BotBuilt Uses Robotic Arms for Home Framing as Engineers Spin Off Software

Durham, North Carolina-based BotBuilt entered residential construction to automate the framing of houses using secondary industrial robots and computer vision. In October 2026, The Business Journals reported that the startup shuttered its primary operations, while engineers spun off its proprietary software and data analytics platform into an independent firm.

Founded in 2020 and backed by Y Combinator's W21 batch, BotBuilt was established to address skilled labor shortages in the $600 billion residential construction market. The seed-stage company raised $12.4 million at a $35 million valuation, according to PropTech Connect, drawing capital from Shadow Ventures, Ambassador Supply, Owens Corning, and the Triangle Tweener Fund.

Robotic Assembly from Repurposed Machinery

BotBuilt focused its hardware on off-site component manufacturing rather than job-site assembly. The company converts two-dimensional architectural drawings and PDF plans into 3D framing models. Software then dictates instructions down to every stud, nail, header, and sheet of sheathing.

Rather than purchasing custom multi-million-dollar machinery, BotBuilt acquired used industrial robotic arms previously deployed on automotive assembly lines. In an interview with Pro Builder, Chief Executive Officer Brent Wadas explained that robots retired from car factories after slipping 0.2 millimeters out of alignment still operate within standard construction tolerances. BotBuilt outfitted these arms with custom CNC-machined tools, 3D-printed mounts, and vacuum grippers capable of lifting variable, bowed, or irregular organic lumber.

In a conversation on Audrow Nash, the team described fabricating wall panels and floor and roof trusses in a central warehouse. The assembled sections were then loaded onto flatbeds and delivered to job sites, reducing on-site framing schedules from several weeks down to hours.

Leadership and Technical Direction

BotBuilt was founded by Brent Wadas, Chief Technology Officer Barrett Ames, Chief Operating Officer Colin Devine, and Stephen Hetherington.

Ames holds a bachelor's degree in robotics from Cornell University and completed a PhD in artificial intelligence and robotics at Duke University, where he also serves as an adjunct professor. Wadas, an Army Special Operations veteran, earned an MA from Georgetown University in technology administration. Devine pursued graduate work at Notre Dame and Yale before entering Duke's doctoral program in political science to study housing policy.

Demonstrations published by Augustus Films and on BotBuilt: Construction Revolutionized showed the company's central command station, where single operators monitored multiple robotic stations constructing custom timber assemblies using flexible tool heads and continuous end-effector testing rigs.

Engineering Focus and Open Roles

BotBuilt listed technical positions in Durham, North Carolina, split between embedded hardware integration and algorithmic motion planning.

The Computer Vision and Optimization Engineer ($90,000 – $130,000) implements vision models and MLOps pipelines, consulting directly with field contractors to refine automation for construction workflows. The Software Infrastructure Engineer ($110,000) handles the operational backbone of autonomous framing machinery, maintaining data retrieval architectures and IoT deployments.

Hardware roles include the Mechatronics Engineer ($90,000 – $120,000) and Firmware Engineer ($80,000 – $110,000). Both positions focus on designing firmware for custom robotic end-effectors, integrating sensors, configuring real-time communication protocols, and writing motor control algorithms alongside electrical and hardware specialists.

Open Roles at BotBuilt

See all open roles at BotBuilt