Top 100 Manufacturing Startups to Watch in 2026
Startups creating advanced hardware and software are driving new developments in the manufacturing sector. This group includes companies working in fields from aerospace and robotics to semiconductors.
Among them, electric aircraft company Beta Technologies has raised $1.8B. Satellite bus manufacturer Apex, founded in 2022, has already secured $522M in funding.
Below is our list of 100 Manufacturing startups worth keeping an eye on.
Failory's Top 10 Picks
Beta Technologies designs and manufactures all-electric aircraft for both vertical and conventional takeoffs and landings. Their work extends beyond the aircraft themselves to include a network of charging systems and comprehensive pilot training programs.
| Headquarters | South Burlington, Vermont, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Kyle Clark |
| Funding Amount | $1.8B |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Corporate Round |
| Top Investors | Fidelity, RedBird Capital Partners, GE Aerospace, Qatar Investment Authority, Export-Import Bank of the United States |
Unitree Robotics builds advanced quadruped and humanoid robots designed for a mix of industrial, commercial, and consumer applications. Their high-performance robotic platforms are used globally for tasks spanning from automated inspection to research and entertainment.
| Headquarters | Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | XingXing Wang |
| Funding Amount | $263.6M |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | HSG, Shenzhen Capital Group, Matrix Partners China, Tencent, Alibaba Group |
Apptronik builds humanoid robots designed to work alongside people in industries like logistics and manufacturing. Their general-purpose robot, Apollo, is engineered to handle tasks that are dull, dirty, or dangerous, allowing human workers to focus on higher-value activities.
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, United States |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Bill Helmsing, Jeffrey Cardenas, Nicholas Paine |
| Funding Amount | $431.8M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Corporate Round |
| Top Investors | B Capital, Google, Capital Factory, ARK Investment Management, Mercedes-Benz Group AG |
Flock Safety develops a public safety operating system that helps law enforcement and communities eliminate crime. Their network of cameras captures objective evidence, like license plates, and sends real-time alerts to help police solve cases.
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Garrett Langley, Matt Feury |
| Funding Amount | $655.6M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series F |
| Top Investors | Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, Y Combinator, Kleiner Perkins, Sands Capital Ventures |
Rebellions develops AI accelerator chips and data center systems engineered for efficient inference in large-scale applications. Their custom silicon is designed to handle the demanding workloads of modern AI, making complex operations faster and more cost-effective.
| Headquarters | Seongnam, Kyonggi-do, South Korea |
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Hyo-Eun Kim, Jinwook Oh, Sunghyun Park |
| Funding Amount | $457.7M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | Samsung Electronics, Kakao Ventures, Korea Development Bank, Arm Holdings, Pavilion Capital |
Agibot creates humanoid robots to perform real-world tasks. Their technology focuses on multi-robot collaboration to automate complex workflows in industrial and manufacturing settings.
| Headquarters | Shanghai, Shanghai, China |
| Year Founded | 2023 |
| Founders | Peng Zhihui |
| Funding Amount | CN¥600M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | HSG, LG Electronics, Tencent, CDH Investments, JD.com |
Rivos builds high-performance server-grade hardware for enterprises using the open-source RISC-V architecture. Their integrated system solutions are designed to power modern data center and analytics workloads.
| Headquarters | Santa Clara, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Mark Hayter |
| Funding Amount | $250M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Walden Catalyst, Intel Capital, Koch Disruptive Technologies, Cambium Capital Partners, MediaTek |
Apex designs and manufactures satellite buses tailored for various space missions. Their spacecraft platforms are built to help commercial and government customers deploy payloads into orbit more quickly.
