VenHub - Lots of Robotic Razzle Dazzle, but Will It Work?

Mechanical mini-mart reviewed + Q&A with CEO

We’re standing at a rather unassuming corner in an industrial section of North Hollywood, near a handful of auto body shops, an electrical substation and a Mexican restaurant that has yet to open for the day; it’s not the most obvious location for “the future of smart stores.” But that’s exactly what VenHub claims to be — a “fully robotic, AI-powered” mini-mart of sorts, now popping up all over Los Angeles.

The store itself catches the eye, a gleaming blue metal and glass box, the size of a small shopping container; they can now be caught in four locations across Greater LA, including one at LAX’s buzzy new transit hub.

But how does VenHub work as a machine, and more importantly, as a business? We kicked the tires on this contraption, and then chatted with company CEO Shahan Ohanessian.

Once you want to order something — whether it’s a bottle of iced tea or a box of Pop-Tarts — you need to first download the VenHub app, (currently languishing with 2.5 stars in the Google Play store) an annoying piece of friction that might deter your average 7-Eleven shopper.

Once you checkout, the machinery springs to life, grabbing your order and then placing it on a dedicated bay, which each shopper can then open by scanning a final QR code. (Note to VenHub: consider making these deep links, so they can have more useful behavior for potential customers.) While VenHub wouldn’t speak to their hardware choices, brand names like Universal Robotics, Vention and Robotiq are clearly visible to passersby.

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All in all, the process worked, popping out a cold drink in just a few minutes. While you could likely beat that time in a human-powered c-store, VenHub aims to serve areas that don’t have the foot traffic to support a traditional store on a 24/7 basis.

But that begs a bigger question… why not just use a traditional vending machine? At least at this North Hollywood location, there were no items in stock that couldn’t fit in those familiar form factors, not to mention larger format machines that retailers like CVS have been experimenting with for the past decade. While the robotic arms may catch the eyes of passersby, or of those drawn to the company’s crowdfunding campaign, the jury’s still out on if the added cost and complexity makes sense in the long run.

We caught up with VenHub’s CEO to get his additional insights.

Ottomate News: How were the initial locations selected?

Shahan Ohanessian: The initial VenHub Smart Store locations were chosen based on a combination of high foot traffic, proximity to residential and commuter zones, visibility, and ease of permitting. Our team also considered power access, security, and demographic data to ensure optimal performance for early rollout success.

What can you share about the technology inside the VenHubs?