Industry: Manufacturing
Manufacturing venture capital and private equity
Venture capital backs new ways to make things, and private equity buys profitable manufacturers to grow them. We prepare the margins, capacity and cash plans both will check.
- Sourced data on factory building, PE deals and venture rounds
- Decks, models and CIMs built on margins, capacity and capex
- Waveup prepares investor materials for manufacturing companies: $3B+ raised for 600+ startups since 2014
In short
What is manufacturing venture capital?
Manufacturing venture capital is equity for companies that reinvent how things are made, including factory software and AI. Established, profitable manufacturers more often turn to private equity, which usually buys a majority stake. PitchBook counted $273.1 billion of US manufacturing PE deals in 2025.
- Who it's for
- Manufacturers, contract manufacturers and factory software companies, from seed round to sale
- What we build
- Investor deck, financial model, valuation, CIM, investor or buyer list, data room
- Prices
- Deck from $6,000, model from $3,000. Flat fees
- Track record
- $3B+ raised for 600+ startups since 2014
Market data checked on 8 November 2026. Sources are under each section.
Do VCs and private equity firms still back manufacturers in 2026?
Yes, but they want different companies. VCs fund new ways to make things, while PE buyers want steady earnings they can grow.
The opportunity
Factory owners are more upbeat than they have been in years, and new tools are reaching the shop floor.
- 78.9% of manufacturers felt positive about their outlook in Q3 2026
- Family owners planning succession can sell to PE firms that only buy manufacturers
- Software and AI for quality, maintenance and planning are drawing venture money
The problem
US manufacturing PE deal value fell to $71.1 billion in the first half of 2026, PitchBook counts. Tariff uncertainty and the US-Iran war chilled buyers' appetite, it says.
Market size
How big is US manufacturing, and is the reshoring boom still building?
In Q2 2026, US manufacturing added value at a $3 trillion annual rate, NAM reports. Four forces decide where new money goes:
- Reshoring pledges: PitchBook counts more than $1.7 trillion of manufacturing investment commitments announced since 2025
- Smart factories: in Deloitte's 2025 survey, 80% of manufacturers planned to spend at least a fifth of improvement budgets on smart manufacturing
- New equipment: 49.3% of manufacturers plan to raise capital spending over the next year
- Demand: manufacturers expect sales to grow 4.3% over the next 12 months, a four-year high
Venture capital and private equity
How much VC and private equity money goes into manufacturing?
For established manufacturers, the big money is private equity, mostly through buyouts. Venture rounds go to new production models, such as on-demand and automated factories.
in new funding for Re:Build, a Massachusetts manufacturing startup, led by General Catalyst and JPMorganChase (October 2026)
first venture round for SendCutSend, an on-demand metal-cutting platform, at a reported $1B valuation (May 2026)
of H1 2026 manufacturing PE deal value went to machinery and computer equipment, helped by AI infrastructure demand
Who invests in manufacturing companies?
An industrial tech VC, a corporate venture fund, two private equity firms that buy manufacturers and a UK growth investor. For hardware-heavy startups, our list of deep tech and hard science VC firms names more.
Investor database
Hardware, robotics and IoT investors in our database
The funds with the most hardware investments. Pick a stage, or open a fund for its cheque sizes.
