Manufacturing startup Hadrian said on Thursday that it was valued at $7.87 billion in its latest funding round as it looks to expand its U.S. footprint to meet growing demand. Investors have been pouring money into U.S. manufacturing firms as the Trump administration prioritizes investment in domestic manufacturing to reduce U.S. reliance on overseas supply chains for critical industries. The California-based company raised $1.37 billion in the Series D round, which was co-led by WCM Investment Management, Washington Harbour Partners, Valor Equity Partners, 137 Ventures and Baillie Gifford. JPMorgan Chase’s strategic investment group joined as an anchor co-lead investor through its security and resiliency initiative, which invests in U.S. companies critical to national security and economic resilience, including those in defense, energy and manufacturing. “The Trump administration’s renewed focus on domestic manufacturing and defense spending has almost certainly added fuel, though Hadrian’s appeal runs deeper,” said Michael Ashley Schulman, partner at Cerity Partners. “Aerospace and defense customers care about reliable production, speed, quality, and security regardless of who is in the White House.” Hadrian said it will use the proceeds to build new factories, expand research and development, and increase production capacity as it scales manufacturing of defense, aerospace and industrial systems in the United States. The company operates highly automated factories that use AI, robotics and process engineering to manufacture precision components and mission-critical systems for customers. Schulman said Hadrian’s approach was compelling to venture investors and a solid example of increased manufacturing productivity in an evolving onshoring environment. Since its Series C funding round last year, Hadrian has opened factories in Mesa, Arizona, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. It plans to launch additional facilities and expand into new production lines, including munitions and autonomous systems, over the next year. (Reporting by Prakhar Srivastava in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
