What Novarc Technologies does

Novarc Technologies Inc., founded in January 2013 and headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, designs and commercializes collaborative welding robots (cobots) and AI-driven vision and control software for industrial pipe fabrication. Its core product is the Spool Welding Robot (SWR) family, introduced commercially in 2017 as the world's first welding cobot, which has expanded into the SWR-TIGMIG (dual-process TIG and MIG integration launched November 2025), SWR-TIPTIG (advanced TIG/GTAW), and SWR-TIPTIG Autonomy (world's first fully autonomous TIG welding solution launched October 2025). The company also sells ArcPod, a portable robotic welding platform for large stationary components. Underpinning the hardware is the NovAI platform, which combines computer vision (NovEye Autonomy), real-time adaptive control (NovAI Control), and autonomous decision-making (NovAI Autonomy) for both Novarc's own cobots and retrofit applications on ABB and Yaskawa robotic cells. Supporting products include NovPlan (CAD-to-program weld path generation powered by Verbotics) and NovHub (enterprise welding intelligence analytics), with NovData providing structured process telemetry.

Novarc makes money through a mix of hardware sales of SWR cobots and accessories, recurring NovCare support subscriptions (Silver and Gold tiers), and professional services including training, WPS development, and shop layout design. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales, complemented by channel distribution through Abicor Binzel, a Houston-based Customer Experience Center, and presence at major trade shows including FABTECH, Automate, and the Essen Welding and Cutting Show. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customers include fabrication shops, shipyards, mechanical contractors, oil and gas service providers, and industrial manufacturers across shipbuilding, building construction, oil and gas (primary verticals), and secondary verticals including data center construction, nuclear, aerospace, cryogenics, district heating, food and dairy, pharma and biotech, and vessel manufacturing. Named enterprise customers include Seaspan's Vancouver Drydock, ColonialWebb, W.W. Gay Mechanical, Trident Process Systems, Metropolitan Mechanical, Lepol Metal, Harder Mechanical, Joe White Tank, Harry Grodsky, Ganotec-Muga Fab, M&M Industrial, and Worley.

The company is privately held, with cumulative disclosed funding of approximately $75.9 million across pre-seed (2017), seed (2018), Series A led by Graham Partners (September 2022) and extended with Export Development Canada and Caterpillar Ventures (August 2023, $20 million), and a $50 million Series B closed in March 2025 led by Export Development Canada. It has been recognized for four consecutive years on the Financial Times: The Americas' Fastest Growing Companies list (2023-2026) and was ranked No. 381 on the 2025 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 with 188% three-year revenue growth. Strategic alliances include a May 2026 MoU with Hanwha Ocean for naval and commercial shipbuilding, a June 2026 MoU with Yaskawa for retrofit integration, and technology partnerships with NVIDIA (Inception program), Lincoln Electric (HyperFill), Miller Electric, and Verbotics.

Name

Novarc Technologies

Legal name

Novarc Technologies Inc.

Website

https://novarctech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Novarc Technologies designs collaborative welding robots (the SWR family) and AI-driven vision and control software (NovAI) for industrial pipe fabrication, serving shipyards, mechanical contractors, oil and gas, and process equipment manufacturers globally across five continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Welding Robotics

NAICS

All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (333248), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540)

akta.pro primary industry

Welding & Plasma Power Supplies (Industrial welders, cutting power sources) (IMAGADAI)

Keywords

• Robotic welding automation
• Collaborative welding robots
• Pipe welding cobots
• Industrial physical AI
• AI welding vision systems

Headquarters

HQ city

North Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Robotic Welding Hardware (SWR): Sale of Spool Welding Robot (SWR) cobots and related hardware including positioners, torches, and accessories. The SWR is available in multiple configurations including single torch, dual torch, and SWR-F variants.
2. AI Software Solutions (NovAI): AI-powered software systems including NovAI Autonomy, NovAI Control, and NovAI Capture for robotic welding vision and cognition.
3. Support and Maintenance (NovCare): NovCare subscription packages (Silver and Gold) providing preventive maintenance, breakdown support, software updates, and training access.
4. Professional Services: Training, custom shop layouts, WPS development support, and installation services.
5. ArcPod: Portable robotic welding platform for large stationary components.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Novarc Technologies designs, manufactures, and sells the Spool Welding Robot (SWR) family of collaborative welding robots and the NovAI AI-vision platform for industrial pipe welding automation. Its products — including SWR-MIG, SWR-TIGMIG, SWR-TIPTIG, ArcPod portable welding platform, and NovAI software modules — are sold to enterprise fabrication shops, shipyards, shipbuilders, mechanical contractors, and energy infrastructure operators, with recurring revenue from NovCare support subscriptions and professional services.

