Our take
Hirebotics publishes what most robot companies hide. Its Cobot Welder starts at $105,000, the Cobot Cutter at $100,000, and the Cobot Painter at $140,000, and the pricing page says the prices are published, not quoted. That earns it the highest pricing transparency score in this batch.2
The product idea is simple programming. Operators teach the cobot from a phone app called Beacon with no code or teach pendant, and the company says a first weld takes under 15 minutes. Hirebotics is a smaller company than its rivals, and co-founder Matthew Bush became chief executive in February 2026 after co-founder Rob Goldiez retired.1,4
Scores by criterion
Each criterion is defined on our methodology page.
Who uses Hirebotics and what it's for
Hirebotics sells to metal fabrication shops, from single job shops to multi-site manufacturers, and the Tennessean reported its growth among second- and third-tier automotive suppliers that cannot hire enough welders.3,6
It fits shops whose welders, not engineers, will run the robot. Beacon ships free with every system and includes live monitoring and 24/7 in-app support, which the company says answers most tickets in two minutes or less.1,2
Three cobots on one app
The Cobot Welder and Cobot Cutter run on Universal Robots arms, most recently the UR8 Long, and the Cobot Painter runs on the FANUC CRX. Hirebotics calls the painter the world's only explosion-proof collaborative painting cobot.3,1
Beacon adds AI suggestions for travel speed, wire feed speed, and arc length. Paid options include Beacon Pro, Beacon Care for priority support and loaners, multipass welding, and seam tracking.1,2
From rental robots to published prices
Bush and Goldiez founded Hirebotics in Nashville in 2015 around the idea that robots could be hired like people. An early product, BotX, launched with Red-D-Arc as what the company calls the first rental welding cobot, and the Beacon-powered Cobot Welder followed in 2021.3,4
The company was named Universal Robots Global OEM of the Year more than once, and it made the Inc. 5000 for a third straight year in 2025, ranking 4,437th with 73% three-year revenue growth.4,5
Competitive landscape
| Company | Product | Pricing model | Deployment footprint | Where Hirebotics wins or loses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hirebotics | App-controlled welding, cutting, and painting cobots2 | Published: welder from $105,000, cutter from $100,000, painter from $140,0002 | Fabrication shops, from one cobot to multi-site fleets1 | Most complete published price list; smallest company here |
| Vectis Automation | Cobot welding and plasma cutting tools on Universal Robots arms9 | Published: most systems $95,000 to $140,000 all-in, rental with purchase option8 | More than 800 deployments across North America9 | Hirebotics wins on painting cobots and app programming. Vectis wins on more deployments and a rental option. |
| Novarc Technologies | Spool Welding Robot and NovAI vision for pipe and roll welding10 | Not published10 | Pipe spool fabrication shops10 | Hirebotics wins on published prices and phone-based programming. Novarc wins on pipe welding volume. |
| Path Robotics | AI welding cells and Rove mobile welding12 | Offered as a service with no upfront capital cost, priced by quote12,15 | More than $100 million in bookings in 2025; Navy shipbuilding agreements with HII11,13 | Hirebotics wins on a published price a small shop can budget for. Path wins on high-mix work where every part is different. |
| Abagy | AI welding software that plans robot paths without programming14 | Not published; financing through partners14 | High-mix makers of beams, joists, frames, and trusses14 | Hirebotics wins on a complete cobot system at a known price. Abagy wins on high-mix structural work with industrial robots. |
Limits
Prices are starting points. Fixtures, rails, gantries, and software upgrades are extra.2
It is a small company. Growjo estimates about 22 employees, so field support depends heavily on the app and remote help.7,1
Revenue is not disclosed. We estimate it at $5 million to $10 million, based on Growjo's modeled estimate of $7.2 million, its Inc. 5000 growth rankings, and published system prices. This is an estimate, not a reported figure.7,5,2
What customers say
Where it helps
If you can scroll through Instagram, you can program with this software. We're putting out 5 times as much work as we were before.
Where it falls short
We found no independent negative reviews of Hirebotics. The trade-offs are the cost of add-ons beyond the starting price and the limited reach of a small team.2,7
Leadership
Matthew Bush
Co-founder and chief executive officerBush became CEO in February 2026 after serving as chief operating officer. He previously held operations roles at IDEX Corporation companies and The Scott Fetzer Company.4
Rob Goldiez
Co-founder, retiredGoldiez led Hirebotics for more than a decade before retiring in 2026.4
Sources
- Hirebotics, Homepage, accessed November 1, 2026
- Hirebotics, Pricing, accessed November 1, 2026
- Hirebotics, About, accessed November 1, 2026
- Hirebotics, Hirebotics promotes co-founder to CEO, March 3, 2026, accessed November 1, 2026
- Hirebotics, Hirebotics makes Inc. 5000 for third consecutive year, accessed November 1, 2026
- The Tennessean, How a Nashville robotics startup is quietly powering the auto supply chain, accessed November 1, 2026
- Growjo, Hirebotics revenue and employee estimates, accessed November 1, 2026
- Vectis Automation, Pricing, accessed November 1, 2026
- Vectis Automation, Home page, accessed November 1, 2026
- Novarc Technologies, Home page, accessed November 1, 2026
- Path Robotics, 2025 year in review, accessed November 1, 2026
- Path Robotics, Newsroom and company facts, accessed October 31, 2026
- Path Robotics, HII signs production agreements with Path Robotics and GrayMatter Robotics, accessed November 1, 2026
- Abagy, Home page, accessed November 1, 2026
- Path Robotics, Homepage, accessed October 31, 2026
