HaaS 100 (early October 2024)

Hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) is gaining momentum across a variety of industries. Many of the early adopters of HaaS are in robotics, offering robots-as-a-service (RaaS) to decrease barriers to entry and improve overall value to customers. Others offer machine-as-a-service (MaaS), device-as-a-service (DaaS), or equipment-as-a-service (EaaS).

Some companies pitch outcomes more than assets, offering data-as-a-service or platform-as-a-service models. From network-as-a-service to facades cleaning; managed service providers (MSPs) to managed security service providers (MSSPs); and autonomous construction equipment to diagnostic sensors, these companies are on the cutting-edge of their fields.

This post is part of a series about modern hardware companies, their business models, and the future of HaaS. For more, see posts from June, July, early and late August, and early and late September.

ANYbotics

• Founded date: 2016
• Location: Zürich, Switzerland and San Francisco, California
• Employees: ~200
• What they do: autonomous robots for industrial plant monitoring and maintenance
• Key customers & partners: Outokumpu, Schneider Electric, Siemens Energy, Stadler, Vale, Petronas, AWS
• Website: www.anybotics.com

ANYbotics develops a four-legged autonomous robot, ANYmal, for asset inspections and predictive maintenance in complex and hazardous industrial environments (e.g., oil, mining, energy, power, and gas). The quadrupeds are equipped with visual, thermal, and acoustic sensors to detect equipment failures, identify thermal anomalies, monitor gas concentration levels in real-time, and more. They work around the clock—reading the data on manometers, gauges, LCD displays, and valves; creating 3D models of the space for situational awareness; and dynamically updating a digital twin of the facility. ANYmal can crawl in and out of cramped spaces and up and down stairs in multi-level environments, perform path optimization and plan alternative routes, and dock itself autonomously to recharge, collecting hundreds of inspection points per mission.

The company offers its fleet under a robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model, in which customers have access to ANYmal robots on a subscription or pay-as-you-go basis, rather than purchasing them outright. This allows ANYbotics to provide a full-service offering for both hardware and software, and gives customers the flexibility to scale as they need, without large up-front investments.

“With our robots-as-a-service model, customers get a flexible and continuously-improving solution,” says Co-founder and CEO Péter Fankhauser. “As the robots collect and analyze data from customers around the globe, ANYmals not only immediately alert operators to anomalies, allowing them to intervene and problem-solve in real-time; they also become more intelligent over time. With a model in which we service hardware and provide frequent software updates, we help our customers to increase the value and positive impact over time."

Visix

• Founded date: 1980
• Location: Norcross, Georgia
• Employees: ~50
• What they do: suite of digital signage solutions
• Key customers: Johnson & Johnson, Welch’s, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, DoubleTree
• Website: www.visix.com

Visix provides a unified digital signage solution for the corporate, retail, banking, healthcare, education, government, and hospitality industries. Customers use the company’s software and hardware to display 100+ media types (e.g., real-time data, images, videos, news, weather, traffic, live TV, and Twitter feeds) through LED displays, video walls, room signs, menu boards, touchscreens, desktops, mobile devices, kiosks, and more. Through Visix’s content management system, businesses can create, manage, and schedule content from a single centralized application, then publish to screens of all sizes across their entire system.

The company offers its full-suite solution through a hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) business model, reducing the capital cost of digital signage for customers. Under the HaaS model, clients get access to the media players of their choice alongside AxisTV Manage (Visix’s CMS), AxisTV Design (a design app), AxisTV Engage (media player software), cloud-hosting, software support and maintenance, next-day hardware replacement for the life of the subscription, and ongoing software updates. Customers choose their subscription term—12, 24, or 36 months—and are billed annually. Visix also offers creative services and configuration as add-ons.

