Xpanner
Xpanner automates construction equipment with the X1 Kit, a Physical AI retrofit that makes existing pile drivers and excavators semi-autonomous, sold as Automation-as-a-Service.
Definition
Xpanner was founded in South Korea in 2020 by Henri Lee, David Shin, and Ryan Park, expanded to the U.S. in 2023, and is based in Santa Fe Springs, California. The X1 Kit retrofits machines contractors already own using Mango, an automation controller for hydraulic, electric, and mechanical control, and M2, a Physical AI module that processes sensor and vision data, along with a central software platform for remote monitoring and updates. X1 was first deployed on pile drivers for utility-scale solar, where the company reports an 80% cut in labor requirements and a 50% cut in operation time. The X1 Panel Lift turns a standard excavator into a one-operator solar panel installer that picks panels from the box and places them while the operator stays in control through a remote interface. Customers subscribe to task-specific automation licenses for work such as piling, material handling, trenching, and grading. In May 2026 Xpanner raised an $18 million Series B.
In Depth
Xpanner's bet is that contractors would rather have the pile driver or excavator already in the yard take on more of the repetitive work than buy a new autonomous machine. The X1 Kit is a retrofit: the Mango controller takes over hydraulic and mechanical control, the M2 module processes sensor and vision data, and cloud software handles remote monitoring and adds new task apps. The first deployments were on pile drivers for utility-scale solar, where post after post is driven to the same tolerance across hundreds of acres.
The X1 Panel Lift extends that to panel installation, using an excavator base that carries the panel box, picks each panel, and places it, while installers handle alignment and fastening and the operator keeps control through a simple remote interface. That is the pattern across Xpanner's products: the machine takes the heavy, repetitive motion and people stay responsible for judgment and quality. Customers buy task licenses for piling, material handling, trenching, or grading under an Automation-as-a-Service subscription, and the May 2026 Series B is going toward next-generation hardware, software, and data infrastructure.
If you run solar or civil work, ask which machine makes and models the kit supports today, how the retrofit affects the OEM warranty, what the remote operation setup requires on site, and how task licenses are priced against your equipment utilization. Also ask for field data from projects with similar soil and layout conditions to yours.
Examples
A solar EPC retrofitting its existing pile drivers with the X1 Kit to drive posts to layout with a smaller crew
Using the X1 Panel Lift on an excavator so one operator handles panel pickup and placement while installers focus on fastening
Adding a trenching automation license to an already-retrofitted machine instead of buying a new one
Frequently Asked Questions
Xpanner was founded in South Korea in 2020 by Henri Lee, David Shin, and Ryan Park, expanded to the U.S. in 2023, and is based in Santa Fe Springs, California. The X1 Kit retrofits machines contractors already own using Mango, an automation controller for hydraulic, electric, and mechanical control, and M2, a Physical AI module that processes sensor and vision data, along with a central software platform for remote monitoring and updates. X1 was first deployed on pile drivers for utility-scale solar, where the company reports an 80% cut in labor requirements and a 50% cut in operation time. The X1 Panel Lift turns a standard excavator into a one-operator solar panel installer that picks panels from the box and places them while the operator stays in control through a remote interface. Customers subscribe to task-specific automation licenses for work such as piling, material handling, trenching, and grading. In May 2026 Xpanner raised an $18 million Series B.
A solar EPC retrofitting its existing pile drivers with the X1 Kit to drive posts to layout with a smaller crew. Using the X1 Panel Lift on an excavator so one operator handles panel pickup and placement while installers focus on fastening. Adding a trenching automation license to an already-retrofitted machine instead of buying a new one.
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