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The Hamburg-based food startup Circus has been listed on the Xetra stock exchange since January 22. This was not a traditional IPO, but a direct listing in which a company does not raise additional capital and only shares that have already been issued can be traded.

© Circus: Fabian Becker (CFO), Nikolas Bullwinkel (CEO), Helge Plehn (CTO) and Carsten Wille (CCO)
© Circus: Fabian Becker (CFO), Nikolas Bullwinkel (CEO), Helge Plehn (CTO) and Carsten Wille (CCO)

Circus uses robots and AI

Nikolas Bullwinkel, the founder and CEO of Circus, describes the move in a LinkedIn post as an important strategic lever to drive the business forward. This would allow employees to participate in long-term value creation with share options and retain their loyalty to the company. The stock market listing should also facilitate the acquisition of new technologies and complementary companies. By their own account, around 40 million euros in growth capital has been invested in Circus to date.

The money is primarily being used to set up so-called ghost kitchens, where food is cooked exclusively for the delivery service. Robots are to be used increasingly in the future. Circus also relies on state-of-the-art technology in other areas. For example, the startup uses artificial intelligence to predict eating habits and optimize the use of available ingredients. In addition to its headquarters in Hamburg, the company operates at three other locations and employs over 100 people from 34 nations.

“With the Xetra listing and the start of trading in Frankfurt, we are now also taking a decisive step on the capital market alongside the rapidly growing food service sector. Through our unique combination of robotics, AI and software solutions, we have the opportunity to bring groundbreaking change to an industry that has lacked innovation for decades. By addressing long overdue operational challenges in food service and adapting to new demands, we are bringing consumers exactly what they want: High-quality meals at an affordable price.”
Nikolas Bullwinkel, founder and CEO of Circus

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Startup City Hamburg

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