Leasing Makes the Math Work for RaaS (Robots-as-a-Service)

Context: Everyone wants to jump on the “robots take over the world” bandwagon — but as with most hard tech, the cost of building these businesses often outweighs their ability to deliver real returns.

Market Signal: As U.S. manufacturing reshoring accelerates, robots are the key tech unlock that makes domestic production price-competitive again. The macro tailwinds are real — now it’s about getting the model right.

Takeaways: Like cars before them, robots make the most sense when leased — lowering upfront costs for businesses while delivering recurring revenue for suppliers. But this model only works if you build the full stack:

  1. Captive financing arms: To underwrite and manage asset risk

  2. Securitization: To scale balance sheet capacity via structured debt

  3. Secondary markets for the assets: to price, refurbish, and resell used units efficiently

Ask: Who wants to build ‘Robots-Eat-the-World’ with Will?

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