Robot501

Robot sales agency · Worldwide

Robots, placed where they are needed.

Robot501 is a sales agency for robot makers entering emerging markets. We find the buyers, plan the import, line up service and financing, and are paid on results. South Asia first, then wherever the demand is.

the 501stROBOT500the ranked market
Robot 500 ranks the market. Robot501 places robots in it.
74%of the 542,000 industrial robots installed worldwide in 2024 went to Asia.IFR World Robotics 2025
57%of China's home market now goes to Chinese suppliers, in the world's largest robot market at 295,000 installs in 2024.IFR World Robotics 2025
9,100industrial robots installed in India in 2024, up 7% and sixth in the world.IFR World Robotics 2025
$400mVietnam's robot market in 2025, which one national trade agency chased with a single expo pavilion and 50 export consultations.Seoul Economic Daily

A local sales and service arm in each new market, without opening an office

Makers sell well at home and have no local presence, language, import knowledge or service engineers in the markets that are only now opening. Buyers there cannot judge a foreign robot, verify support or model payback. We close both gaps.

Qualified demand

Enquiries turned into scoped, priced opportunities, with the buyer's real budget and timeline.

Demos and pilots

Site visits and trials arranged through local partners, with results reported back to you.

Import planning

Tariff classification, duty, freight and landed cost worked out before the quote goes out.

Regulatory route

Medical robots go through a licensed local holder. We take on products that already hold approval from a reference regulator.

Service and spares

A named local service partner, agreed before the first sale, so buyers can trust after-sales support.

Payback and financing

A payback case for every buyer, built with RobotPayback, plus leasing and finance introductions.

Commission onlyScout

Non-exclusive. We refer leads and support quotes; you pay a commission on invoices paid.

  • Profile on RankedRobot
  • Lead referral and quote support
12-month termMarket entry

A retainer covers the work of opening a market, and a commission shares the upside.

  • Buyer pipeline and demos
  • Import and duty planning
  • Local service partner
  • RobotPayback case per buyer
Sole rightsTerritory partner

A named country or regional manager, sales targets and quarterly reporting for one territory.

  • Financing structured with local lenders
  • After-sales network

Terms are agreed per maker and are on request.

What we look for in a maker

  1. The product is in commercial use, with references outside its home market.
  2. The territory is open, with no exclusive distributor already signed for it.
  3. Price and margin support a commission after freight, duty and service.
  4. You fund demo units, spares and remote support.
  5. Regulatory status is clear: CE, FDA or another recognised regulator's approval where the product is medical.

How we get paid

  • On results. Commission is due on cash received by the maker.
  • Leads stay ours. Buyers we introduce stay covered for a set period after the introduction.
  • Buyers can see it. Where Robot501 represents a robot, the RankedRobot page says so.

Find the right robot, and know the landed cost before you commit

Tell us the work and the site. We shortlist from RankedRobot's sourced specifications, arrange a demo, and quote the delivered price with duty and service included.

Hospitals and rehabilitation

Surgical, gait-training and lab automation. In Sri Lanka, robot-assisted surgery began in July 2026 and hospitals are now comparing systems.

First focus

Apparel and light manufacturing

Cutting, material handling and assembly assistance for plants that need more output from the same headcount.

First focus

Hotels and hospitality

Serving, delivery and cleaning robots with short demos and simple payback.

Warehousing and logistics

Mobile robots and pallet movers for ports, warehouses and distribution.

Landed cost, shown per country: Sri Lanka, industrial robots (HS 8479.50)

ChargeRate
Customs dutyFree
Port and Airport Levy5%
Port and Airport Levy, South Asian Free Trade Area members6%
Social Security Contribution Levy2.5%
VAT18%
Cess, excise, other leviesExempt

Source: tariff.lk, 2026 tariff as of 16 May 2026. This is one worked example. Every country and every tariff line differs, so we work out yours per shipment, and a licensed customs broker confirms the total. Medical robots must also be registered with the National Medicines Regulatory Authority through a local Marketing Authorization Holder.

Before you talk to us

  • Check the payback. Run your numbers in the RobotPayback calculator.
  • Compare specifications. Every figure on RankedRobot shows its source.
  • Send us the shortlist. We add local service cost, duty and delivery time.

Selling a robot in an emerging market? Start with a plan

For robotics founders and makers who have not yet sold outside their home market. Pay for one review or one sprint, and decide afterwards whether to work together longer.

FreeDiagnostic$0
  • Stage, product and price check
  • Which markets to test first
  • Written reply in three working days
One sessionPositioning Review$290 one-off
  • 60-minute call
  • Review of your deck or site
  • Written summary of gaps and next steps
Two weeksMarket-Entry Sprint$1,900 one-off
  • Landed-cost model for one market
  • Regulatory route and timeline
  • Shortlist of ten buyers
  • One-page offer for distributors

Prices in US dollars. A sprint credits against a first-year Market entry retainer.

Where we work

South Asia is the live focus. Other regions open when a maker or buyer brings a real project and a local partner is in place.

RegionStatusWhat we do there
South AsiaNowSri Lanka first, then Bangladesh, the Maldives and Nepal. Hospitals, garment and light manufacturing, hotels. In India, specialist products through a local partner.
Southeast AsiaNextFast-growing buyers. Vietnam's robot market alone was valued at $400 million in 2025.
Middle East and AfricaOpeningHospitals, logistics and hospitality, through local partners chosen per project.
Latin AmericaOn requestMexico alone installed 5,594 industrial robots in 2024.
Anywhere elseOn requestBring a maker, a buyer or a live project and we will say whether we can serve it.

Sources: Seoul Economic Daily for Vietnam; IFR World Robotics 2025 executive summary for Mexico.

How an engagement runs

The same four stages for makers and buyers.

Qualify

We check the product, the territory and the buyer's real need.

Demonstrate

A demo or pilot through a local partner, with agreed success measures.

Quote

Delivered price with duty, freight, installation and service, plus a payback case.

Deliver and support

Import, commissioning, training and spares, then a check on results.

Robot501 is paid by the makers it represents. Where a robot on RankedRobot is represented by Robot501, that page says so. Robot 500 rankings and RankedRobot specifications are compiled independently of any commercial relationship.

Get in touch

Tell us who you are and what you need. We reply within three working days.

Robot maker

Part of the RankedRobot family

Robot501 is affiliated with RankedRobot, the robot specification database that shows its sources, Robot 500, its ranking of commercial robots, and RobotPayback, the payback calculator and automation consultancy.