# Realtime Financial Model AI-powered motion-planning software and hardware that automates robot programming, enabling faster and cheaper industrial automation deployment. - Canonical: https://finamodel.com/startups/realtime - Excel download: https://finamodel.com/startup-models/realtime.xlsx - Category: Hardware/Deep-tech - Model type: SaaS ARR / Valuation - Funding round: Series A - Funding: $31M - Founded: 2021 - Geography: Boston-based; global sales (strategic partners and investors in Japan, Germany, South Korea, China, US). - Customer: B2B ## About the company Realtime provides AI motion-planning software and hardware for industrial robot programming. It aims to reduce the time and cost of deploying automation in factories, where conventional robot programming can require specialist skills, long integration work, and repeated adjustment for each production environment. Its commercial model can combine deployment services, hardware, and recurring software. Customer value depends on whether robot cells can be commissioned faster and kept productive, so implementation capacity and measured labour or throughput improvement matter as much as the initial software contract. Model deployments, robot cells, software ARR, hardware sales, implementation, expansion, renewals, and churn. Include engineering, installation, support, cloud delivery, hardware procurement, and sales costs. Deployment speed, cells per customer, software attach, gross margin, implementation capacity, productivity proof, and retention should drive scenarios. ## What's included - 5-year monthly revenue build with stage-appropriate growth assumptions - Full P&L, headcount plan, and operating-expense schedule - Cash-flow statement, runway, and burn-rate tracking - Valuation via exit multiple with a DCF cross-check - Returns analysis with MOIC and IRR - Unit economics including CAC, LTV, payback, and cohort retention ## Product & value proposition Three product lines: - **Realtime Controller** - specialized edge-computing hardware; automates motion plans for up to 16 robots; removes brand-specific programming. - **RapidPlan** - AI core software; choreographs multi-robot movement; user changes cell specs on-the-fly in clicks; optimize–simulate–deploy workflow. - **RapidSense** - spatial perception module; live 3D machine vision; detects and reacts to anomalies in real time. Key value claims: - Reduces automation costs by 40%. - 82% reduction in engineering/programming time vs. conventional (Valiant TMS case study, slide 12). - Deploy in hours vs. weeks. - Enables industrial robots to work collaboratively with humans (speed-and-separation safety, no fencing). - Plug-and-play with all major robot brands (Fanuc, Kawasaki, Yaskawa, Mitsubishi, Siemens). ## Market - Total claimed TAM: $173B by 2025, comprising four verticals: - Logistics (automated material handling): $56B - Safe Collaboration (safe unstructured robotics): $85B - Automotive (multi-robot factory floor): $20B - Digital Simulation (digital twin software programming): $12B - Sources cited: McKinsey, IFR Report 2019, Mordor Intelligence, LogisticsIQ, WRR 2020. ## Revenue model - Stated model: "Flexible RaaS model". No per-unit pricing, contract term, or subscription fee disclosed. - Channel: Partner-led (anchor partners Yaskawa, Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric per vertical - slide 10); direct enterprise deals (Ford, Valiant TMS). - Products generating revenue: Realtime Controller (hardware), RapidPlan (software license/SaaS), RapidSense (sensor module), Virtual Realtime Controller (digital simulation vertical). - Average robot lifetime cost context: $350K per robot; programming can be 50% of that (~$175K addressable per robot installation). ## Traction & metrics - $31M raised to date - 60 employees worldwide, 47 in engineering - Founded 2017 - 17 unique invention disclosures; 3 awarded patents; 28 national patent applications pending; 2 PCT applications pending - Customer proof points: Ford (robotics research partnership); Valiant TMS (80%+ reduction in offline programming, slide 11; 82% engineering time reduction on multi-robot chassis welding, slide 12); Siemens (joint value proposition, slide 11). ## Competition / moat Competitive positioning: - vs. Conventional robots (fenced): rigid, stop-on-intrusion, large footprint - not suitable for collaborative use. - vs. Today's cobots (power-and-force limited): slow, small