Donut Robotics, a Japanese robotics startup founded in a home garage in 2014, has officially announced its entry into the humanoid robotics market with Cinnamon 1, a bipedal robot designed for customer service, retail security, and light industrial tasks.
The company, which was formally incorporated in 2016, is not a new player in automation. It gained early recognition through projects like the Haneda Airport Robot Project and has been featured in international publications including The New York Times (2020) and TIME magazine (2022). In 2024, it was honored with the “EY innovative startup” award in Japan.
Cinnamon 1 Humanoid Robot
Announced in 2025, the Cinnamon 1 represents a significant evolution from the company’s earlier, simpler “Cinnamon” communication robots used in airports and care facilities. This new, mass-produced humanoid model is engineered for practical workplace integration.
The Team
The company’s vision is spearheaded by CEO Taisuke Ono, a self-taught product designer who started the business at age 22 after what the company describes as “numerous failures.” His leadership has guided Donut Robotics to international media attention.
Cinnamon 1’s development is backed by a deeply technical team:
CTO Tensho Ogino, a certified MIT data scientist and former AI lecturer at Cal Poly, leads research in generative AI and natural language processing.
Chief Engineer Takashi Okabe, a robot enthusiast with expertise spanning software and hardware, has been with the Cinnamon project since 2016.
Technology Advisor Ayumu Tokaji, a Stanford and University of Tokyo graduate, brings space-grade expertise from work on JAXA’s Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission, aiming to develop robots capable of extraterrestrial exploration.
The strategic direction is further strengthened by Head of Strategy Rikiya Yamamoto, a veteran of SoftBank Robotics’ humanoid division, and Head of Global Strategy Masayuki Onishi, a former senior director at Microsoft and Cisco in the U.S.
The Future Vision
Donut Robotics states that its mission extends beyond commercial automation. The company envisions humanoid robots with “superhuman intelligence” collaborating with humans to advance civilization, ultimately contributing to what it terms an “Interplanetary Mobile Civilization.”
With the launch of Cinnamon 1, Donut Robotics is transitioning from a developer of niche service robots to a contender in the competitive global humanoid market, aiming to make practical bipedal robots a fixture in workplaces across Japan and beyond.