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2022 |
| Founders | Ian Cinnamon, Maximilian Benassi |
| Funding Amount | $522M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | Andreessen Horowitz, Village Global, 8VC, Lux Capital, Shield Capital |
Keychain has developed an AI platform that helps consumer packaged goods companies streamline the process of creating new products and finding suppliers. Their system simplifies the manufacturing journey by connecting brands with a network of qualified partners.
| Headquarters | New York, New York, United States |
| Year Founded | 2023 |
| Founders | Jordan Weitz, Oisin Hanrahan, Umang Dua |
| Funding Amount | $70.5M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | BoxGroup, Wellington Management, Lightspeed Venture Partners, SV Angel, General Mills |
Quantum Systems builds AI-powered eVTOL drones for defense, security, and surveying. Their platforms deliver advanced aerial intelligence for government and commercial missions.
| Headquarters | Gilching, Bayern, Germany |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Armin Busse, Florian Seibel |
| Funding Amount | $388.4M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | European Investment Bank, Balderton Capital, Hensoldt, HV Capital, DTCP |
90 Additional Manufacturing Startups Worth Following
Beyond our top ten picks, there's a wide world of companies building the future. Together, they’ve brought in more than $40 billion to tackle challenges in areas like mobility and artificial intelligence.
Some are early in their journey, while others are established names continuing to grow. Here’s a look at the other companies shaping the manufacturing sector.
| Startup | Main Industry | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Last Funding Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Empower Semiconductor | Manufacturing | 2014 | $215M | Series D |
 Divergent | Manufacturing | 2013 | $1.1B | Series E |
 Infleqtion | Hardware | 2007 | $307.8M | Series C |
 Axiom Space | Mobility | 2016 | $500M | Venture Round |
 SimpliSafe | Hardware | 2006 | $387M | Debt Financing |
 Sierra Space | Manufacturing | 2021 | $1.7B | Series B |
 Hubble Network | Hardware | 2021 | $90.5M | Series B |
 ANYbotics | Automation | 2016 | $152.4M | Venture Round |
 First Brands Group | Mobility | 2018 | $1.1B | Debt Financing |
 Dreame Technology | Hardware | 2015 | $578.1M | Series C |
 Bose | Media | 1964 | $430.2k | Equity Crowdfunding |
 Syncari | Healthcare | 2019 | $23.8M | Series B |
 Blue Water Autonomy | Manufacturing | 2024 | $64M | Series A |
 Lyten | Manufacturing | 2015 | $367M | Venture Round |
 Aalo Atomics | Energy | 2023 | $136M | Series B |
 1X | AI | 2014 | $136.5M | Series B |
 Dirac | Enterprise | 2022 | $10.7M | Seed |
 Impulse Space | Mobility | 2021 | $525M | Series C |
 Emirates Global Aluminium | Hardware | 1975 | $600M | Debt Financing |
 Nalu Medical | Healthcare | 2014 | $250.9M | Venture Round |
 Rokid | Hardware | 2014 | $2.5M | Product Crowdfunding |
 Scintil Photonics | Manufacturing | 2018 | $76.6M | Series B |
 Sight Machine | Analytics | 2012 | $80.4M | Venture Round |
 Arzeda | AI | 2009 | $108.1M | Grant |
 LandingAI | AI | 2017 | $57M | Venture Round |
 RealSense | AI | — | $50M | Series A |
 Carbon | Manufacturing | 2013 | $683.4M | Venture Round |
 Mantle | Manufacturing | 2015 | $58M | Series C |