Top 5 by hardware investments
Investments by industry
- Fintech & Financial services13%
- Hardware. Robotics & IoT13%
- Data & Analytics10%
- Rounds
- Pre-seedSeedSeries A
- Average cheque
- $0–$100K$100K–$500K$500K–$1M$1M–$3M
- Based in
- Singapore, Singapore
- Invests in
- Southeast Asia, Oceania, USA
560 investments in total, 14 tagged Hardware. Robotics & IoT.Open the full fund profile
Investments by industry
- Software & Apps24%
- Healthtech & Wellness14%
- AI & Deep Tech10%
- Hardware. Robotics & IoT9%
- Rounds
- SeedSeries ASeries BSeries C+
- Average cheque
- $1M–$3M$3M–$10M$10M–$50M
- Based in
- New York, United States
- Invests in
- USA
516 investments in total, 9 tagged Hardware. Robotics & IoT.Open the full fund profile
Investments by industry
- Software & Apps24%
- Healthtech & Wellness12%
- Hardware. Robotics & IoT8%
- Rounds
- SeedSeries ASeries BSeries C+
- Average cheque
- $100K–$500K$500K–$1M$1M–$3M
- Based in
- Evanston, USA
- Invests in
- USA
150 investments in total, 9 tagged Hardware. Robotics & IoT.Open the full fund profile
Investments by industry
- Software & Apps18%
- Hardware. Robotics & IoT16%
- AI & Deep Tech11%
- Rounds
- Pre-seedSeedSeries A
- Average cheque
- Not listed
- Based in
- Menlo Park, United States
- Invests in
- USA
27 investments in total, 7 tagged Hardware. Robotics & IoT.Open the full fund profile
Investments by industry
- Healthtech & Wellness25%
- AI & Deep Tech12%
- Biotech10%
- Hardware. Robotics & IoT8%
- Rounds
- Pre-seedSeedSeries A
- Average cheque
- Not listed
- Based in
- Austria
- Invests in
- Israel, Europe, USA
55 investments in total, 4 tagged Hardware. Robotics & IoT.Open the full fund profile
From our investor database.
Why do investors turn down manufacturing companies?
Our Fundraising 2025 study asked 56 VCs why they say no. Revenue growth, unit economics, burn and missed milestones led, then defensibility and crowded categories. Manufacturers face four more questions, from VCs and PE buyers alike.
Input costs that keep climbing
In Q3 2026, 80.8% of manufacturers named rising raw material costs as their top challenge, NAM found.
What investors ask
- Can you pass higher steel, resin or energy costs on to customers, and how fast?
What your deck shows
- Gross margin by product line, through past price swings
- Contracts that link your prices to input costs
New lines that rely on imported machines
Nearly two-thirds of manufacturers (63.0%) plan to import industrial machinery in the next year. Trade uncertainty has already led some to delay orders.
What investors ask
- What does your expansion cost if duties or delivery times rise?
What your deck shows
- A capex plan by machine, with lead times and duties
- Output, margin and payback before and after each new line
People to run the next shift
US manufacturers had 580,000 job openings in July 2026, NAM reports. A new line earns nothing until it has a crew.
What investors ask
- Who will run the new capacity, and what will they cost?
What your deck shows
- A hiring plan per line, with wages and training time
- Where automation or software cuts labour hours
Fewer new factories to sell into
US factory construction spending ran 32% below its 2024 peak in September 2026, by our arithmetic on Census data. Suppliers to new plants feel that slowdown first.
What investors ask
- How much of your pipeline depends on new plants rather than upgrades?
What your deck shows
- Revenue split between new builds, upgrades and repeat orders
- Sales cycle and win rate by customer type
How we help you raise
Flat fees agreed before we start. No success fee on advisory work.
Your plant, your customers and the edge that protects your margins.
Capacity, capex, input costs and cash needs, month by month.
A range built on earnings, assets and recent deals in your niche.
Industrial VCs, corporate funds, growth investors and PE buyers that fit.
Quality records, supplier terms, customer contracts and permits in one room.
For a sale to private equity, a trade buyer or a family successor.
None of our public cases is the sale of a manufacturer. The closest are a US drone maker's seed, a power group's buyout and a battery maker's acquisitions.
Who we are
Waveup is a London-based fundraising and growth advisory, working in 60+ countries and 90+ industries. Since 2014 we have built the decks, models, CIMs and valuations behind $3B+ raised for 600+ startups.
About usManufacturing venture capital and private equity FAQ
Do venture capital firms invest in manufacturing?
How do manufacturing companies get funding?
What do investors look for in a manufacturing company?
How does selling a manufacturing business to private equity work?
Are there grants for manufacturing companies?
How much does help with a manufacturing raise or sale cost?
Raising for a manufacturing company?
Tell us what you make and whether you plan to raise or sell. We'll show you what investors and buyers will check first.