payload, stop-on-contact - not suitable for industrial applications. - Realtime's differentiation: speed-and-separation safety; robots plan around humans without stopping; uses 2D+3D sensors; enables industrial robots in collaborative settings. IP moat: 17 invention disclosures, 3 awarded patents, 28 national + 2 PCT pending. Ecosystem moat: strategic partnerships with all major robot OEMs (Fanuc, Kawasaki, Yaskawa, Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric); strategic investors include Hyundai, Toyota AI Ventures, OMRON, SAIC, Mitsubishi Electric. ## Team & funding ask / use of funds - Team: CEO & President, CCO, CFO, VP Engineering, VP Systems, Dir. Product (6 named executives, faces shown). - Total raised to date: $31M. --- ## Recommended financial model - **Archetype + why:** Enterprise software/hardware subscription with RaaS recurring revenue. Realtime sells a controller (one-time hardware) + RapidPlan/RapidSense software on a recurring license or RaaS fee per robot cell. Best modeled as a **B2B SaaS / usage-based ARR model** with a hardware attach layer - tracking robot cells deployed, software ARR per cell, and hardware revenue separately. A simple 3-statement is warranted given growth stage and need to model burn vs. milestones. - **Forecast horizon & granularity:** 5 years (2024–2028); quarterly for Year 1–2, annual for Year 3–5. Standard for growth-stage hardware/software company seeking institutional capital. - **Key drivers & assumptions:** - Robot cells deployed (cumulative) - primary volume driver; start from current pilot/customer base (unknown - not in deck; assume ~10–20 cells as placeholder) - Annual software license / RaaS fee per robot cell - $15K–$30K/year per cell (comparable to industrial automation software; no pricing in deck) - Hardware (Realtime Controller) revenue per cell - one-time $20K–$40K (edge compute unit; no pricing in deck) - Channel mix: partner-led vs. direct - 70% partner, 30% direct; partners likely take 20–30% margin - Average contract value / ACV - $50K–$150K per deployment (multi-robot cell with hardware + software) - Gross margin on software - 70–80% (asset-light software; no own manufacturing) - Gross margin on hardware - 30–45% (edge compute; outsourced manufacturing) - Blended gross margin - ~55–65% depending on hardware/software mix - Headcount growth - track from 60 employees; engineering-heavy (47/60 = 78%); model as % of revenue/opex - R&D as % of revenue - 40–50% in early years, declining to 25% at scale (deep-tech company) - S&M as % of revenue - 20–30% (partner-led reduces direct sales cost) - G&A as % of revenue - 10–15% - Average robot lifetime cost - $350K; programming = ~50% (~$175K); Realtime claims 40% cost reduction - use as ROI justification in model commentary - TAM penetration - model to ~0.1–0.5% of $173B TAM by Year 5 as sanity check - **Scenarios (Base / Bull / Bear - which variables flex):** - Base: Partner ramp takes 18–24 months; 2–3 new verticals generating revenue by Year 3; software margin expands - Bull: Faster partner pull-through (Siemens/Yaskawa scale deployments); Safe Collaboration vertical opens large greenfield; hardware commoditizes but software ARR compounds - Bear: Long enterprise sales cycles; RaaS adoption slower than expected; hardware margin compressed; burn rate extends runway requirements - **Required sheets / outputs:** 1. Assumptions - all drivers, pricing, growth rates 2. Income Statement - revenue by segment (hardware vs. software/RaaS), COGS, gross margin, opex by function, EBITDA 3. Balance Sheet - simplified (cash, AR, hardware inventory, IP/intangibles, debt if any) 4. Cash Flow - operating + capex (minimal for asset-light); runway/cash-out date 5. Robot Cells Model - cohort build-up: new cells deployed per quarter, cumulative base, ARR per cohort 6. ARR Bridge - new ARR, expansion, churn, net ARR 7. Unit Economics - ACV, gross margin per cell, implied LTV; CAC once headcount/sales data available 8. Valuation - ARR multiple comps (industrial automation software peers); DCF optional 9. Dashboard - KPIs: robot cells deployed, ARR, gross margin %, burn rate, runway ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Realtime financial model free? Yes. The Realtime model is a free Excel download with live formulas. ### Can I change the assumptions? Yes. The workbook is editable and its live formulas recalculate when assumptions change.