Product overview

Novarc Technologies offers a portfolio of welding automation solutions organized around its core Spool Welding Robot (SWR™) family and AI-powered NovAI™ platform. The SWR product line includes the standard SWR-MIG for pipe welding, the SWR-TIGMIG as the industry's first dual-process robot combining TIG and MIG capabilities, and the SWR-TIPTIG for advanced TIG welding applications. The NovAI platform brings AI-powered vision and cognition to welding operations through three sub-products: NovAI Capture for weld path programming, NovAI Control for real-time adaptive adjustments, and NovAI Autonomy for fully autonomous operations. Supporting technologies include NovEye™ Autonomy for machine vision, NovSync™ for multipositioner synchronization, and NovHub™ Enterprise Welding Intelligence. Additional offerings include NovPlan™ (powered by Verbotics) for CAD-based robot programming and ArcPod™ for portable robotic welding of large stationary components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SWR (Spool Welding Robot): Advanced welding cobot designed for pipe and roll welding applications, the world's first welding cobot. Includes variants: SWR-MIG, SWR-TIGMIG (dual-process combining TIG and MIG), SWR-TIPTIG (advanced TIG welding).
• NovAI
• NovPlan
• ArcPod
• NovEye Autonomy
• NovSync
• NovHub
• NovCare

Products and services

• Spool Welding Robot (SWR™) Advanced welding cobot specifically designed for pipe and roll welding applications. Operators can work root to cap automatically without shutting off the arc, and customers have increased productivity by up to 12X while achieving consistent X-ray quality welds.
• SWR-TIGMIG Dual-process spool welding robot integrating TIG and MIG welding into a single autonomous platform, enabling X-ray-quality TIG root welds with MIG-speed fill passes and transition between processes in under 30 seconds. Features 4-by-4-ft footprint with capacity for up to four positioners.
• SWR-TIPTIG Cobot with smallest footprint in the industry, designed specifically for pipe, pressure vessel, and roll welding using the Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG/GTAW) process. Pushes the limits of TIG welding using the advanced TIPTIG system for enhanced speed and precision.
• SWR-TIPTIG Autonomy World's first fully autonomous TIG welding solution integrating AI and machine learning for precision and consistency in shipbuilding, nuclear, energy, and clean technology applications.
• ArcPod™ Portable, heavy-duty robotic welding platform designed for large, stationary components. Brings industrial robotic welding directly to the workpiece by being transported via overhead crane or forklift.
• NovPlan™ Powered by Verbotics Weld, NovPlan automatically generates weld paths and robot programs directly from CAD models, cutting programming time by up to 90% for industrial welding robots.
• NovAI Autonomy Sub-product of NovAI enabling fully autonomous robotic welding operations with machine vision and real-time adaptive capabilities. Designed to retrofit existing robotic cells from ABB and Yaskawa for shipbuilding, data centers, energy infrastructure, and heavy equipment.
• NovCare Support Subscriptions (Silver & Gold) Annual subscription service packages for SWR owners. Silver tier includes 72-hour breakdown response and up to 40 hours remote support annually; Gold tier includes 48-hour breakdown response, up to 60 hours remote support, and Novarc Academy re-training for up to 3 trainees. Breakdown service calls billed extra per visit per day.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 12X productivity increase in stainless steel pipe welding
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability8 records

