Cincy Inno: UC Venture Lab-backed startup debuts at CES
Cooler Keg partners with robotics company to create an automatic draft beverage robot
University of Cincinnati Venture Lab-backed startup Cooler Keg, which created a portable draft system for beer and other drinks, is making its debut at CES, the world’s largest tech show in Las Vegas, Cincy Inno reported.
In December, Cooler Keg founders Anthony Bernas and Racine Gruberman personally delivered the first 10 Cooler Kegs that were purchased as part of a six-figure Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.
Now they’re at CES to show their latest product. Cooler Keg partnered with a California robotics company, Ottonomy, to develop Ottobot Brew, an automatic draft beverage robot.
Ottonomy has developed Ottobots, fully autonomous delivery robots used for food and retail delivery.
“It’s cool because (Ottonomy) is a very fast-moving company and really ready to innovate,” Gruberman told Cincy Inno. “And this is almost plug-and-play in a way. We’re not losing sight of where we want to go, this is just another application we could have with a great strategic partner that could allow us to grow.”
The two companies have combined their technologies to create Ottobot Brew, which can dispense a variety of cold drinks, including beer, cocktails and even coffee, suitable for use at stadiums, casinos, hotels and public events.
UC’s Venture Lab provides a launch pad for entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into reality. The lab is located in the 1819 Innovation Hub in the Cincinnati Innovation District, providing a connection point to talent, support and funding.
The UC Venture Lab’s eight-week pre-accelerator program provides tools and expert guidance to help new entrepreneurs determine their business idea’s commercial potential and identify resources and next steps. It’s open to anyone in the Cincinnati community.
Featured image at top: A Cooler Keg sits on a blanket outside. Photos/Cooler Keg
Innovation Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Sugar overload killing hearts
November 10, 2025
Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.
Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?
November 10, 2025
The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
App turns smartwatch into detector of structural heart disease
November 10, 2025
An app that uses an AI model to read a single-lead ECG from a smartwatch can detect structural heart disease, researchers reported at the 2025 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Although the technology requires further validation, researchers said it could help improve the identification of patients with heart failure, valvular conditions and left ventricular hypertrophy before they become symptomatic, which could improve the prognosis for people with these conditions.