A startup’s $2.1B bet on American manufacturing, with a side of Amazon alumni
A manufacturing accelerator's massive funding round aims to revive U.S. industry, but its roots are firmly planted in e-commerce.
The story
Re:Build, a manufacturing accelerator that spun out EV startup Slate Auto, has raised $2.1 billion to expand its capacity and launch new industrial startups, with a focus on rebuilding American manufacturing.
Source: techcrunch.com
Our reading
Re:Build, which calls itself America’s answer to Shenzhen, has raised $2.1 billion to build a platform for American industrial leadership. It’s the kind of ambition that makes you wonder if the real goal is to manufacture the next big thing—or just the next big press release.
The company’s co-founder, Jeff Wilke, was once Amazon’s commercial CEO, and the startup’s leadership includes several former Amazon executives. It’s like a corporate rebranding, but instead of a new logo, they’re rebranding the entire country’s manufacturing sector.
Re:Build’s mission is to ensure the most innovative products can be made in America. The only question is: who’s going to buy them, and why not just make them in China anyway?
