Nightfood Holdings Inc., operating as TechForce Robotics, has acquired complete intellectual property rights to the BIM-E Autonomous Beverage Robotics Platform through its wholly owned subsidiary TechForce Robotics Inc. The acquisition, formalized on February 17, 2026, includes patents, source code, firmware, AI models, and related technology assets from original inventor Christopher Erpelding. This strategic move follows the company's industry engagement at CES 2026 and is designed to strengthen its intellectual property portfolio as it advances toward manufacturing readiness and production scaling.
Concurrently, the company has formalized a performance-based employment agreement appointing Erpelding as Chief Mechatronics Architect. The agreement includes equity-linked awards tied to specific trailing 12-month revenue milestones, with incentives scaling up to $50 million in cumulative revenue. This structure aligns the founder's interests directly with the company's commercial success and growth objectives.
TechForce Robotics is an AI-enhanced service robotics and automation company focused on developing, deploying, and scaling autonomous robotic solutions for hospitality, foodservice, and commercial applications. The company operates through a vertically integrated platform that combines proprietary robotics technology with real-world operating environments and scalable manufacturing capabilities. This acquisition of the BIM-E platform intellectual property represents a significant consolidation of technological assets under the TechForce umbrella.
The BIM-E platform acquisition and the structured incentive agreement with its inventor have several important implications for the robotics and automation industry. First, by securing full IP rights, Nightfood Holdings eliminates potential licensing complexities and gains complete control over the technology's development and commercialization. This strengthens the company's competitive position in the growing market for autonomous beverage service solutions, particularly in hospitality and foodservice sectors where labor constraints and operational efficiency are persistent challenges.
Second, the performance-based agreement with Erpelding creates a powerful alignment between technological innovation and commercial outcomes. By linking equity awards to revenue milestones, the company ensures that its key technical leadership remains motivated to drive both product development and market adoption. This model could influence how other robotics companies structure founder and inventor relationships, particularly in an industry where technical expertise must be closely coupled with business acumen.
The timing of this announcement, following CES 2026 engagement, suggests that industry feedback and interest at the premier technology showcase may have accelerated the company's strategic decisions. CES serves as a critical venue for robotics companies to demonstrate capabilities, gauge market interest, and form partnerships. The company's newsroom, available at http://ibn.fm/NGTF, provides ongoing updates about its developments in the robotics space.
For the broader automation industry, this transaction highlights the increasing value of integrated robotics platforms that combine hardware, software, and AI capabilities. As companies like TechForce Robotics pursue vertical integration strategies, they position themselves to capture more value across the technology stack while potentially accelerating adoption through more comprehensive solutions. The hospitality sector, as Nightfood's initial entry point, represents a substantial market opportunity where automation can address repetitive, labor-intensive tasks while improving operational reliability.
The company's long-term vision extends beyond hospitality to additional verticals requiring similar automation solutions. By developing scalable robotics that improve efficiency, reliability, and revenue generation across multiple industries, Nightfood Holdings aims to establish itself as a significant player in the expanding service robotics market. The BIM-E platform acquisition and the associated leadership agreement represent important steps in executing this vision while strengthening the company's technological foundation and aligning key talent with business objectives.
