Re:Build lands $2.1 billion for manufacturing expansion and new startups

Re:Build has secured $2.1 billion to increase its ability to manufacture hard-tech products and establish industrial startups, the company said. General Catalyst and JPMorganChase’s Strategic Investment Group led the financing; the remaining investors were not named.

The Massachusetts-based manufacturing accelerator, established in 2020, combines work for industrial partners with startup development. Its services span product design, engineering and manufacturing for industries including aerospace and defense. It also nurtures businesses aimed at markets it views as important but inadequately served.

Across its network, Re:Build says its companies have a U.S. workforce exceeding 2,100 and manufacturing space totaling more than 2.4 million square feet. Co-founder Jeff Wilke said the financing would allow Re:Build to move faster, framing the erosion of American industry as a threat to both the economy and national security.

One business to emerge from Re:Build is electric-vehicle startup Slate Auto, which became a separate company in 2023. Wilke and co-founder Miles Arnone conceived Slate in 2022 and chose to separate it so it could attract more capital.

Slate has subsequently attracted at least $1.4 billion, with Bezos’ family office among its backers. The startup is trying to develop a low-cost pickup with minimal standard equipment and options for customers to customize it.