Grounded Raises $5M Seed to Scale Modular Commercial Van Customization

Grounded Raises $5 Million Seed to Scale Modular Commercial Vehicle Customization

Detroit-based vehicle technology startup Grounded has raised $5 million in seed funding to expand its modular vehicle customization platform across electric, hybrid and combustion-powered commercial vans.

The round includes repeat investments from Also Capital and The 81 Collection, alongside Animal Capital, the Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund and various SpaceX alumni.

The funding comes as Grounded expands its manufacturing capabilities and moves beyond its original focus on customizing electric vans.

Expanding Beyond Electric Vans

Founded in 2022 by Sam Shapiro, Grounded initially focused on customizing electric vans such as Ford's E-Transit and GM's BrightDrop for recreational and commercial applications.

The company later expanded into customized vehicles for small businesses and commercial customers.

Changes in the electric vehicle market, including GM's discontinuation of BrightDrop and Ford's decision to cancel plans for a next-generation electric Transit van, pushed Grounded to broaden its strategy.

The company is now developing a vehicle-agnostic platform capable of working with electric, hybrid and combustion-powered vehicle platforms.

Building a Modular Vehicle Platform

Grounded's core technology uses a modular, "Lego-like" approach to transform standard vehicle chassis into specialized mobile workspaces.

The company designs the workspace, materials, power systems and software that sit on top of the vehicle rather than manufacturing the vehicle itself.

Applications can include mobile healthcare vehicles, command centers, camper vans, coffee shops and other specialized commercial platforms.

New Detroit Manufacturing Facility

Grounded has opened a new 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Detroit.

Production is scheduled to begin in August 2026, with capacity expected to increase during 2027.

The facility is intended to help Grounded scale its modular vehicle customization platform and support a broader range of commercial fleet requirements.

Growing Customer Base

Grounded already serves customers across several industries.

Its commercial customers include Colgate and Nokia, while its medical customers include Wayne State University Medical and the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii.

The company also says it is seeing growth among food and beverage and public safety customers.

A Vehicle-Agnostic Strategy

Grounded's expansion reflects a shift away from defining itself as an electric vehicle company.

CEO and founder Sam Shapiro has described Grounded as a platform that builds the high-tech modular workspace or living space on top of different vehicle chassis.

The approach allows the company to serve customers that may not be ready for electric vehicles because of charging infrastructure or other operational constraints.

The new funding and manufacturing facility will allow Grounded to expand its vehicle-agnostic platform and serve a wider range of commercial fleet applications.