Nexterity wants to automate the hard, dangerous part of pipefitting

Lindsey Elliott, who previously worked as an engineer and planner at ExxonMobil, founded Nexterity to automate a repetitive and strenuous part of pipefitting: working on bolted flange joints. The company’s robot comprises two main pieces that clamp around a pipe, then slide along it while remotely loosening or tightening fasteners in groups of four. The unit runs on batteries and is designed to be carried and deployed by a single worker for flexible field use. Elliott said Nexterity has built several configurations to accommodate commonly used pipe diameters. Industry conversations, including input from members of the ASME Pressure Vessels & Piping Division, informed the design; she noted that roughly 80% of pipes fall between 2 and 8 inches in diameter (NPS2 to NPS8), creating a repeatable use case suited to automation. Because the robot is compact enough to fit in a Pelican case, the company plans to market it as rental equipment that can be quickly moved between sites. The startup highlights safety and productivity benefits as core advantages: bolted flange work is physically demanding, a frequent source of injury for pipefitters, and the trades face labor shortages and productivity challenges. Elliott said pipefitters often endure long stretches of intensive manual labor, and automating the most arduous tasks could reduce fatigue and injuries while increasing throughput. Nexterity positions the robot as applicable beyond oil and gas; Elliott pointed to other sectors that use similar piping systems, including water and wastewater, food and beverage, mining, nuclear, and sustainable manufacturing facilities. The company was selected as one of the Startup Battlefield 200 participants for TechCrunch Disrupt, where it will present its technology to investors and industry observers.