Rice Robotics Launches Minibot M1, the Only Friend That Pays You in Crypto to Hang Out

Rice Robotics, a Hong Kong-based robotics startup, has announced the launch of an AI-powered companion robot, the Minibot M1

Hong Kong-based robotics startup, Rice Robotics, has announced the launch of its AI-powered companion robot, the Minibot M1, developed in partnership with Floki. The robot will be powered by the decentralized RICE AI protocol and feature a combination of everyday support tasks and emotional interaction designed to foster a unique companion-like presence with users.

To support the launch of the Minibot M1, an interactive companion robot, and the decentralized RICE AI protocol, the startup is introducing the $RICE token. The token will be launched on TokenFi Launchpad, with staking opportunities available for holders of $TOKEN, the native token of TokenFi. Airdrops of $RICE will be issued to both token holders and stakers of $FLOKI and $TOKEN.

The Minibot M1, a product of the partnership between Rice Robotics and Floki, is a companion robot that integrates household management, online information retrieval, and interactive entertainment to provide a responsive presence for users. The robot will be capable of tasks such as adjusting home heating, setting reminders for medication, and engaging in conversations on a variety of topics.

Moreover, users interacting with the robot in a helpful or engaging manner will earn $RICE tokens in return, forming part of a broader data collection and training ecosystem for the robotic intelligence.

“We are excited to be launching the Minibot M1 and the $RICE token,” said Dr. Yuanyi Wu, founder of Rice Robotics. “The Minibot M1 is a unique companion robot that we believe will bring joy and convenience to users' lives. We are also proud to be partnering with TokenFi to launch the $RICE token, which will play a key role in the development of the RICE AI protocol.”

The Minibot M1 builds upon the capabilities of the robots already deployed by Rice Robotics for commercial delivery services in Japan. These robots are currently used for tasks such as unmanned indoor delivery for 7-Eleven Japan and office services at SoftBank headquarters. The startup has also secured pre-Series A funding of over $7 million earlier this year.

The investment is led by Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Soul Capital, and Audacy Ventures, and follows a $5 million seed funding round in 2021. Among the investors are Nvidia, Dubai Future Foundation, NTT Japan, and Mitsui Fudosan.

The startup is working toward a decentralized data-sharing model where robots can autonomously exchange training data to improve performance without centralized oversight. This vision aligns with Floki’s broader strategy of tokenizing AI and facilitating blockchain-enabled services. Through its sister project TokenFi, Floki aims to expand into the tokenization of real-world assets and data, including AI-generated content and robotic learning models.

The AI robotics sector is currently valued at approximately $22 billion and is projected to exceed $100 billion by 2030, according to industry estimates.