Swap Robotics ( SOSV Accelerator)

Organizations Involved: HAX 2022
Founders: Tim Lichti
Company Description: Utility-scale solar power is on-track to become the world’s #1 energy source by the 2040’s. SWAP robotics addresses two significant cost challenges to the CapEx and OpEx of solar farms with automated solutions. In the utility-scale solar construction phase, SWAP is focused on the single biggest labor expense: solar panel laying. In the following 30-year Operations & Maintenance phase, they also solve the single biggest expense: cutting the grass & vegetation on 1,000+ acre sites. Each of these activities cost over $10 million throughout the lifetime of a typical utility-scale solar site. Their robots for solar panel laying and vegetation management at large solar farms drastically reduce install costs and continuing O&M. SWAP already has dozens of robots deployed already on half a dozen solar sites, and are on-track for over $3M of revenue in 2024. Solar additions will be 58% of new electricity generation in USA this year, and utility-scale solar is typically a site bigger than 500 acres in size, and 80% of new solar energy in USA coming online is from utility-scale solar. At the same time, solar is now 29% cheaper than any other form of new energy build-out in USA. For these reasons, utility-scale solar is on-track to become the world’s #1 energy source by the 2040s, and SWAP is poised to enable and serve this massive industry.
Market: Solar Energy
Location: Canada