HaaS 100 (early April 2025)

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 and 3D printers, 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 early and late December, early and late January, early and late February, and early and late March.

Third Wave Automation

• Founded date: 2018
• Location: Union City, California
• Employees: ~50
• What they do: Autonomous high-reach forklifts
• Key customers: Holman Logistics, C.H. Robinson
• Website: thirdwave.ai

Third Wave Automation (TWA) delivers advanced warehouse automation solutions through its Shared Autonomy Platform and flagship TWA Reach forklifts. The company’s high-reach forklifts are equipped with advanced 3D lidar and AI-driven perception systems, enabling obstacle avoidance, dynamic navigation, and precise handling of up to 4,000 pounds. Operating across four modes—fully autonomous, remote assist, remote operation, and manual—the forklifts adapt to various warehouse tasks without requiring costly infrastructure changes. TWA Reach handles both horizontal and vertical payload movements, supporting end-to-end workflows from inbound and replenishment to outbound operations, and everything in between. The company’s Armada Fleet Management System (ArmadaFMS) enhances operational efficiency by allowing a single operator to oversee multiple forklifts, monitor workflows, and dynamically configure warehouse zones.

The robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model offered by Third Wave removes the barriers of upfront capital investment by bundling autonomous forklift solutions into a predictable monthly subscription fee. This model provides customers with 24/7 support, easy scalability based on operational needs, and seamless integration into existing workflows. By incorporating performance incentives, TWA ensures continuous improvement and value for its clients. The RaaS approach simplifies adoption and reduces risk, delivering immediate ROI while accommodating businesses of varying sizes and needs.

“Our RaaS model is about empowering our customers,” explains Arshan Poursohi, co-founder and CEO. “By eliminating upfront costs and incorporating flexibility, we enable businesses to scale their operations as needed without financial strain. It’s not just about providing technology—it’s about creating a partnership in which we grow alongside our clients, continually improving our solutions to meet their evolving challenges. This model benefits both the customer, who sees immediate impact, and our company, as we build lasting relationships grounded in shared success.”

Apptronik

• Founded date: 2016
• Location: Austin, Texas
• Employees: ~160
• What they do: AI-powered general-purpose humanoid robots
• Key customers: Mercedes-Benz (pilot), GXO Logistics (R&D trial)
• Website: apptronik.com

Apptronik's Apollo is a versatile AI-powered humanoid robot. It operates for up to four hours per charge and features swappable battery packs, which allow virtually seamless transitions for continuous operation. Apollo’s structure mirrors the capabilities of a human, making it adaptable for applications from industrial settings to service-focused roles and eventually in healthcare and the home. The robot can efficiently handle case picking, palletization, trailer unloading, sortation, machine tending, and work cell delivery, and can task-switch throughout the day. Its computational strength empowers AI innovators, like Google DeepMind and NVIDIA, to explore new use cases.

Apptronik provides Apollo through a robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model, in which the company retains ownership of the robots while granting customers access to both the hardware and the services necessary to complete the contracted tasks. Customer payments are recurring rather than upfront, meaning the business model provides ROI from the start. The model is also scalable, allowing for short-term rentals during peak demand.

“Every warehouse, regardless of size, faces physically taxing, repetitive tasks that are becoming increasingly difficult to staff,” says Parker Conroy, Apptronik’s Director of Product. “Humanoid robots drive efficiency by taking on tasks that fall under the 3Ds: dull, dirty, and dangerous. The RaaS model enables all businesses to see these benefits without bearing the significant upfront costs.”

B Garage

• Founded date: 2017
• Location: San Jose, California
• Employees: ~80
• What they do: Autonomous drones for warehouse management
• Key customers: Kenco Group, Incheon Port Authority
• Website: bgarage.ai

B Garage offers solutions for warehouse inventory management with its autonomous drones and integrated software. The company’s drones use advanced camera vision technology, which allows them to autonomously navigate warehouse aisles without beacons, markers, or prior mapping. This feature eliminates the need for additional infrastructure, making it easy to deploy within existing warehouse setups. The drones perform inventory counting tasks that would typically require multiple workers, reducing labor costs and increasing operational efficiency. When a drone’s battery is depleted, it heads back to the battery-swapping station, where the used battery is quickly exchanged for a fully-charged one from the station’s reserve. With a user-friendly interface, B Garage’s software allows warehouse operators to monitor flight status, schedule drone scans, and analyze inventory data in real time, making it a powerful tool for modernizing warehouse operations.

The company’s robots-as-a-service (RaaS) offering enables customers to access its drones without significant upfront costs. Warehouses can subscribe to the service, receiving the full suite of hardware and software without the need for capital investment in equipment. A subscription includes maintenance and support, ensuring that the drones remain in optimal condition throughout the duration of the contracted relationship. B Garage provides flexible deployment options, including scheduled cycle counting and on-demand inventory checks, making it scalable to various warehouse needs. This allows businesses to customize their drone usage to meet their unique operational needs.

ICE Cobotics

• Founded date: 2011
• Location: Zeeland, Michigan (global HQ in Hong Kong)
• Employees: ~70
• What they do: Autonomous floor-cleaning robots
• Key customers: J & H Family Stores, RaceTrac, Phillips 66, Winona Health, Miami University
• Website: icecobotics.com

ICE Cobotics manufactures Cobi 18, an autonomous floor-cleaning collaborative robot (cobot). Cobi 18 uses sensors to navigate tight aisles and complex real-world environments, detect obstacles, and map out optimal cleaning paths. The cobots can clean 5,000 to 7,000 square feet of floor space every hour, and deliver up to 2 hours of cleaning per charge. They can operate multiple routes in succession without requiring human input, autonomously prioritize cleaning in high-traffic areas, and clean any kind of flooring thanks to the range of components they house in their base, including a squeegee and a dry mop. “Fill-in Mode” allows users to simply map the perimeter of an area; Cobi 18 fills in the rest on its own.

The company offers its cobots as part of an end-to-end robots-as-a-service (RaaS) solution that includes hardware, software, and the actionable data the robots collect as they work. ICE Cobotics’ fleet management software, I-SYNERGY, allows users to track and analyze machine usage data, monitor cleaning performance and receive “clean scores,” establish and track cleaning goals, access site-specific reports, get machine alerts and notifications, review consumable status, and request maintenance. The full-service subscription also includes support, repairs and replacement parts, consumables, and software and hardware updates. The subscription price—$16,000 for 36 months—amounts to $15/day for each cobot.

Waabi

• Founded date: 2021
• Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Employees: ~170
• What they do: Self-driving technology
• Key partners: Uber Freight
• Website: waabi.ai

Waabi harnesses generative AI to advance autonomous trucking for the transport industry. Central to its system is Waabi World, an advanced simulator that trains and validates Waabi Driver, a highly adaptable AI capable of reasoning and making decisions akin to a human driver. Waabi World uses a closed-loop framework to create digital twins of the physical world, generating endless scenarios to challenge Waabi Driver and improve its capabilities. By stress-testing in a virtual environment, Waabi minimizes reliance on large-scale fleet testing, eliminating the need for millions of real-world training miles.

Waabi’s collaboration with Uber Freight enables a turnkey driver-as-a-service model that prioritizes capital efficiency by removing the need for carriers to purchase autonomous fleets. Waabi Driver, a hardware-agnostic solution, integrates easily into any truck configuration, offering OEM-ready flexibility. This approach allows carriers to deploy their vehicles immediately on the Uber Freight platform, gaining access to smart routing and a network of partnerships for transfer hubs, roadside support, and national maintenance services.