Hong Kong-based robotics startup, Rice Robotics, has announced the launch of an AI-powered companion robot in partnership with Floki. The robot, named Minibot M1, will be powered by the decentralized RICE AI protocol and feature a combination of everyday support tasks and emotional interaction designed to support users.
The robot will be unveiled at TokenFi Launchpad, part of the broader crypto startup ecosystem.
The Minibot M1, co-branded with Floki, will function as a personal assistant capable of managing household schedules, retrieving online information, and offering companionship through interactive features like music, storytelling, and conversational engagement.
In return for interacting with the robot, users will earn $RICE tokens, which are part of a broader data collection and training ecosystem for the robotic intelligence.
The launch will also see the introduction of the $RICE token, which will serve as the utility token of the RICE AI protocol. The token will be launched on TokenFi Launchpad, with staking opportunities also available for holders of $TOKEN, the native token of TokenFi. Airdrops of $RICE will be issued to both holders and stakers of $FLOKI and $TOKEN.
The startup has partnerships with several major corporations, including SoftBank, Nvidia, Dubai Future Foundation, NTT Japan, and Mitsui Fudosan. Its robots are currently deployed in commercial delivery settings across Japan, including unmanned indoor delivery for 7-Eleven Japan and office services at SoftBank headquarters.
Floki’s involvement marks another step in its broader strategy to expand into tokenized AI and blockchain-enabled services. Through its sister project TokenFi, Floki aims to facilitate the tokenization of real-world assets and data, including AI-generated content and robotic learning models.
Earlier this year, Rice Robotics secured over $7 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Soul Capital, and Audacy Ventures. The company is working toward a decentralized data-sharing model where robots can autonomously exchange training data to improve performance without centralized oversight.
The AI robotics sector is currently valued at approximately $22 billion and is projected to exceed $100 billion by 2030, according to industry estimates.
