What Vectis Automation does

Vectis Automation LLC is a privately held industrial automation company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Loveland, Colorado. It designs and manufactures collaborative robotic (cobot) welding and plasma cutting systems targeted at small and mid-sized fabrication shops that face chronic skilled-welder shortages. Core products are fully-integrated 3ft×6ft mobile weld/cut stations powered by Universal Robots arms (UR10e and UR20) wrapped with Vectis' proprietary URCap software, on-device AI features (weld path optimization, force-based touch sensing, intelligent multipass, automatic corner transition detection, smart plasma-cut path generation), and built-in safety sensors that enable human-robot collaboration without peripheral guarding. Deployment variants include the ultraportable Rover, the fixed-position Park'N'Arc, the DualFab dual-zone configuration, a Slide variant, a Boom option, and an XL Cart, addressing small-batch job shops through to structural-steel fabricators handling large multipass welds.

The company sells primarily direct via its website and expert sales/application-evaluation team, with channel partners handling Australia/New Zealand (Impact Machinery) and Canada (Advanced Motion & Controls), and an Anthem Capital financing relationship supporting leasing. Systems are priced at $75k–$140k (majority $95k–$140k all-in including shipping, 2-year warranty, lifetime software license, and 30-day return policy) — typically 25–40% less than traditional robotic weld cells. Revenue mechanics are predominantly one-time hardware sales with lifetime software licensing rather than recurring subscriptions; ancillary revenue includes Try Before You Buy rentals, financing margin pass-through, and the included Vectis Training Academy (no per-seat fees). Cumulative installed base exceeds 800 systems across North America and selectively internationally, spanning automotive aftermarket, solar mounting, structural steel (LNG/bridge/building), aluminum wheels, contract manufacturing, and general fabrication. Customer outcomes consistently cited include 3–4x productivity gains and payback in 2 years or less (with documented cases of <3 months). The team has grown to nearly 40 employees with 300+ years of combined robotic welding experience; the company is founder-led by Chairman/Co-Founder Doug Rhoda and VP of Business Development/Co-Founder Josh Pawley and reports no outside institutional capital.

Name

Vectis Automation

Legal name

Vectis Automation LLC

Website

https://vectisautomation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vectis Automation manufactures collaborative robotic welding and plasma cutting systems built on Universal Robots arms and proprietary URCap software with embedded on-device AI. Founded in 2019 in Loveland, Colorado, it serves small and mid-sized fabrication shops and structural steel fabricators across North America and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Welding Automation

NAICS

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

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560), Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541)

akta.pro primary industry

Disinfection, Sanitation & Vector-Borne Disease Control Services (IMAIAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Robots (Articulated, SCARA, Delta, Cartesian) (IMAHAHAA), Factory Automation Cells & Integrated Systems (Assembly, Welding, Painting Lines) (IMAHAHAL), Construction & Mining Robotics (HDAAAIAE)

Keywords

• Cobot welding systems
• Collaborative robotics
• Plasma cutting automation
• Robotic welding integration
• Mobile fabrication tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Loveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cobot Welding & Cutting Hardware Systems: Sale of fully-integrated cobot welding and plasma cutting systems. Majority of systems cost $95k-$140k all-in including plug-n-produce integration, shipping, 2-year warranty, lifetime software license. Barebones 'Super DIY' packages available from $75k (bring-your-own welder, torch, cable management).
2. Software Licenses: Lifetime software license included with system purchase. URCap software plugin with weld library and programming interface.
3. Training Services: Vectis Training Academy included free with purchase for existing customers. Self-paced online courses covering welding cobot basics, advanced features, and cutting operations.
4. Rental with Purchase Option: Low-risk 'Try Before You Buy' rental program allowing customers to test systems before committing to purchase.
5. Financing/Leasing: Financing and leasing options through partner Anthem Capital for customers preferring payment plans over upfront capital expenditure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Vectis Automation designs, manufactures, and sells portable collaborative robotic (cobot) welding and plasma cutting systems built on Universal Robots arms (UR10e, UR20) and powered by its proprietary Vectis URCap software with on-device AI features. The fully-integrated, plug-n-produce systems are offered in multiple deployment configurations (Rover, Park'N'Arc, Slide, DualFab, Boom, XL Cart) and target metal fabrication shops that need to automate welding and cutting without the cost or complexity of traditional industrial robot cells.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vectis Rover: Ultraportable mobile cobot welding system designed for large structural steel applications and field work, allowing the cobot to be brought directly to large parts.
• Park'N'Arc
• Vectis Training Academy
• Vectis DualFab
• Vectis Cobot Welding Tool
• Vectis Cobot Cutting Tool

