UNOX, a designer and manufacturer of commercial ovens for the foodservice, retail, pastry and bakery sectors, has acquired Roboqbo Srl, the Italian designer and manufacturer of integrated food and cosmetics processing systems.
The transaction enables UNOX to strengthen its product offering by integrating advanced robotic and process-automation technologies into its established portfolio of intelligent multifunctional ovens. These systems extend automation to cooking and preparation processes that cannot be performed inside an oven.
The deal reinforces the Group’s long-term objective: building a complete ecosystem of technologies for fully automated kitchen operations.
Founded in 1978 in Bentivoglio (Bologna, Italy), Roboqbo has become a recognised player in the engineering and production of automation solutions for the food and cosmetics industries, with a strong focus on R&D. In 2024, the company posted revenues of approximately €17 million and employs around 120 people.
Qbo Universal Processing System, Roboqbo’s flagship solution, is a multifunctional all-in-one processing unit designed to transform production workflows in professional kitchens and pastry labs. A single machine can perform multiple processes traditionally requiring separate equipment—mixers, cutters, meat grinders, pasteurisers and cooking vessels—delivering higher efficiency, improved precision, greater safety and consistent repeatability.
“This acquisition,” says Nicola Michelon, CEO of UNOX S.p.A., “allows us to leverage a new technological package, strengthening our mission to deliver intelligent solutions to the needs of foodservice professionals. By integrating Roboqbo’s machines with our intelligent CHEFTOP and BAKERTOP ovens, we aim to offer our customers an integrated platform capable of managing all food preparation and cooking processes.
“In the coming months, we will begin integrating our commercial and technical service networks across the foodservice equipment sector, with the goal of rapidly scaling Roboqbo’s volumes and revenues, creating the conditions needed to increase resources dedicated to R&D and Operations. Roboqbo’s activities in the cosmetics sector will also be reinforced with targeted investments in marketing and market development.
“Full integration with our technological and supply-chain infrastructure will require a longer time frame, approximately three years, but it will generate additional commercial and industrial synergies, with a positive impact on the Bentivoglio area where Roboqbo has always been rooted, both in terms of employment and facilities.
“We expect to see the positive effects of this acquisition already reflected in the Group’s 2026 revenues, which we forecast at around €400 million.”
Roboqbo will retain its headquarters and operations in Bentivoglio (Bologna), at the heart of Italy’s Food Valley.
“From the beginning, my goal has been to bring genuine innovation to professional kitchens, putting technology at the service of people,” said Giuseppe Malavasi, founder of Roboqbo.
“Roboqbo’s uniqueness stems from a simple intuition: making automation technologies—once reserved for large food-processing industries—accessible to professional kitchens and pastry labs.
“After years of growth and innovation, I am proud to entrust this project to UNOX, a company that shares our values of excellence, global vision and passion for innovation. With their industrial strength and global network, I am confident that our technology will reach an ever-growing number of professionals worldwide, fully realising the mission that inspired its creation.”