Urban Machine
Urban Machine is an Oakland-based robotics and AI company that removes metal fasteners from construction and demolition lumber to produce premium reclaimed wood, serving C&D facilities, contractors, developers, and architects via robot rental and lumber sales across North America and Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Urban Machine does
Urban Machine is a robotics and AI company founded in 2021 and headquartered in Oakland, California, that automates the removal of metal fasteners (nails, staples, screws) from construction and demolition (C&D) dimensional lumber to produce premium reclaimed wood. Its core product, The Machine, combines AI-driven computer vision to locate fasteners, proprietary patented bird-beak-like end effectors ("Big Bird") that simultaneously extract fasteners from all four planes of wood, and a metal-detector quality check to verify metal-free output; the system processes dimensional lumber from 2x4 up to 6x18, glulam, and heavy timber. Urban Machine is currently on its fifth robot iteration and targets deployment of 12 machines across metropolitan areas by end of 2025.
The company sells and rents The Machine to four primary segments: C&D resource recovery facilities, demolition and construction contractors, property developers, and architects. Revenue derives from a robot rental/managed-service stream (mobile units deployed on-site at customer job sites and facilities) and direct sales of reclaimed lumber inventory, supplemented by end-market assistance to help lessee partners monetize recovered material. Distribution is direct enterprise field sales supplemented by strategic pilot and LOI partnerships with operators such as Suffolk Technologies, VEMA Deconstruction, Omtre (Norway), Napa Recycling, and All Bay Lumber Mill. Backed by Google Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Union Labs, and Catapult Ventures with approximately $7.2M raised to date, Urban Machine operates in the United States, Canada, and Norway, positioning itself as a circular-economy infrastructure layer for the C&D wood-waste market.
Urban Machine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Urban Machine
- Legal name
- Urban Machine, Inc.
- Website
- https://urbanmachine.build
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Urban Machine is an Oakland-based robotics and AI company that removes metal fasteners from construction and demolition lumber to produce premium reclaimed wood, serving C&D facilities, contractors, developers, and architects via robot rental and lumber sales across North America and Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Urban Machine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Robotics
- NAICS
- Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331)
- SIC
- General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Waste Handling & Compaction Equipment (Balers, Compactors) (IMAHALAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industrial Cleaning & Environmental Equipment Rental/Leasing (Vacuum Trucks, Dust Control, Dehumidifiers) (TLABAFAK)
Keywords
Where Urban Machine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Urban Machine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Robot Rental/Leasing: Urban Machine rents The Machine (their wood-reclaiming robot) to C&D facilities, contractors, and job sites. Contact Aschley Yanda to rent the robot. The mobile robot is deployed at customer locations for on-site wood reclamation.
- Reclaimed Lumber Sales: Urban Machine sells reclaimed lumber products reclaimed from C&D waste. The company builds inventory of premium reclaimed wood (dimensional lumber from 2X4 up to 6X18, Glulam, and heavy timber) for sale to developers, architects, and construction projects.
- End Market Assistance: Urban Machine's sales team assists partners in finding end markets for reclaimed lumber, helping maximize return on investment for robot leasing customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Robot rental/lease model |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Urban Machine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Urban Machine manufactures and deploys "The Machine," a mobile robotic system that uses AI, computer vision, and patented bird-beak-like end effectors to locate and remove metal fasteners (nails, staples, screws) from construction and demolition dimensional lumber, glulam, and heavy timber. The system produces premium reclaimed lumber that competes with virgin lumber pricing. The company rents The Machine to C&D facilities, contractors, developers, and architects, and also sells the resulting reclaimed lumber inventory.
Product overview
Urban Machine offers a single unified product — The Machine — a proprietary robotic system for AI-powered wood reclamation from C&D waste. The robot uses computer vision and precision end effectors to remove metal fasteners (nails, staples, screws) from dimensional lumber, glulam, and heavy timber, followed by a metal-detector quality check, producing premium reclaimed lumber. The company rents The Machine to contractors, developers, architects, and C&D facilities across North America. Key product modules include the Nail & Staple Picker (patented bird-beak-like end effectors), Metal Detector (quality assurance), and Cleaning Brushes (surface material removal). Urban Machine operates in iterative robot versions; the current iteration is nicknamed Big Bird / Top Bird, with a fifth-generation robot operational by 2024. The company is scaling from pilot operations in the Bay Area toward a fleet of 12+ machines in metropolitan areas by end of 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Machine Mobile robotic system that uses AI and computer vision to locate and remove metal fasteners (nails, staples, screws) from construction and demolition dimensional lumber, glulam, and heavy timber. Produces premium reclaimed lumber for reuse in new construction. Processes lumber from 2x4 up to 6x18 and includes patented bird-beak-like end effectors, precision gantries, vision systems, and a metal detector for quality assurance.
- Robot Rental / Leasing Service Equipment-as-a-service offering in which Urban Machine deploys The Machine to customer job sites or C&D facilities on multi-year rental contracts, enabling on-site wood reclamation and conversion of lumber waste into reusable or sellable reclaimed lumber. Sales team also assists customers in finding end markets for reclaimed lumber.
- Reclaimed Lumber Products Premium reclaimed lumber products reclaimed from construction and demolition waste using The Machine. Includes dimensional lumber from 2x4 up to 6x18, glulam, and heavy timber, sold directly to developers, architects, and construction projects for use in new sustainable construction.
