Circus SE CA-1 (Series 4)

Limited deployment Cooking · #6
Index score 68.5 (#45 overall) · Fourth-generation units in serial production since September 2025; live commercial pilot at REWE (Düsseldorf), Mercedes-Benz canteen deployment starting summer 2026, plus large framework agreements (Mangal chain, Beijing MoU) not yet at scale. · Last verified 2026-09-01

The CA-1 is Circus SE's fully autonomous cooking robot — a closed-loop machine that dispenses ingredients, cooks up to 120 meals an hour, cleans its own cookware and packages the result with no human involvement. The Munich-based, Xetra-listed company began serial production of the fourth-generation Series 4 in September 2025 and runs a live pilot inside a REWE supermarket in Düsseldorf, with Mercedes-Benz's Sindelfingen canteen deployment starting summer 2026.

  • First high-volume serial production of an autonomous cooking robot, started September 2025 near Munich [source]
  • Mercedes-Benz Gastronomie will run CA-1 in its Sindelfingen plant canteen from summer 2026 [source]
  • MoU targets 5,400 CA-1 units across 92 Beijing educational institutions [source]

Specifications

SpecificationValueConfidenceSource
Throughput up to 120 meals/hr reported interestingengineering.com (2026-09-01)
Cooking time 3-4 min per meal reported therobotreport.com (2026-09-01)
Autonomy fully autonomous: ingredient dispensing, cooking, cleaning and packaging without human intervention verified circus-group.com (2026-09-01)
Cleaning built-in commercial dishwasher sanitizes cookware automatically between meals reported interestingengineering.com (2026-09-01)
Build complexity 29,000+ individual components; 150+ precision tests per unit reported therobotreport.com (2026-09-01)
AI system AI-native software stack incl. agentic AI from FullyAI acquisition; magnetic modular grippers, real-time ingredient sensors reported therobotreport.com (2026-09-01)

Every spec is cited to its source with a retrieval date. verified = manufacturer-published · reported = reputable press/analyst. Verify with the manufacturer before purchase decisions.

Change timeline

  1. announcement
    Mercedes-Benz Gastronomie to deploy CA-1 at Sindelfingen plant canteen from summer 2026 [source]
  2. deployment
    CA-1 cooking for customers in REWE supermarket pilot, Düsseldorf [source]
  3. milestone
    First production run of 4th-gen CA-1 completed in new high-volume facility [source]
  4. announcement
    MoU signed for 5,400 CA-1 units across 92 Beijing educational institutions [source]

Our take

Circus is the most ambitious bet in food robotics: not a station assistant but a replacement for the whole kitchen. Serial production and blue-chip pilots (REWE, Mercedes-Benz) are real progress, yet the headline numbers — 500 Mangal units, 5,400 Beijing robots — are framework agreements, not installed machines. Treat CA-1 as a compelling limited-stage system to watch through 2026-2027: if the pilots convert, it changes catering economics; execution risk remains substantial.

Best suited for

  • Retail hot-food counters (supermarkets, fuel stations)
  • Corporate and institutional canteens (Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen from 2026)
  • Defense and large-campus catering via the planned CA-M variant

CA-1 (Series 4): common questions

How much does the Circus CA-1 cost?
Circus does not publish robot pricing — it deploys CA-1 as an autonomous meal-production service for partners. At its REWE supermarket pilot, the robot-cooked meals sell from about EUR 6.
Where is the CA-1 actually operating?
As of late 2025 it cooks for customers in a REWE supermarket pilot in Düsseldorf, Germany, with earlier installs at Meta Munich and HEM fuel stations. A Mercedes-Benz plant canteen deployment in Sindelfingen begins summer 2026.
How many meals can the CA-1 cook per hour?
Press coverage reports up to 120 meals per hour, with each dish cooked in roughly 3-4 minutes and cookware sanitized automatically by a built-in commercial dishwasher.
Is the CA-1 fully autonomous?
Yes — within its enclosure. Circus describes a closed loop of ingredient dispensing, cooking, cleaning and packaging without human intervention; humans still restock ingredients.
Is Circus SE publicly traded?
Yes. Circus SE is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Xetra), making it one of the few pure-play cooking-robotics stocks.

Sources

  1. Circus SE — circus-group.com, retrieved 2026-09-01
  2. Circus SE — circus-group.com, retrieved 2026-09-01
  3. The Robot Report — therobotreport.com, retrieved 2026-09-01
  4. Interesting Engineering — interestingengineering.com, retrieved 2026-09-01
  5. Circus SE (press release via Business Wire) — businesswire.com, retrieved 2026-09-01

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