AI agent combining judgment and execution to be integrated into Restogenie platform
POS and delivery app data to power demand forecasting and order recommendations
Inha, Kangwon National, Yonsei universities and Bryant University join as research partners
AI food-tech company ControlM announced Thursday it has been selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' 2026 Scale-Up TIPS (general track) program.
Under the selection, ControlM will begin full-scale development of an autonomous AI agent tailored to the restaurant industry — one capable of assessing overall store conditions and independently carrying out necessary tasks.
The company plans to build on the management capabilities of Restogenie, its existing integrated sales and operations platform for the restaurant industry, by advancing features that allow AI to analyze data, recommend optimal store management strategies and directly execute verified tasks. The technology developed will be incorporated as the platform's top-tier feature.
To that end, ControlM will introduce a restaurant-specific ontology technology that connects dispersed data on sales, ingredients and staffing, along with a large action model-based execution system that handles system operations on behalf of users. By linking data from point-of-sale systems, online food delivery platforms and ingredient distribution networks, the AI will forecast demand by menu item and recommend optimal ingredient order quantities. The company plans to expand the scope of autonomous functions in stages, eventually covering employee scheduling and other operational tasks.
Autonomous AI execution will be rolled out incrementally, with safeguards in place to preserve store owners' control. In the initial phase, the AI will make recommendations that require owner approval before any action is taken; autonomous execution will be permitted only for tasks that have passed safety, profitability and error-rate thresholds. The company will also build a system for blocking risks before execution and correcting performance through post-execution error analysis.
Researchers from leading domestic and international universities will collaborate on the technology development. Inha University's Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation will serve as a joint research institution, while Kangwon National University's Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation will participate as a commissioned research institution. Kim Ji-hoon, a professor at Yonsei University's Mirae Campus, will lead AI architecture design. Researchers from Bryant University in the United States will support user experience validation and global collaboration through the Society of Foodservice Management Research network.
"The value of AI in the restaurant industry depends on how meaningfully it reduces the operational burden on the ground," said Won Jong-gwan, CEO of ControlM. "We will develop it into an AI store assistant that handles owners' judgment calls and repetitive tasks, eliminating inefficiencies across the industry."
Founded in 2022, ControlM is a food-tech company that provides integrated management of sales, cost and customer data through its AI-based store operations platform Restogenie, with support functions covering inventory, marketing and human resources.
silverpaper@heraldcorp.com
