Isembard lands £37.5M Series A to expand franchise factory network
London-based manufacturing startup Isembard has raised £37.5 million (about $50 million) in Series A funding as it seeks to address a growing shortage of industrial production capacity across Europe and North America.
The round was led by Union Square Ventures, with participation from Tamarack Global and IQ Capital, alongside existing backers Notion Capital and CIV. Angel investors included Alex Bouaziz (founder of Deel), Andrei Danescu (founder of Dexory Robotics), and former Wise CFO Matt Briers.
Opening 25 factories and expanding into new markets
Isembard said it will use the new capital to open 25 factories by the end of 2026, grow its engineering teams, and expand into new markets including Germany, France, and Ukraine. The company focuses on producing high-precision components used in sectors such as aerospace and defence.
The company argues that supply chains are under strain as thousands of small factory owners near retirement while demand rises, driven by trends such as reshoring and increased defence spending. It estimates the global component manufacturing market at roughly $1.8 trillion annually, with about 95% of production coming from small businesses that often face succession challenges.
MasonOS and a franchise-led scaling approach
Founded by Alexander Fitzgerald, Isembard operates its own facilities and a network of franchise-operated factories. The company differentiates itself through proprietary software and an AI system called MasonOS, which it describes as an integrated, agentic operating layer that connects quoting, scheduling, supply chain, manufacturing, quality control, and delivery to automate and continuously optimise factory performance.
Fitzgerald said the funding will support more factory launches, continued investment in MasonOS, and recruitment across Europe and the US. Rebecca Kaden, managing partner at Union Square Ventures, said Isembard is lowering barriers to running high-performance manufacturing businesses by embedding operational expertise into its OS and scaling via a networked model.
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