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Bairu
Techstars '24La Paz, BO · Founded 2023 · 2 employees on LinkedIn · 1 known investors
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Bairu offers a WhatsApp-based ordering and payment system that lets restaurants take orders and payments directly through WhatsApp without customers downloading apps, along with tools for order management, automated follow-up messages, and reporting. It targets Latino restaurants and charges a fixed per-transaction fee starting at 2% instead of subscriptions.
Also known as Bairü · bairu.io
Founders & leadership
Investors · 1
How we know: the Techstars portfolio · open dataset · Top 3000 Accelerator Startups (no YC) 2026-08 · Not right? Tell us
Company profile
researched Sep 2026Bairü is a La Paz, Bolivia-based technology company serving restaurants with self-service ordering and payment tools. Its initial product is a "kiosco digital" (digital kiosk): a large in-store touchscreen where diners select items from the menu, pay, and then wait for their order, intended to reduce queues and crowding at the counter. The software was first deployed in the founder's own restaurant and subsequently commercialized to other food businesses; as of October 2023 five food-service businesses were using it.
The company also offers a WhatsApp-based ordering and payment system that allows restaurants to take orders and collect payments directly through WhatsApp without customers installing an app, together with order management, automated follow-up messaging and reporting tools.
Founding story
The founder, José Adrián Mendoza Carrasco, encountered the problem directly while running a restaurant: when the venue filled up, there were not enough funds to hire additional staff. He was familiar with digital ordering kiosks but found no supplier of such software in Bolivia, so he decided to build it himself. Prior work experience at startups in the United States motivated him to create the company, which he named Bairü, and to design the digital kiosk product.
Business model
Bairü licenses/sells its self-service ordering and payment software to restaurants and other food-service businesses, having first validated the product in the founder's own restaurant before commercializing it to third parties.
Traction
Five food-service businesses were using the digital kiosk application as of October 2023, up from an initial single deployment in the founder's own restaurant.
Latest developments
In September 2024, Bairu.io was reported as the first Bolivian startup to join the Techstars Future of Food by Ecolab program.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Bairü positions itself as filling a gap in the Bolivian market, where the founder reported being unable to find a local provider of digital ordering kiosk software. It was reported as the first Bolivian startup admitted to the Techstars Future of Food by Ecolab program.
Technology
Touchscreen self-service kiosk software that displays the menu, captures customer orders and processes payment in-store, plus a WhatsApp-based ordering and payment flow that avoids requiring customers to download an application, with order management, automated follow-up messaging and reporting.
Go-to-market
Restaurants and food-service businesses, initially in Bolivia; the WhatsApp ordering product targets Latino restaurants.
Geography
Headquartered in La Paz, Bolivia, with restaurant deployments in the Bolivian market.
History
Bairü has been operating since August 2022. The kiosk software was used first in the founder's own restaurant and later sold to other food businesses, reaching five restaurant customers by October 2023. In 2023 the company was named one of ten winning startups of the Reto La Paz Tec challenge, a competition that drew 54 entrants and narrowed to 20 semifinalists; the winners shared $50,000 in Amazon Web Services credits/services awarded at a public ceremony. In September 2024 it was reported as the first Bolivian startup to take part in the Techstars Future of Food by Ecolab program.
Compiled by commissioned research from 5 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 3
launches, deals, and filingsBairu.io was reported as the first Bolivian startup to take part in the Techstars Future of Food by Ecolab accelerator program.
Bairü was selected among 10 winning startups of the Reto La Paz Tec 2023 challenge, chosen from 54 entrants and 20 semifinalists. Winners shared $50,000 in Amazon Web Services services, awarded at a public ceremony.
The company started operating in August 2022, initially deploying its self-service digital kiosk software in the founder's own restaurant before commercializing it.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 5
primary sources listed
- Menghis Bairu, MD, Co-founder, President and CEObiousawa.com · web
5 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Bairu do?
- Bolivian startup building self-service ordering and payment software for restaurants, including digital kiosks and WhatsApp ordering.
- Who are Bairu's investors?
- Bairu's investors include Techstars.
- Where is Bairu headquartered?
- Bairu is headquartered in La Paz, BO.