Re:Build raises $2.1 billion to expand American manufacturing

A major funding round for the manufacturing accelerator

Re:Build — a Massachusetts-based manufacturing accelerator that spun out the electric vehicle company Slate Auto as a separate startup in 2023 — has raised $2.1 billion. TechCrunch reported the round on October 27, 2026; the company also announced it in its corporate blog. The round was led by the venture firm General Catalyst and JPMorganChase's Strategic Investment Group; the remaining investors were not disclosed.

What the money will be used for

The company said it will use the funds to “expand Re:Build's ability to produce hard tech products and launch new industrial startups.” Co-founder Jeff Wilke called the deindustrialization of the United States “an economic failure and a national security risk” and said the capital would allow the company to “go faster and farther.” General Catalyst CEO Hemant Taneja said that restoring America's industrial capacity is one of the most important economic and defense imperatives of our time, and that competing with China requires platform companies operating at real scale.

Who is behind the company and what it is already doing

Re:Build was founded in 2020 and calls itself “America's answer to Shenzhen.” The company has numerous ties to Amazon: co-founder Wilke previously served as Amazon's chief commercial officer, and Wei Gao, a longtime Amazon vice president and technical advisor to Bezos, serves as head of digital products; a number of other executives also worked at Amazon. According to the company's own data, over six years it has “launched hundreds of products and production systems,” operating in two formats — partnerships with industrial companies (including aerospace and defense) and incubating startups in “critical, underserved markets.” Its network of companies employs more than 2,100 people in the US and has over 2.4 million square feet of manufacturing space.

The connection to Slate Auto

The idea for Slate Auto came to Wilke and co-founder Miles Arnone in 2022; the company was spun out to help it raise more capital. Since then, Slate Auto has raised at least $1.4 billion, including funds from Bezos Family Office, to develop an ultra-cheap utility pickup truck that can be customized to the buyer's preferences. The Re:Build round comes amid growing capital inflows into the idea of restoring manufacturing and supply chains in the US, including as an alternative to dependence on China — TechCrunch cites this as context for the deal.