Circus SE, a global leader in AI software and embodied AI-robotics for the food service industry, has announced that the European Patent Office has issued the official Decision to Grant under Article 97(1) EPC, covering its proprietary AI-powered robotic system – the CA-1. The patent protects the CA-1’s unique architecture and control method for automated, hygienic, and consistent meal production in compact environments.
This European protection underscores Circus’ unique contribution to the field of AI-robotics based systems and secures the company’s inventions in autonomous systems for meal supply, comprising a rotationally symmetrical preparation vessel that couples with a mixing device and rotates on its axis, and a robotic manipulator designed to autonomously handle the vessel during food preparation using multi-modal heat control and adaptive decision-making.
“Patents are more than legal protection, they are strategic assets that validate years of development, provide a strong protection to scale globally, and help build defensible, high-impact companies in fast-moving markets,” said Haomiao Fang, VP Hardware and Manufacturing of Circus SE.
The patent comes as serial production of the CA-1 is already underway, with the commercial rollout of the Series 4 starting this summer. The grant reinforces Circus SE’s market-leading position and aligns with its strategic roadmap. The company is also expanding its intellectual property coverage in key international markets, including the United States, to support global commercialization and long-term competitive advantage.
The mention of the grant will be published in the European Patent Bulletin 25/19 on May 7, 2025.
Circus
Circus SE is a technology company pioneering embodied AI systems for autonomous meal supply. Headquartered in Munich, Circus develops patent-protected AI robotics and enterprise SaaS solutions that power and extend beyond the CA-1, an AI-robotics based meal supply system. Built for global food service operators across retail, hospitality, and defense, the CA-1 enables scalable, end-to-end autonomy for food operations.