“With a subscription package, companies don’t have to sink money into hardware costs,” says Sean Matthews, President and CEO. “They get an easily-scalable solution, free technology upgrades and updates, end-to-end support—and they don’t have to shoulder the burden of lifecycle management. Ultimately, our cloud-hosted CMS paired with HaaS allows our clients to launch a full visual communications system with minimal risk and minimal investment.”

Onward Robotics

• Founded date: 2012
• Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Employees: ~90
• What they do: Order-fulfillment robots for warehousing, logistics, and e-commerce
• Key customers: AS Watson, Rochester Drug Cooperative
• Website: onwardrobotics.com

Onward Robotics is the creator of Lumabot, an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that boosts order-picking and fulfillment productivity in the warehouse. The AMR includes pick-to-light shelving, a high payload capacity (up to 450 lbs), and a hot-swappable lithium ion battery that lasts up to two shifts without a charge. Lumabot collaborates with its human counterparts, meeting them at the proper pick location and visually guiding them to ensure accuracy.

The company offers flexible purchasing options: Lumabot can be purchased as a capital expenditure or under a robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model. The latter provides its customers the agility and scale necessary to support growth or see a rapid return on investment. Included in both purchase options is a subscription to Onward’s proprietary software: Its Pyxis technology orchestrates the human-robot partnership by balancing labor, assigning tasks, and optimizing the order-picking process, directing workers to meet and load the Lumabot via a wearable mobile device.

Richtech Robotics

• Founded date: 2016
• Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
• Employees: ~30
• What they do: AI-driven service robots
• Key customers: Wesley Enhanced Living, Flix Brewhouse, New London Restaurant, Heritage Woods
• Website: richtechrobotics.com

Richtech Robotics builds collaborative robotics solutions for the service industry, including the restaurant, hospitality, and healthcare sectors. The company currently has seven solutions in its robotics portfolio. Its worker robots include ADAM, an AI-powered bartender, barista, and boba-maker with an extensive drink library and an ability to make small-talk with customers; and ARM, a 6-jointed robotic arm that can function as a barista, fry cook, or sous chef. Richtech’s delivery robots include Matradee L, a food server that can plan routes, avoid obstacles, and deliver 12 meals in a single trip; and Medbot, a robot that navigates through healthcare facilities for 24/7 medication delivery. Richtech also offers floor-cleaning robots tailored for service industries with tight spaces.

Each of Richtech’s robots is equipped with a multitude of sensors (LiDAR, depth cameras, edge sensors, etc.) and is connected to a cloud platform that provides data reports and metrics on production and efficiency. Richtech is pursuing a number of business models, including partnering with established businesses willing to use its robots, utilizing a franchise model, and selling its robots directly to customers. In the latter model—a hybrid hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) model—customers typically continue to pay a subscription fee for in-depth analytics and live tracking after they’ve purchased Richtech’s robots.

Badger Technologies

• Founded date: 2017
• Location: Nicholasville, Kentucky
• Employees: ~75
• What they do: In-store robots for retail operations
• Key customers: Stop & Shop, Busy Beaver, McCoy’s Building Supply
• Website: badger-technologies.com

Badger Technologies provides actionable data and analytics for retail operations through a fleet of autonomous robots that navigate stores and collect product information through a variety of sensors. Badger is equipped with high-resolution cameras and rotating lidar. The robot detects misplaced items and empty shelves, identifies planogram inconsistencies, catches and resolves price discrepancies, conducts product checks, generates replenishment lists and alerts store associates when items need to be restocked, and monitors floor conditions for spills and other hazards. Badger can scan millions of products each day, remapping the store every time it makes its rounds.

The company offers its solution through outright purchase or a hybrid recurring sales model, in which customers lease the robots to own, and pay recurring fees for a comprehensive solution that includes maintenance, dedicated service and support, 24/7 remote monitoring, real-time alerts, customized dashboards that serve up real-time inventory tracking down to the SKU, and analytics. The software portion of Badger’s end-to-end solution means customers get dynamic updates on customer preferences and buying trends, so they can personalize shopping experiences and increase store profitability.