Quantifiable outcome
- 37 million tons of wood waste diverted from US landfills annually
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Urban Machine
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Urban Machine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
Urban Machine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- VEMA DeconstructioncoreVancouver-based sustainable demolition company signed LOI to receive one of Urban Machine's wood-reclaiming robots. Partnership marks pivotal moment for deconstruction and reuse in North America.
- OmtrecoreNorwegian start-up specializing in reclaimed timber signed LOI to receive Urban Machine's wood reclaiming robot. First European organization to enlist Urban Machine's technology. Manages SIRKTRE, one of Norway's largest funded R&D projects for circular construction solutions.
- Suffolk TechnologiesflagshipSuffolk Technologies initiated a pilot program with Urban Machine to reclaim lumber for reuse in construction projects. They export wood from one building, reclaim it with the robot, and use it for another Bay Area project.
- Napa RecyclingcoreUrban Machine installed collection racks at Napa Recycling's facility to measure wood salvaged and robotically reclaim C&D wood waste for reuse in construction.
- All Bay Lumber MillcoreUrban Machine's robot reclaims lumber at All Bay Lumber Mill facility. All Bay produces DLT (Dowel-Laminated Timber) with reclaimed lumber, contributing to sustainable construction practices.
- City Slicker FarmsminorUrban Machine used salvaged premium Douglas fir to build a shade structure for City Slicker Farms' Urban Farm in West Oakland, a community project supporting equitable access to healthy food and urban green space.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Urban Machine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AMP Robotics: AMP Robotics applies AI and robotics to sort and recover materials from recycling and waste streams. Highly comparable to Urban Machine as a fellow AI/robotics company automating material recovery from waste, with a similar technology stack (computer vision + robotic actuators) and similar end customers (recycling and waste facilities).
- Built Robotics: Built Robotics develops autonomous technology for construction equipment such as dozers and excavators. Directly comparable as a robotics startup serving the construction industry, with similar enterprise sales motion to contractors and developers.
- Dusty Robotics: Dusty Robotics builds field robots that automate layout for construction projects. Comparable as a construction-focused robotics startup selling hardware-as-a-service to general contractors and developers with similar deployment economics.
- Toggle: Toggle uses industrial robotics and AI to automate rebar fabrication for construction. Comparable as a robotics + AI startup automating a previously manual construction process, targeting contractors and developers with similar enterprise sales motions.
Emerging players
- ReMatter: ReMatter operates a marketplace platform for reclaimed and surplus building materials. Comparable as an emerging player in the circular construction materials ecosystem, though it is a software/marketplace rather than a robotics-enabled hardware solution.
Broad incumbents
- CarbonCure Technologies: CarbonCure Technologies provides technology that reduces carbon emissions in concrete production. Comparable as a sustainability-focused construction technology company serving similar customer segments (developers, contractors) with an analogous value proposition around lower-carbon building materials.
- Boston Dynamics: Boston Dynamics develops advanced mobile robots (Spot, Stretch) for industrial and construction environments. Comparable as an established robotics manufacturer deploying hardware in industrial/construction settings, though with a much broader product portfolio and significantly greater resources.
- Agility Robotics: Agility Robotics builds humanoid and bipedal robots for logistics and industrial applications. Comparable as a venture-backed industrial robotics company with similar funding profile and enterprise customer focus, though targeting logistics/manufacturing rather than construction.
- Caterpillar: Caterpillar is a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment. Comparable as a major incumbent in the construction machinery space, with overlapping customer base (contractors, developers) and similar equipment-leasing/rental business models, though vastly larger and broader in scope.
- Komatsu: Komatsu is a global manufacturer of construction, mining, and forestry equipment. Comparable as a large incumbent in construction machinery with similar equipment-rental distribution and overlap on robotics/automation initiatives for the construction industry.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Urban Machine social profiles
Digital presenceUrban Machine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Urban Machine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Urban Machine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Urban Machine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Urban Machine
What does Urban Machine do?
Urban Machine manufactures and deploys "The Machine," a mobile robotic system that uses AI, computer vision, and patented bird-beak-like end effectors to locate and remove metal fasteners (nails, staples, screws) from construction and demolition dimensional lumber, glulam, and heavy timber. The system produces premium reclaimed lumber that competes with virgin lumber pricing. The company rents The Machine to C&D facilities, contractors, developers, and architects, and also sells the resulting reclaimed lumber inventory.
Is Urban Machine a public or private company?
Urban Machine is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Urban Machine founded?
Urban Machine was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Urban Machine based?
Urban Machine is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Urban Machine make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Robot Rental/Leasing is the primary driver. The others are reclaimed Lumber Sales and end Market Assistance.
Who are Urban Machine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AMP Robotics, Built Robotics, Dusty Robotics and Toggle. ReMatter is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are CarbonCure Technologies, Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, Caterpillar and Komatsu.
Does Urban Machine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Urban Machine.
What industry is Urban Machine in?
Urban Machine's product category is Construction Robotics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHALAI, Industrial Waste Handling & Compaction Equipment (Balers, Compactors), with a secondary code of TLABAFAK, Industrial Cleaning & Environmental Equipment Rental/Leasing (Vacuum Trucks, Dust Control, Dehumidifiers). Its NAICS code is 3339 and its SIC code is 3560.