 SpaceFields | Mobility | 2021 | ₹485M | Seed |
 SK on | Mobility | 2021 | $5.6B | Debt Financing |
 RIVR | AI | 2023 | $25.5M | Grant |
 Nitricity | AgTech | 2018 | $90.9M | Series B |
 LEO Pharma | Biotech | 1908 | $450M | Private Equity |
 Pure Lithium | Hardware | 2020 | $30.3M | Grant |
 Firehawk Aerospace | Manufacturing | 2019 | $88.3M | Grant |
 Epirus | Mobility | 2018 | $537.6M | Series D |
 Xampla | Biotech | 2018 | $39.4M | Series A |
 LeydenJar Technologies | Hardware | 2016 | $86.2M | Venture Round |
 SingAuto | Energy | 2023 | $95M | Venture Round |
 Vulcan Elements | Mobility | 2023 | $70.2M | Series A |
 Cellares | Biotech | 2019 | $355M | Series C |
 Tractian | AI | 2019 | $185.6M | Series C |
 Cailabs | Hardware | 2012 | $102.2M | Debt Financing |
 ReElement Technologies | Manufacturing | 2017 | $22M | Debt Financing |
 Telo Trucks | Mobility | 2022 | $26.8M | Series A |
 Vantage Specialty Chemicals | Manufacturing | 2008 | $900M | Debt Financing |
 Mach Industries | Robotics | 2023 | $184.7M | Series B |
 Hadrian | Mobility | 2020 | $476.5M | Debt Financing |
 Varda | Mobility | 2021 | $328M | Series C |
 Halter | AgTech | 2016 | $198.8M | Series D |
 X-Bow Launch Systems | Mobility | 2016 | $194.8M | Series B |
 Jaguar Land Rover | Mobility | 1922 | £1.5B | Debt Financing |
 EnduroSat | Mobility | 2015 | $77.1M | Series B |
 Infinitum | Mobility | 2016 | $457.7M | Grant |
 Squint | Media | 2021 | $59M | Series B |
 Fanatics | Gaming | 2002 | $4.9B | Private Equity |
 Motiv Electric Trucks | Mobility | 2009 | $310.8M | Undisclosed |
 SRTX | Fashion | 2017 | $191.2M | Venture Round |
 FREDsense | AgTech | 2014 | $10M | Series A |
 Chobani | Food | 2005 | $1.9B | Debt Financing |
 Tessolve | Manufacturing | 2004 | $190M | Private Equity |
 Fender | Hardware | 1946 | $40M | Debt Financing |
 Fortera | Manufacturing | 2007 | $175.5M | Venture Round |
 ABO Energy | Manufacturing | 2013 | $240M | Debt Financing |
 Saronic | AI | 2022 | $845M | Series C |
 Rad Power Bikes | Environment | 2007 | $329.3M | Series D |
 Alvogen | Healthcare | 2009 | $769M | Debt Financing |
 OpenLight | Hardware | 2022 | $37.5M | Series A |
 Apprentice.io | AI | 2014 | $207M | Series C |
 Irrigreen | AI | 2018 | $43.1M | Series A |
 Volkswagen | Mobility | 1937 | $35M | Grant |
 The Honest Kitchen | Retail | 2002 | $150M | Venture Round |
 Indkal Technologies | Hardware | 2020 | $55.9M | Series B |
 Lotus Cars | Mobility | 1948 | £90M | Debt Financing |
 Vector | Manufacturing | 2024 | $61M | Series A |
 SpaceX | Manufacturing | 2002 | $11.8B | Secondary Market |
 Fictiv | Manufacturing | 2013 | $192.6M | Series E |
 Slate Auto | Mobility | — | $111M | Series B |
 Harbinger | Mobility | 2021 | $202.7M | Series B |
 Nanoramic Laboratories | Manufacturing | 2009 | $130.1M | Venture Round |
 Refiberd | AI | 2020 | $4.7M | Seed |
 Openwater | AI | 2016 | $76M | Venture Round |
 Restor3d | Manufacturing | 2017 | $291.7M | Series B |
 Neptune Robotics | Manufacturing | 2018 | $69.3M | Series B |
 ARX Robotics | Mobility | 2021 | $52.2M | Series A |
 Command Alkon | Hardware | 1976 | $765M | Secondary Market |
 Nyobolt | Hardware | 2020 | $113.6M | Venture Round |
 Space Forge | Hardware | 2018 | $51.1M | Series A |
 Instagrid | Hardware | 2018 | $124.9M | Series C |
 Reformation | Retail | 2009 | $37M | Series B |
