Isembard is creating a network of factories serving key industries.
A UK startup which has developed software to automate the manufacturing of key component parts for industries, including space, defence and robotics, has raised $50m in a Series A funding round, less than 12 months after its $9m seed round.
Isembard, founded by entrepreneur and former army reservist Alexander Fitzgerald in 2024, is creating a network of factories serving key industries, with the aim of showing that Britain can revive its manufacturing prowess.
The startup is named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the well-known civil engineer. The startup runs its own and franchise factories, leveraging proprietary software, and aims to deploy dozens of software-driven factories across the UK.
Its software integrates quoting, scheduling, supply chain, manufacturing, quality control and delivery into what it calls a “single intelligent agentic operating layer”.
The capital from the funding round will speed up the startup’s plan to open 25 factories by the end of 2026, expand its engineering teams while launching into Germany, France and Ukraine.
The round was led by Union Square Ventures, an early backer of Twitter and Coinbase. New investors Tamarack Global and IQ Capital participated along with exiting investors Notion Capital and CIV. Angel investors in the round include Alex Bouaziz, founder and CEO of Deel, and Matt Briers, the former Wise CFO.
Fitzgerald, founder and CEO, who previously founded challenger broadband provider Cuckoo, said: “Manufacturing is the origin of our security, prosperity and sense of purpose as nations.
“This Series A enables us to open more factories, invest in MasonOS, support exceptional franchisees and recruit the best engineers across Europe and the United States. Our mission is to forge industrial acceleration.”