Feature13 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• YaskawacoreTechnology or Integration · 15 June 2026Strategic Memorandum of Understanding to advance AI-powered autonomous welding automation. NovAI Autonomy platform has been expanded to integrate with Yaskawa robots, joining existing ABB integration capabilities. Partnership enables retrofitting of existing Yaskawa robotic cells with machine vision and real-time adaptive AI capabilities.
• Hanwha OceancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Strategic research collaboration framework for AI-powered welding automation and manufacturing technologies for advanced commercial and naval shipbuilding applications. Partnership leverages Novarc's industrial Physical AI platform combined with Hanwha Ocean's shipbuilding expertise to develop autonomous high-precision manufacturing solutions for the demanding requirements of the maritime sector. Signed at BC Innovation Day in Victoria, Canada with approximately 100 organizations including Canadian and Korean government officials in attendance.
• NvidiastrategicTechnology or IntegrationNovarc is a member of the NVIDIA Inception program, which offers go-to-market support, expertise, and technology for cutting-edge startups. Novarc utilizes NVIDIA GPU devices to accelerate AI applications in real-time on the edge where welding happens.
• Seaspan ShipyardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic partnership with Seaspan Shipyards including Vancouver Shipyards, Vancouver Drydock, and Victoria Shipyards. Seaspan is a major customer implementing SWR technology and previously invested in Novarc through a pre-seed round. Seaspan provides complete shipyard services including new construction, conversion, refit, repair, and maintenance for naval, research, and commercial vessels.
• Lincoln ElectricstrategicTechnology or IntegrationWorld leader in arc welding solutions, automated joining, assembly and cutting systems. Novarc has partnered with Lincoln Electric for welding technology, including the HyperFill twin-wire GMAW solution integration with SWR.
• Miller ElectricstrategicTechnology or IntegrationEstablished in 1929, Miller is a leading manufacturer of welding solutions with focus on quality, reliability, and safety. Partnership provides welding equipment integration with Novarc systems.
• Abicor BinzelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides welding accessories globally and serves as both a supplier and distributor of the SWR. Abicor Binzel is a key channel partner enabling broader market reach.
• TIP TIGstrategicTechnology or IntegrationDevelops and manufactures high-performance welding equipment using innovative wire feed technology to improve customer productivity. TIP TIG technology is integrated into the SWR-TIPTIG product line.
• VerboticsstrategicTechnology or IntegrationVerbotics Weld provides easy-to-use desktop application for welding robot programming. NovPlan powered by Verbotics automatically generates weld paths and robot programs from CAD models, cutting programming time by up to 90%.
• CaterpillarminorOthersWorld's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines with 2023 sales and revenues of $67.1 billion. Nature of partnership includes strategic collaboration.
• StratusstrategicTechnology or IntegrationPremier MEP Construction Procurement, Manufacturing, and Logistics Software provider. Integration enables customers like Harry Grodsky to track weld inches, arc-on time, and consumable usage through Stratus dashboard.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Yaskawa Electric: Global industrial robotics and welding cobot manufacturer. Direct competitor in articulated welding robots and partner via the 2026 MoU to integrate NovAI Autonomy into Yaskawa cells — a clear head-to-head in autonomous welding with overlapping enterprise customers.
• Universal Robots: Cobot market leader whose UR-series collaborative robots are widely deployed in welding cells. Directly comparable to Novarc's cobot positioning and overlaps with SWR in small-to-mid fabrication shops pursuing flexible automation.

Broad incumbents

• ABB Robotics: One of the world's largest industrial robot suppliers with a strong welding automation portfolio. Already integrated with NovAI Autonomy for retrofit, and competes with Novarc in shipbuilding, automotive, and general fabrication through its broader portfolio.
• KUKA: Major industrial robotics and welding automation provider serving automotive, metal fabrication, and shipbuilding. Competes head-to-head with Novarc in robotic welding cells and offers wider portfolio in adjacent automation applications.
• Lincoln Electric: World leader in arc welding solutions and automated joining systems. Technology partner via HyperFill twin-wire GMAW integration and broader welding equipment competitor; serves overlapping shipbuilding, structural, and pipe fabrication customers.
• Miller Electric: Leading welding equipment and automation manufacturer integrated with Novarc systems. Competes in automated welding power sources and is comparable as an established welding technology vendor serving the same fabrication shop base.
• FANUC: Industrial robotics incumbent with extensive welding automation portfolio across automotive and general fabrication. Comparable as a large-scale robotics vendor competing for the same enterprise welding cell budgets as Novarc.
• Fronius International: European welding technology specialist offering robotic welding packages and intelligent welding power sources. Comparable as a welding-focused automation player serving similar shipbuilding and fabrication customers, particularly in EMEA where Novarc is expanding.
• ESAB Corporation: Global welding and cutting equipment manufacturer with strong presence in shipbuilding, pipe fabrication, and structural markets. Directly comparable to Novarc's end markets and competes on automated welding solutions.

Emerging players

• Path Robotics: AI-driven autonomous welding startup focused on structural steel and pipe welding. Comparable as a venture-backed Physical AI welding company pursuing similar autonomous welding thesis with overlapping target verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novarc-technologies-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors9 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Novarc Technologies