Jay-Z Invests $16.5 Million Into Robot-Powered Restaurant Stellar Pizza
Jay-Z Invests $16.5 Million Into Robot-Powered Restaurant Stellar Pizza
Roc Nation chief Jay-Z has officially entered the mobile restaurant business.
Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, has added yet another lucrative business to his impressive portfolio. Jay-Z’s most recent investment is in the soon-to-be-launched mobile robot-powered pizza restaurant, Stellar Pizza.
The billionaire rapper has invested a hefty sum in the venture—$16.5M to be precise. The startup was created by three former SpaceX engineers: CEO Benson Tsai, Brian Langone, and James Wahawisan.
This uptake is the latest in a growing list of investments Jay-Z has made through his venture capital firm, Marcy Venture Partners (MVP). The firm was founded in 2019 with the mandate of funding diverse and Black-owned businesses. Investments so far have ranged from mass-market brands such as Savage x Fenty (spearheaded by Rihanna) to futuristic tech.
Stellar Pizza’s concept aims to reduce the cost of labor and pricey real estate while delivering high-quality food to consumers. The automated offering reportedly makes up to 420 pizzas per day, with a single pizza taking less than five minutes, and will deliver right to your door.
Jay-Z has also put money behind Bitski, a startup NFT marketplace, and Therabody, a wellness tech company. Stellar Pizza definitely adds to MVP’s diversity, and CEO Benson Tsai is equally as elated to be moving forward with business.
Tsai said in a statement:
“What we’re trying to do is very hard; I needed to recruit the best and the brightest to develop a mobile pizza machine that is basically a spaceship on wheels. I can’t even count the number of pizzas.”
Stellar Pizza will open at the University of Southern California this fall.
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