Novarc Technologies

Novarc Technologies develops autonomous welding robots and AI-driven welding automation systems designed for pipe, pressure vessel, and roll welding applications in high-mix, low-volume production environments. The company's flagship product is the Spool Welding Robot (SWR), an advanced collaborative welding cobot with a 15-foot reach capable of welding spools up to 30 feet in length, featuring a 3-axis servo-drive robot arm and designed to work collaboratively without fencing or light curtains. The SWR is available in three variants: SWR-MIG, SWR-TIGMIG, and SWR-TIPTIG, the latter using Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW/TIG) with the TIPTIG system for enhanced speed and precision with the smallest footprint in the industry. Novarc also offers NovAI, an AI-powered robotic vision system that brings vision and cognition to articulated robotic and mechanized welders, automating tasks that could not be automated before, with modules for Capture, Control, and Autonomy. Key technologies include NovEye Autonomy (laser camera-based closed-loop control of torch-to-pipe distance), NovSync, NovHub, the ArcPod, and NovPlan for production planning. Customers report up to 12X productivity increases, consistent X-ray quality welds, 0% reject rates, and ROI equivalent to 4-6 skilled welders. Novarc has welded over 1,000 km of piping circumference with 850,000 hours of arc-on time across 5 continents, serving data center construction, shipbuilding, nuclear, aerospace, oil and gas, cryogenics, pharma and biotech, and vessel manufacturing. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, Novarc has raised approximately $53.1 million in a Series B round backed by Seaspan, Caterpillar, Graham Partners, BDC, Drake Star, Export Development Canada, InBC, MaRS Discovery District, Nelson Investments, Foresight, and Ignite Ventures.