Financial operations for modern hardware

HaaS 100 (early July 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 March, early and late April, early and late May, and early and late June.

XY Sense

Hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) XY Sense occupancy sensor

  • Founded date: 2016
  • Location: Melbourne, Victoria
  • Employees: ~40
  • What they do: AI-powered workplace occupancy analytics platform
  • Key partners: Deloitte, Intuit, Georgia Tech, HSBC, Accenture
  • Website: xysense.com

XY Sense is a privacy-first workplace occupancy intelligence platform that helps companies monitor, analyze, and optimize how their office space is used. The company's computer vision-based sensors anonymously track real-time movement and presence across desks, meeting rooms, and shared spaces, capturing metrics like dwell time, utilization rates, and movement patterns. XY Sense’s cloud-based Insights Platform delivers rich analytics and integrates seamlessly with air quality sensors and workplace tools. Each sensor covers up to 1,000 square feet and tracks movement with sub-foot accuracy every two seconds—enabling smarter space planning, hybrid workplace optimization, energy efficiency, and better employee experiences.

The company offers flexible pricing, with either a hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) subscription model or a CapEx (capital expenditure) option. In both cases, customers pay an annual platform subscription fee to access the Insights Platform, software updates, and customer support. The HaaS model eliminates upfront hardware costs, making it easier for companies to scale deployments across office portfolios. The CapEx model is ideal for organizations that prefer to own their hardware assets outright. Both options include access to XY Sense’s full analytics suite, privacy-first data collection, enterprise-grade InfoSec compliance, and integration support with desk booking, BMS, and ESG systems.

“We designed our pricing model to match the diversity of our customers,” said Alex Birch, co-founder and CEO. “Some organizations are looking to move quickly and scale occupancy insights without a large upfront investment; others prefer the ownership and control that comes with CapEx. Our goal is to be a partner, not a vendor, and that means giving teams the flexibility they need to make data-driven workplace decisions from day one.”

Avidbots

Hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) Avidbots autonomous cleaning robots

  • Founded date: 2014
  • Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
  • Employees: ~220
  • What they do: Autonomous cleaning robots
  • Key customers: DHL, CEVA Logistics, Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, Narita International Airport (Tokyo)
  • Website: avidbots.com

Avidbots manufactures a suite of autonomous cleaning robots. The robots are equipped with 3D cameras, lasers, and sensors for collision avoidance, and are powered by Avidbots Autonomy, the company’s proprietary AI software that includes dynamic planning and advanced obstacle-avoidance features. Avidbots’ flagship robot, Neo, scrubs floors at hospitals, airports, schools, and malls. Neo 2W is designed for warehouses and manufacturing environments, while Kas is designed for improved performance in tighter spaces. Before a robot cleans a space, Avidbots’ team maps the facility and generates cleaning plans to match the business’ needs. Before every cleaning, the robot utilizes an array of sensors to analyze the space, comparing it to the initial cleaning plan before determining the most efficient route to enhance productivity.

Robots are available for direct sale as well as through a hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) subscription model. Neo, for example, costs around $50,000 for purchase, or customers can access it for a monthly fee of $2,500-$2,900. The monthly recurring subscription for software and services is approximately $500; it includes Avidbots Autonomy, the Avidbots Command Center (for fleet management, reporting, analytics, and real-time monitoring), and 24/7 remote assistance.

Xenex

Hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) Xenex germ zapping robots

  • Founded date: 2009
  • Location: San Antonio, Texas
  • Employees: ~110
  • What they do: Germ-zapping robots for healthcare environments
  • Key customers: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic Health System, Stanford Health Care, HonorHealth
  • Website: xenex.com

Xenex develops UV germ-zapping robots designed to combat harmful bacteria, viruses, and spores in healthcare environments, significantly reducing the risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). The company’s flagship robot, LightStrike+, is the first FDA-approved device of its kind. Leveraging high-intensity, pulsed xenon ultraviolet light, LightStrike+ can neutralize pathogens in just five minutes. The robot activates automatically when it senses human absence through the lack of motion and heat signatures. Its 360-degree light projection disinfects spaces efficiently, while in larger or more complex environments like pharmaceutical labs, the robot autonomously moves to ensure thorough cleaning. Xenex’s cloud-based reporting system tracks key metrics such as operator activity and locations disinfected. The company also offers a handheld UV device tailored for compact spaces.

