Party Robotics (Bartendro)
Defunct San Luis Obispo startup that built Bartendro, an open-source modular cocktail-dispensing robot; raised $197K on Kickstarter in 2013 before ceasing.
Party Robotics was a consumer robotics startup based in San Luis Obispo, California, co-founded by Robert Kaye and Pierre Michael. The company is best known for creating Bartendro, a modular, open-source cocktail-dispensing robot that became a notable example of community-funded robotics hardware in the early 2010s.
Bartendro was designed as a scalable, modular platform: individual units could dispense single ingredients while multiple units could be linked together to mix multi-ingredient cocktails on demand. The hardware used peristaltic pumps sourced and modified in-house, combined with custom electronics, LED lighting, and powder-coated steel frames. Approximately 90 percent of manufacturing was performed locally in San Luis Obispo. The control software was released as open source, allowing owners to modify drink recipes and dispensing logic.
In March 2013, Party Robotics launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for Bartendro, setting a $135,000 funding goal. The campaign closed on March 31, 2013, having raised $197,464 from 486 backers — exceeding the goal by approximately 46 percent. This validated early consumer and events-market demand for automated cocktail systems.
Bartendro units found use at private parties, corporate events, and trade show demonstrations, with the robot positioned as an entertainment and conversation piece as much as a functional bar appliance. The system represented an early intersection of Raspberry Pi-driven embedded computing, open-source hardware design, and consumer robotics.
The company subsequently ceased operations. The official website now carries the message 'Party Robotics is dead. Bartendro lives on!' — written by a co-founder who continues to personally maintain and update the Bartendro open-source software for private use. The Bartendro project remains accessible through the company's GitHub repository, where the software continues to receive informal updates, preserving the platform for existing hardware owners.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Bartendro
Open-source modular cocktail-dispensing robot built on Raspberry Pi; raised $197K on Kickstarter in 2013; manufactured in San Luis Obispo, CA; software remains open source on GitHub.
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Contact Party Robotics (Bartendro)
WEBSITE
https://partyrobotics.comPHONE
+1 651-489-1311HEADQUARTERS
United States
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Manufacturer
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North America
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