Grounded, a Detroit-based startup founded in 2022, has raised $5 million in seed funding led by existing investors Also Capital and The 81 Collection, with additional backing from Animal Capital and Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund. The round marks a strategic shift after major setbacks in the electric van market, including GM’s discontinuation of BrightDrop and Ford’s pause on next-gen electric Transit vans.
The company has opened a 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Detroit, where it will scale its modular, "Lego-like" conversion system to support both electric and combustion-powered vans. Production begins this month, with capacity ramping up in 2024. Grounded’s modular approach allows it to outfit vans for diverse uses—from mobile healthcare units to mobile coffee shops—without being tied to a single vehicle brand.
Grounded already serves commercial, medical, and veterinary clients, including Colgate, Nokia, and Wayne State University Medical. The startup is now targeting growth in food and beverage and public safety sectors, leveraging its expanded facility to meet fleet demands. CEO Sam Shapiro emphasized the company’s focus on the "application layer" of van customization, not the vehicles themselves.