With Xenex’s hybrid hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) model, customers purchase the robots upfront and pay a subscription fee for comprehensive, end-to-end services. In 2020, LightStrike+ cost $125,000, and the subscription price translates to about $4 per cleaned room per day. Subscriptions include 24/7 customer care, training and educational support, predictive maintenance, remote diagnostics, automatic software updates, a self-service portal so customers can monitor their program in real-time, and monthly performance and compliance reports.

Tompkins Robotics

Hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) Tompkins Robotics autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)

  • Founded date: 2017
  • Location: Orlando, Florida
  • Employees: ~80
  • Industry: Autonomous mobile robots for distribution and fulfillment operations
  • Key customers: Estée Lauder, CVS, Kmart, Kroger, Nordstrom, Walgreens
  • Website: tompkinsrobotics.com

Tompkins Robotics builds intelligent, modular sortation systems powered by autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), designed to transform distribution and fulfillment operations across retail, e-commerce, 3PL, and parcel logistics. Their flagship system, tSort, is a robotic sortation platform capable of handling up to 20,000 items per hour with rapid, flexible deployment and minimal infrastructure. The system supports a wide range of item types via interchangeable tray and crossbelt configurations, and integrates seamlessly with warehouse management systems. tSort is powered by Transcend, Tompkins’ advanced orchestration software suite that includes Transcend Orchestrate for system-wide coordination, Transcend Connect for API and WMS integration, and Transcend Mobile for real-time monitoring.

Tompkins Robotics offers its systems through a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model, bundling both hardware and software into a recurring monthly or annual subscription. This approach significantly lowers upfront CapEx and shortens time-to-value, with customers realizing ROI faster compared to traditional automation systems. The model includes full access to AMRs like tSort, tSortPost (for parcels), and PickPal (for item picking), as well as ongoing access to the Transcend platform, support, upgrades, and the flexibility to scale robots and sort points as business needs change. This hybrid HaaS model—where software and service are delivered on subscription, but hardware is rapidly deployable and often portable—ensures agility and cost control for warehouse operators.

UgMO

Hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) UgMO irrigation sensor

  • Founded date: 2005
  • Location: King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
  • Employees: ~15
  • What they do: Irrigation monitoring and control solutions
  • Customers: Irrigation contractors, golf course superintendents, sport turf managers, landscapers, farmers, professional property managers, and environmental stewards
  • Website: ugmo.com

UgMO delivers an advanced irrigation management solution that combines hardware, intelligent software, and agronomic expertise. The core of the company’s offering is its patented wireless sensors, which operate underground and measure critical root-zone conditions such as soil moisture, temperature, and salinity. These sensors transmit data in real-time via UgMO’s SenLink network, eliminating the need for IT support. UgMO Controllers then use this data in conjunction with their patented watering algorithms to dynamically adjust irrigation, ensuring each zone receives precisely the water it needs. With the accompanying UgMO Knows platform, users gain access to actionable analytics, remote system control, leak detection, and custom reporting. This seamless integration helps customers conserve water, optimize costs, and maintain healthy, sustainable landscapes.

The company offers its irrigation management system as an end-to-end, subscription-based service. This solution-as-a-service model—a subset of hardware-as-a-service (HaaS)—provides customers with end-to-end support, including installation, maintenance, agronomic consulting, and technical support. The package includes a comprehensive warranty and on-call assistance, ensuring smooth operations throughout the service term. Customers benefit from UgMO’s turnkey solution with no upfront capital investment, as the fixed monthly fee is designed to guarantee net savings through water conservation. The service also includes periodic reports and alerts tailored to the unique needs of each site, enabling users to make data-driven decisions that align with financial, operational, and sustainability goals.