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Xpanner

Category: Robotics / Embodied AI

Xpanner provides AI-powered automation retrofits for construction equipment, turning existing machinery into autonomous, software-defined assets through its Physical AI platform and Automation-as-a-Service model. Xpanner was founded in 2020. The company is led by Henri Lee (이명한). Based in Santa Fe Springs, California, United States. Team size: 11-50. Total funding raised: $38M. Latest round: Series B. Key investors include Korea Investment Partners (KIP), KB Investment (KBIC), STIC Ventures, Korea Technology Finance Corporation (KOTEC), Partners Investment.

Founded
2020
Headquarters
Santa Fe Springs, California, United States
Team size
11-50
Total funding
$38M

Value proposition

Xpanner retrofits existing construction equipment with Physical AI to enable autonomous operation, reducing labor needs by up to 80% and increasing efficiency by over 50%, delivered through a zero-upfront Automation-as-a-Service subscription model.

Products and solutions

X1 Kit (Physical AI retrofit system), Mango (hardware control module), M2 (environmental data processing), Automation-Ready Package (pre-configured equipment), Automation-as-a-Service (AaaS) subscription model with task-specific licenses for piling, material handling, trenching, and grading.

Unique value

Only market-proven Physical AI company in construction with meaningful revenue and profitability; equipment-agnostic retrofit (no rip-and-replace); task-specific automation via software subscriptions; 80%+ gross margins with near-zero churn.

Target customer

Top US solar farm EPCs (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contractors); construction companies working on utility-scale solar, BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems), and AI data center projects.

Industries served

Construction (solar farm, BESS, AI data center, civil construction), heavy equipment automation

Technology advantage

Software-Defined Machinery (SDM) approach — existing equipment evolves through software, not hardware replacement; equipment-agnostic retrofit compatible across all brands/models; largest proprietary physical dataset in construction; task-specific automation that collectively automates entire workflows; forward-deployed engineering model for rapid field adaptation.

How they differentiate

Unlike competitors that automate entire machines end-to-end (hitting scalability walls), Xpanner's task-specific approach scales through software rather than hardware redesign. It is the only construction Physical AI company with proven profitability ($31M+ cumulative revenue, 80%+ gross margins, zero churn). Its AaaS subscription model brings software economics to a hardware-dominated market.

Main competitors

Bedrock Robotics, Charge Robotics, Raise Robotics, Built Robotics

Key partnerships

Mortenson (customer), Black & Veatch (customer), QCells (customer), Geotab, PIRTEK, Infrakit (Finland), MOBA (Germany), Engcon (Sweden), Steelwrist (Sweden), JK (Korea), Shinhan Financial Group

Notable customers

Mortenson, Black & Veatch, QCells

Major milestones

Founded May 2020 in South Korea, Established North American subsidiary Nov 2022, BuiltWorlds Top 50 Startup (Apr 2022), Selected for Korean Ministry of Land 'One Team Korea' (Dec 2022), Series A $7.8M (Jun 2023), Moved HQ to US (2023), Series B $11M (Jun 2024), Launched X1 Kit (Aug 2025), Achieved profitability (Q1 2026), Series B Bridge $18M (May 2026), $31M+ cumulative revenue, 10x YoY growth with zero churn.

Growth metrics

Revenue: $3M (2023) → $7M (2024) → $21M (2025) → $8M in Q1 2026; 80%+ gross margins; Zero churn; Targeting $60M ARR by end of 2026; $1M EBIT in Q1 2026; Profitable as of Q1 2026

Market positioning

Market-proven leader in construction Physical AI; only company in the space with both meaningful revenue and proven profitability; penetrated 19 of top 20 US solar farm EPCs; BuiltWorlds Global Robotics Top 50 (2023-2025); 10x YoY growth since entering US market in 2023.

Geographic focus

United States (primary); South Korea (R&D/back office); expanding globally

Patents and IP

6 registered patents (per THE VC Korea, as of Feb 2026)

About Henri Lee (이명한)

Ex-Bobcat and Hyundai Infracore executive with 14+ years leading global business development, strategy, and after-sales; drove unmanned construction projects and corporate venture initiatives in heavy equipment; Pusan National University graduate.

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