Insider Brief
- Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) is accelerating global automation in 2025, offering subscription-based access to autonomous robots and shifting costs from capital expenditure to operating expense. The International Federation of Robotics projects the market will grow from $16.18 billion in 2025 to $125.17 billion by 2034, with logistics leading adoption and healthcare emerging as the fastest-growing segment.
- Applications span logistics, healthcare, security, and agriculture, with providers such as Locus Robotics, inVia Robotics, Knightscope, Aethon, and Relay Robotics, alongside manufacturers like ABB and KUKA offering lease-based models. Recent developments include DNX’s $50/hour industrial robot rental platform and HITEK AI’s partnership with SoftBank Robotics UK to deliver cleaning robots in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
- Key drivers include cost efficiency, Industry 4.0 integration through AI, IoT, and cloud computing, flexible automation with modular robots, and alignment with sustainability goals through energy-efficient designs
Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) has emerged as a defining trend in the robotics industry in 2025, turning cutting-edge autonomous robots into subscription-based business tools. Much like software-as-a-service transformed IT, RaaS lets companies deploy robots on a pay-as-you-go model instead of buying expensive machines outright.
This shift from capital expenditure to operating expense is lowering barriers to adoption. According to the International Federation of Robotics, RaaS models allow businesses to automate “with no fixed capital involved,” making advanced robotics accessible even to smaller firms. In other words, a warehouse or hospital can now hire robots on a monthly or usage-based plan – a flexible approach that is speeding up automation across sectors.
Why RaaS is Gaining Traction in 2025
According IFR, the global RaaS market is projected to grow from USD 16.18 billion in 2025 to USD 125.17 billion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.52%.
Market Growth and Industry Statistics
This RaaS market is growing rapidly. The global RaaS market size is estimated around $2.4 billion in 2025, and is on pace to roughly triple by 2032, according to Coherent Market Insights. That reflects a healthy double-digit CAGR in the mid-teens, as enterprises flock to subscription-based robotics for efficiency gains. Demand is broad-based: logistics and e-commerce warehousing currently lead in RaaS adoption, accounting for about one-third of the market.
This comes as companies deploy fleets of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for picking and material handling to meet the surge in online retail. Transportation and logistics applications command the largest share today, fueled by explosive growth in automated order fulfillment and delivery solutions.
At the same time, healthcare is the fastest-growing segment, according to IFR. An ABB YuMi collaborative robot handles medical samples in a hospital lab – an example of service robotics in healthcare. Healthcare is quickly becoming a major RaaS segment as hospitals adopt robots for surgical assistance, internal logistics, and sanitation. While logistics still dominates overall usage, healthcare robotics is the fastest-growing RaaS application. . Hospitals are embracing RaaS for tasks like surgical assistance and lab delivery bots – the healthcare sector “exhibits t, ABB noted. The highest projected growth rate” in RaaS as robotic surgery systems and autonomous hospital couriers become more common.
Even traditionally labor-intensive fields like security and agriculture are getting a boost from RaaS. For example, security providers can subscribe to autonomous patrol robots instead of hiring more guards, and farms can rent robotic weeders or mowers during growing season. Knightscope, a U.S. firm, offers its security robots via an hourly subscription model – clients pay $.75 an hour for robotic patrol units in a true RaaS model, while the company maintains the fleet and software.
In agtech, startups like Scythe Robotics use a pay-per-acre RaaS model for autonomous lawn mowers, aligning costs with usage, according to the company. The key takeaway is that robotics-as-a-service is enabling automation in diverse industries without the usual sticker shock
Globally, the RaaS ecosystem now spans from nimble startups to tech giants. Leading RaaS providers range from warehouse automation firms such as Locus Robotics and inVia Robotics, to security robot makers like Cobalt and Knightscope, to healthcare and hospitality specialists like Aethon (hospital logistics) and Relay Robotics (hotel delivery).
DNX recently announced a new robot rental platform designed to help businesses of all sizes access industrial robots without the upfront costs. The firm, which has 5,000 active robots working across the globe, leases its machines for about $50 an hour, providing what it call s a scalable solution for companies eager to automate but unable to afford direct purchases, according to the company.
HITEK AI has partnered with SoftBank Robotics UK to launch a Robot-as-a-Service offering in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, integrating robotic cleaning tools with its CAFMTEK platform for centralized scheduling and monitoring.
The service leverages real-time data analytics from Whiz and Phantas robots to boost efficiency, cut costs, and advance regional digital transformation goals.
Traditional robot manufacturers are also jumping in – e.g. KUKA and ABB offer industrial robots with financing or lease options, and Intuitive Surgical effectively provides surgical robots via service contracts.
- Cost Efficiency: RaaS eliminates high initial investments, allowing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt automation without significant capital expenditure.
- Industry 4.0 Integration: The rise of AI, IoT, and cloud computing enhances RaaS functionality, enabling real-time data analysis and predictive maintenance.
- Flexible Automation: Modular and reconfigurable robots allow customization for specific industry needs, from warehouse logistics to hospital disinfection.
- Sustainability Goals: Energy-efficient robots align with UN environmental sustainability goals, reducing waste and energy consumption.
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