PaintJet Revolutionizes Industrial Painting with Cutting-edge Robotic Technology
PaintJet secured a $10 million Series A funding round
Construction is emerging as the next frontier for robotics investment, particularly in the United States, where the $2 trillion industry employs approximately eight million individuals — a workforce comparable to the population of New York City. Despite economic booms, maintaining a steady workforce in construction proves challenging due to the physical demands and inherent risks associated with the job.
The automation of industrial painting, a sector heavily reliant on large-scale machinery, is gaining traction. PaintJet, a Nashville-based startup, has unveiled its Bravo robotic painter, a mobile elevated work platform resembling a cherry picker but equipped with innovative robotic technology. In contrast to appearances, CEO Nick Hegeman emphasizes, “We have created 100% of the robotic system.” The only components sourced from industry suppliers are the paint hoses, nozzles, and pumps. Hegeman explains, “We connect non-invasively to the platform and are able to control both the lift and our robotic system. This allows us to scale with the widely established network of equipment rental providers.”
In a recent development, PaintJet secured a $10 million Series A funding round, led by Outsiders Fund and featuring Pathbreaker Ventures, MetaProp, Builders VC, 53 Stations, and VSC Ventures. This funding follows a $3.5 million seed round led by Dynamo Ventures, bringing PaintJet’s total funding to date to $14.75 million.
CEO Nick Hegeman positions ongoing staffing challenges as the primary driver behind the funding raise. He asserts, “It’s not just about automation; it’s about redefining industry standards, addressing labor shortages, and introducing cost-effective solutions that break the mold of traditional painting.” Hegeman expresses gratitude to investors for supporting PaintJet’s mission to expand both geographically and across new sectors.
In addition to unveiling the Bravo robotic painter, PaintJet introduced its Alpha Shield paint in October. This innovative paint claims to reduce standard wear and tear from the elements, thereby extending the time between repaints.
While PaintJet is a key player in the industrial painting robotics space, it faces competition from other companies like Gray Matter, offering painting arms at various scales, and the Japanese robotic arm giant Fanuc, which has also introduced solutions, albeit limited in reaching the heights tackled by PaintJet’s Bravo.
PaintJet strategically targets construction companies as its primary user base, boasting an impressive client list that includes Prologis, Clayco, Layton Construction, and Brinkmann Constructors.
With a current workforce of 24 full-time employees, PaintJet plans to allocate some of the new funding to bolstering its sales and operations teams. Additionally, the company will relocate its headquarters from Nashville to Virginia to support its foray into the marine business and increase engineering headcount to enhance its technology stack for wider distribution, according to Hegeman.
