Charge Robotics, founded by MIT alumni Banks Hunter and Max Justicz, has raised $22 million to deploy its portable robotic factories for utility-scale solar farm assembly. The company plans to begin commercial installations later in 2025. The factories automate solar panel installation, which currently relies on manual labour. In early 2024, Charge deployed a prototype system with SOLV Energy, successfully building a working solar farm. The system works like a portable assembly line. Steel tracks, mounting brackets, and panels are loaded in, and the factory robotically assembles them into 40-foot sections. A robotic vehicle positions each completed bay in the field. Solar accounted for 81% of new US electric capacity added in 2024, but labour shortages constrain growth. Charge's system allows multiple factories to run simultaneously at sites, completing projects faster without expanding the workforce.

After a successful prototype deployment with SOLV Energy, Charge Robotics has secured $22 million for its first commercial projects.