Bbot Inc., a restaurant and hospitality startup focused on simplifying and improving order and pay processes, has raised $3 million in a seed funding round led by by Craft Ventures, an early-stage venture fund based in San Francisco.

With the investment, Bbot plans to hire talent, expand its market presence and accelerate its product roadmap, according to a press release. Immediate product developments include the launch of point-of-sale system integrations and support for European customers.

"Bbot's solution is exactly what restaurants, bars and hotels need right now to survive during and after the pandemic," Jeff Fluhr, partner at Craft Ventures, said in the release. "Dine-in guests prefer the safety of contactless ordering right from their mobile phones, while home delivery customers want to use their phones to order from the restaurant's mobile site. By using Bbot, restaurants give both types of diners exactly what they want while improving their own margins and increasing the chance of success."

Bbot works for in-venue dining, delivery or pickup, giving guests more flexibility to order and pay on their smartphones without the need to touch a printed menu, interact closely with a server, or use a credit card. The company serves more than 500 hospitality customers in categories such as fine dining, fast casual, breweries, food halls and hotels.

"The hospitality industry, now more than ever, needs technology to help bars and restaurants reopen safely, while providing a quality customer service experience. Bbot was created to help clients become more efficient and profitable, with technology that's intuitive for guests and operators alike," Steven Simoni, CEO and co-founder of Bbot, said in the release. "We are helping our hospitality customers redesign their businesses in the wake of COVID-19 and provide a solution that they can continue to use beyond the pandemic."

"Bbot's mobile ordering solution allowed us to take more control over our delivery and takeout business, reducing our reliance on third-party services and their high commission fees," Simon Kim, owner of Michelin star Cote Korean Steakhouse, said in the release. "It was easy to implement and it integrated with our existing software solutions. I'd recommend Bbot to anyone in the industry looking to launch online ordering or in-venue ordering."