Products and services

• Vectis Cobot Welding Tool A portable, collaborative robotic welding system powered by a Universal Robots arm (UR10e or UR20), delivered as a fully-integrated plug-n-produce system with Vectis software, welding equipment, 2-year warranty, lifetime software license, and 30-day return policy. Configurable for MIG welding of carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and exotic metals in standard, heavy-duty water-cooled, push-pull aluminum, and multi-zone setups.
• Vectis Cobot Cutting Tool A collaborative robotic plasma cutting system built on the same Universal Robots platform as the welding tool, leveraging Vectis software with smart path generation for automated plasma cutting of a range of part geometries in fabrication shops.
• Vectis Rover An ultra-portable mobile deployment of the Vectis cobot welding system designed to bring the cobot directly to large stationary workpieces; the Rover docks for welding and undocks for repositioning, enabling automation of large structural steel parts, beams, and field applications.
• Vectis Park'N'Arc A stationary deployment configuration of the Vectis cobot welding system for large structural steel applications; the cobot is positioned adjacent to the workpiece for fixed-position welding of large parts and heavy multipass welds.
• Vectis DualFab A dual-zone cobot welding configuration in which a single Vectis system services two welding stations simultaneously; the operator loads and unloads parts on one side while the cobot welds on the other, approaching 100% runtime in volume production.
• Vectis Slide A cobot deployment option that enables linear repositioning of the Vectis system for additional reach and flexibility in workshop configurations, showcased alongside Rover and Park'N'Arc at NASCC 2026.
• Vectis XL Cart System A larger-format mobile cart configuration of the Vectis cobot welding system designed to accommodate bigger fixtures and parts than the standard cart, providing additional stability and workspace for heavier welding applications.
• Vectis Boom Deployment Option An overhead boom-mounted deployment option for the Vectis cobot system that elevates the robot arm to extend reach and access larger or awkwardly positioned workpieces from above, including thin-gauge welding applications.
• Vectis Training Academy A self-paced, online training platform hosted on Thinkific and included free with every Vectis cobot purchase; delivers video-based instructional modules such as Welding Cobot 101 (Getting Started, Calibration, Starting to Program), Welding Cobot 201, Cutting Cobot 101, and DIY System Setup, enabling customers to train new operators without on-site support or per-head fees.
• Try Before You Buy Rental Program A usage-based rental program with purchase option that allows prospective customers to rent a Vectis cobot welding or cutting system before committing to a full purchase, lowering the capital and adoption risk for first-time automation buyers.
• Application Evaluation Service A complimentary pre-sale service in which Vectis technical experts review a customer's specific welding or cutting application to assess feasibility, recommend the right system configuration, and set expectations for success before purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3-4x productivity boost with Vectis cobot welding systems
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability4 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and supporting.

• Universal RobotscoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic technology partnership providing Universal Robots cobot arms (UR10e, UR20) as the foundation for Vectis cobot welding and cutting systems. UR arms have built-in safety sensors enabling human-robot collaboration. Over 100,000 UR applications deployed worldwide. Vectis develops proprietary URCap software plugin integrated on UR teach pendant.
• Impact MachineryregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partner for Australian and New Zealand markets. Co-exhibits at Australian Manufacturing Week and EMEX events. Provides local support and distribution for Vectis mobile cobot fabrication tools.
• Advanced Motion & ControlsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partner for Canadian market. Co-exhibits at FABTECH Canada in Booth 12069 showcasing cobot deployment methods and software capabilities.
• Miller (welding equipment)supportingTechnology or IntegrationWelding equipment integration. Vectis aluminum configuration employs Miller synergic pulse welding equipment and push-pull gun for reliable feeding of soft aluminum wire.
• KoparsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership mentioned in AI welding article - cobot welding tool training with Kopar in Monterrey, MX. Indicates international training and development collaboration.
• A3 (Association for Advancing Automation)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-exhibiting at AWS Welding Automation Exposition & Conference. Vectis Chairman/Co-Founder Doug Rhoda presenting alongside A3 and AWS leaders.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• KUKA Robotics: KUKA is a major industrial robotics OEM with welding-focused cells and the KUKA ready2_weld product line. Competes with Vectis on automated welding deployment but with a heavier, fixed-installation focus.
• Universal Robots: Universal Robots is Vectis's exclusive cobot arm supplier and offers its own welding application kits through the UR+ ecosystem. It is both a critical partner and an adjacent competitor whose strategic moves could materially affect Vectis.
• ABB Robotics: ABB offers a broad portfolio of industrial welding robots and cobots serving automotive, fabrication, and structural steel customers. Overlaps with Vectis on welding use cases but typically at much larger scale and price points.
• Lincoln Electric: Lincoln Electric is the largest global welding equipment and consumables manufacturer, actively pushing into automation via acquisitions (Wolf Robotics) and software. It shares Vectis's customer base and sells both equipment and integrated robotic welding solutions.
• Yaskawa Motoman: Yaskawa Motoman is one of the largest industrial welding robot manufacturers globally, offering articulated robotic welding cells for high-volume and large-part applications. Vectis competes in the same end-customer workflow but with portable collaborative systems rather than fixed cells.

Emerging players

• Formic: Formic is a robotics-as-a-service provider deploying welding and other industrial cells to SMB manufacturers under a pay-per-hour model. It targets the same small fab shop customer with an alternative financing model versus Vectis's outright-purchase GTM.
• Standard Bots: Standard Bots is an emerging U.S.-based cobot maker targeting SMB manufacturing and machine shops with easy-to-use robotic arms. While not welding-focused today, its roadmap and software-led GTM position it as a future cobot competitor for Vectis.

Direct peers

• Hirebotics: Hirebotics is a direct competitor offering cobot welding systems powered by Universal Robots, targeting similar SMB and mid-market fab shops with subscription and ownership models. It is the closest comparable to Vectis in product, customer base, and GTM.
• Wolf Robotics (Lincoln Electric): Wolf Robotics is a traditional welding automation integrator (subsidiary of Lincoln Electric) building robotic welding cells for industrial and structural customers. It competes with Vectis on large-part and structural steel automation but at a higher price point and more fixed installations.
• Acieta: Acieta is a robotic systems integrator specializing in welding and fabrication automation with a strong regional install base. It competes with Vectis for mid-market structural steel and general fab customers and overlaps on application evaluation and integration services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vectis-automation
• Facebookfacebook.com/VectisAutomation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Vectis Automation