Solara Automation

What Solara Automation does

Solara Automation designs and builds industrial automation products and services for manufacturing customers, with capabilities spanning custom factory automation, robotic system integration, fully automated manufacturing cells, and collaborative robot (cobot) integration. The company was founded in 2004 and headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, operating within a small 11-50 employee footprint. Its core technical offering rests on a proprietary "Define, Design, Develop, Deliver" engineering methodology and a structured 1-2 day on-site cobot automation assessment that produces a tailored roadmap and ROI analysis. The technology stack is built on third-party OEM platforms — primarily FANUC America, Universal Robots, AIM Robotics, and the Association for Advancing Automation — rather than internally developed control software, positioning the firm as a systems integrator and engineering services provider rather than an OEM.

On July 8, 2024, Solara Automation was acquired by AAE, an international family-owned automation company headquartered in Helmond, Netherlands. Following the acquisition, the entity was rebranded and integrated into AAE North America, which was formally announced on January 29, 2025, with expanded capabilities — including clean room development and new facility growth — disclosed in December 2025. The business is no longer operating as an independent company.

The revenue model is B2B and project-based: each engagement is scoped, quoted, and delivered against the customer's throughput, performance, and growth requirements, with multi-year contracts and pricing not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is a hybrid of direct enterprise field sales (with on-site engineer-led assessments targeting manufacturers) and inside sales for mid-market accounts, supported by content marketing, industry events, and partner-led referral channels through FANUC, Universal Robots, and AIM Robotics. Customer focus is horizontal — manufacturers across assembly and production applications seeking to address labor shortages, rising labor costs, throughput constraints, and product quality issues — with no named anchor customers disclosed in the input data.

Name

Solara Automation

Legal name

Solara Automation

Website

https://solaraautomation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Solara Automation designs and builds custom industrial automation systems and collaborative robot integrations for manufacturers, operating as AAE North America following its July 2024 acquisition by AAE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Morrisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Factory Automation Solutions: B2B industrial automation equipment and systems sold to manufacturers, including custom automation equipment, robotic system integration, and fully automated manufacturing cells. Revenue generated from project-based engagements aligned with customer performance requirements, throughput goals, and growth strategy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Solara Automation designs and delivers custom factory automation solutions for manufacturers, including custom automation equipment, robotic system integration, fully automated manufacturing cells, and collaborative robot (cobot) integration. The company provides on-site cobot automation assessments, a Define-Design-Develop-Deliver engineering methodology, and end-to-end project delivery from concept through commissioning.

Product overview

Based on the available source data, no specific product details are available for Solara Automation. The sources indicate that Solara Automation was acquired by AAE in July 2024, and its capabilities (including clean room development) became part of AAE North America's expanded offerings following the acquisition. Without additional product-specific content, the individual products array cannot be populated.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Factory Automation Solutions Tailored industrial automation systems engineered for manufacturers to improve production efficiency, reduce operational costs, and maximize long-term profitability. Includes custom automation equipment, robotic system integration, and fully automated manufacturing cells designed for assembly and production applications.
• Industrial Automation and Robotics Systems Engineering and deployment of industrial automation and robotics systems that help manufacturers increase production throughput, reduce labor and operating costs, and improve product quality. Includes process evaluation, automation opportunity identification, and tailored system design.
• Collaborative Robot (Cobot) Integration Integration of collaborative robots (cobots) to automate manual tasks, improve operational consistency, and enhance workplace safety. Targets manufacturers facing labor shortages, rising labor costs, and workforce constraints. Delivers scalable, flexible automation that reduces dependency on manual labor while improving process reliability and production throughput.
• On-Site Cobot Automation Assessment

Quantifiable outcome

• Data-driven measurable results that enhance reliability, consistency, and long-term manufacturing performance
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• FANUC AmericacoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for industrial automation and robotics solutions. FANUC is a leading provider of factory automation and robotics systems integrated into AAE North America's automation solutions.
• Universal Robots (UR)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for collaborative robot (cobot) integration solutions. AAE North America deploys Universal Robots cobots for manufacturers to automate manual tasks and improve operational consistency.
• AIM RoboticssupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing robotics solutions integrated into AAE North America's automation offerings.
• A3 Robotics (Association for Advancing Automation)supportingTechnology or IntegrationIndustry association partner for robotics and automation technology standards and industry collaboration.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Robotiq: Cobot tooling, software, and integration enablement vendor for Universal Robots platforms; ecosystem peer that competes for cobot integration scope and partner-led services.
• Formic: Cobot-as-a-service provider targeting US manufacturers with a subscription model; overlaps with Solara's cobot integration offering but differentiates on recurring pricing and faster deployment.
• Rapid Robotics: Provider of pre-configured robotic cells and machine tending solutions for manufacturers; adjacent competitor in the cobot/robotic cell space Solara/AAE North America serves.

Direct peers

• Bastian Solutions (Toyota Industries): US integrator of automated material handling, robotics, and custom automation for manufacturing and distribution; matches Solara's project-based custom automation and FANUC-class robotics integration profile.
• Creative Automation: US custom factory automation integrator building turnkey automated assembly and test systems; directly comparable in project-based custom automation delivery and target customer profile.
• Midwest Engineered Systems: US custom automation systems integrator delivering robotic cells, welding automation, and assembly systems; comparable in project scope, customer base, and reliance on third-party robot OEMs.
• Systematize: Cobot and custom automation integrator focused on small and mid-sized manufacturers; highly comparable to Solara/AAE North America's cobot integration focus and on-site assessment-led sales motion.
• JR Automation (Hitachi): Large US-based custom factory automation and robotic integration specialist serving discrete manufacturers across multiple verticals; directly comparable to Solara/AAE North America in custom cells, robotic system integration, and turnkey automation.

Broad incumbents

• KUKA Systems (KUKA AG): Global industrial automation and robotics incumbent with both robot manufacturing and systems integration; competes for the same large-project RFPs as Solara/AAE North America but at much larger scale.
• Honeywell Intelligrated: Honeywell's integrated automation business for manufacturing and distribution; a broad incumbent offering overlapping robotic and conveyor-based automation to similar enterprise manufacturing customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Solara Automation