Grounded Raises $5M to Expand Modular Commercial Van Business

Detroit-based Grounded has raised $5 million in seed funding as the startup expands its modular vehicle customisation business beyond electric vans to a wider range of commercial vehicles.

The round includes repeat investments from Also Capital and Chicago-based early-stage firm The 81 Collection, along with Animal Capital, the Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund and various SpaceX alums, according to founder and CEO Sam Shapiro.

Grounded expands manufacturing in Detroit

Grounded has also opened a 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Detroit. Production is scheduled to begin this month, with capacity expected to increase next year.

The facility will support Grounded’s move toward a vehicle-agnostic platform that can be installed on both electric and combustion-powered vans. The company builds modular interiors, power systems, and software that can turn commercial vehicles into mobile health units, command centres, campers, coffee shops, and other specialised spaces.

Grounded was founded in 2022 with a focus on customisable electric vans, including Ford’s E-Transit and General Motors’ BrightDrop. It later expanded its focus to small businesses and commercial fleet customers.

Grounded moves beyond an EV-only strategy

The company’s strategy shifted as the U.S. electric commercial vehicle market changed. GM discontinued BrightDrop, while Ford dropped plans for a next-generation electric Transit van. Grounded subsequently decided to support gas-powered vehicles, including Ford Transit and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans, while continuing to work with electric and hybrid platforms.

Grounded said the broader approach allows it to serve customers who are not ready to adopt electric vehicles due to infrastructure constraints. The startup also plans to use eHarbinger’s electric and hybrid options while working through the remaining BrightDrop inventory.

Grounded has already supplied vehicles for customers including Colgate, Nokia, Wayne State University Medical and the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii. Chief Product Officer Nadia Meyer said the company is also seeing notable growth from food and beverage and public safety customers.

Shapiro has described Grounded’s core product as the modular workspace or living environment installed on top of a vehicle chassis, rather than the underlying vehicle itself. The new Detroit facility is intended to help the company apply that platform across a broader range of commercial fleets.