12, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - Ella by Crown Digital, Singapore’s first fully-autonomous, AI-led robot barista, has garnered significant acclaim at Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) and Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Her remarkable success in serving healthcare professionals and visitors with precision and efficiency has propelled her expansion into additional healthcare facilities across the nation. Alexandra Hospital is the latest to benefit from Ella’s presence, marking a milestone in her service journey nationwide.

Following Ella’s resounding success in her deployment at SKH, where she not only met but exceeded expectations by achieving a record daily average of 400 cups of coffee, her adaptability and relevance in healthcare settings became undeniable. Seamlessly integrating into the hospital environment, Ella continues to bring convenience and comfort to all through her consistent, efficient and contactless approach to serve high volumes of coffee at precision and speed. Now, with her recent launch at Alexandra Hospital, Ella has elicited positive feedback from healthcare providers, patients, and visitors alike within her first week.

“We are excited to launch Ella in Alexandra Hospital, extending the comfort and convenience of a great cuppa she's brought to Sengkang General Hospital since October last year. By delivering high-quality barista-grade coffee to our healthcare heroes, patients, and caregivers, Ella embodies our commitment to unparalleled efficiency and reliability. Occupying just four-square-metres, Ella can be easily deployed across various locations while seamlessly managing payments, orders, production, and pick-up through Crown Digital’s technology stack. As we forge ahead, embracing innovation and robotics solutions, our success at SKH drives our continued expansion, commitment and leadership in this space,” said Keith Tan, CEO and Founder of Crown Digital.

Ella's success underscores the consistent demand in healthcare settings for her precision, speed, and contactless efficiency in serving best tasting coffee ensuring unparalleled convenience and satisfaction to all stakeholders. Originally designed for the retail sector, Ella's success in healthcare has solidified her position and expanded her reach to serve more consumers. Since her inception in 2018, Ella has delighted coffee enthusiasts locally and globally with artisanal, barista-grade coffee crafted from specially-curated Italian Buscaglione beans, ensuring consistent quality and precision. Capable of serving over 200 cups in an hour, Ella offers a swift coffee fix, significantly reducing wait times during peak periods.

Charity Wai, Chief Operating Officer of Sengkang General Hospital added, “Ella has earned a popular following in Sengkang General Hospital as visitors and staff alike appreciate the barista-grade coffee served with consistency, precision and speed. Having the first fully-autonomous AI-led robot barista aligns well with SKH’s vision also in using robotics and digitalisation to ensure we deliver quality care consistently and efficiently!  It’s great to see our visitors, patients and hospital staff able to access a good cup of coffee around the clock.”

“Ella was a lifesaver during my husband’s 6-week stay at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. On the many occasions that I stayed over with my husband, waking up to a nice fresh cup of coffee was essential. Subscribing to the pre-order service ensured I was able to have a quality cup of coffee anytime of the day which I appreciated the most. The commute between home, office and hospital became such a routine that Ella was the only comfort that kept my spirits up. It's incredible how technology can bring such comfort, turning every stressful situation into a positive moment. Ella's more than just a robot barista, but a beacon of cheer in a place where people are most vulnerable,” shared Crystal Bok, whose husband was warded at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Following Crown Digital’s success with three major healthcare providers in Singapore — SingHealth, National University Health System, and Parkway Health — Ella is poised for wider adoption in 2024. 

About Crown Digital

Full-stack start-up Crown Digital began with the goal of delivering a contactless coffee experience gourmet experience to the world’s growing community of grab-and-go commuters. Its creation, ELLA, the one of world’s first successful robot barista, humanised technology and demonstrated the potential of robotics and AI to re-invent the commuter lifestyle experience and re-energize urban retail. As ELLA deploys across major Asian transit hubs and retail locations, and now into the European Market, Crown Digital brings its expertise and insights to find new ways to create social value through robotics. The company strives to re-imagine and re-invent consumer-facing robotics to become the leading inventor, operator, and distributor of future-ready solutions.

For media enquiries, please contact ella@preciouscomms.com.