This week, rapid custom manufacturer SendCutSend reached a valuation of $1.01 billion after a $110 million investment from Sequoia, Paradigm, and Patrick and John Collison—the guys who co-founded Stripe.
The Reno, Nevada-based company is using the funds to launch a five-year plan to strengthen its American industrial base, which includes a $1 billion commitment to creating new U.S. manufacturing jobs and to domestically produced materials.
The company also earmarked more than $250 million to expand existing facilities and establish new manufacturing hubs throughout the country. By merging software-first logic with high-speed domestic production, SendCutSend provides laser cutting, CNC machining, and finishing services with instant-buy access. The company wants to be America's "anything factory," delivering parts in as little as 24 hours.
SendCutSend has spent the last eight years working on developing a model that allows users to get an instant quote and quickly begin production.
The company said it has been largely bootstrapped until now, primarily funded by $6 million from friends and family. Company founder Jim Belosic believes the time is right to accept investment to meet the speed and volume requirements of a rapidly reindustrializing American economy.
“I’m the most impatient person I know, but for eight years we played the long game because I refused to get into bed with the wrong people,” Belosic said. “By waiting, we built real muscle. We held out until the ‘reindustrialize’ vibe shifted and we found partners who actually understand that hardware is hard."
The capital is being deployed into advanced equipment and new facilities to move the company closer to new capabilities, a wider product selection, lower prices, and faster production.
The company has shipped more than 30 million parts to some 300,000 customers, including major players in aerospace, automotive, defense, data centers, robotics, automation and transportation, among others. These components include flight-ready hardware for commercial space programs and physical infrastructure for data centers.
SendCutSend said its goal is to move from the mill to a finished product in record time, removing every possible barrier between an idea and a physical object.
Sometimes, an influx of outside money can change a company, given new external pressures, but in a post on X, Belosic said that’s not the case; "I'm still in control, I get to keep making big bets, I still set direction and vision. Same as it’s always been. But now I have a ton of rocket fuel to deploy for my customers."
He also encouraged competitors to steal his business model. "To anyone reading this that wants to get into making real [stuff]: steal this template. I am doing this to show people how it can be done. It’s hard to build a manufacturing company in the U.S., but if I did it, you can do it too.”
Belosic said he started his company through a mix of credit cards, savings, a PayPal loan, and bank-owned machines, but it was a struggle that made him "stronger."
"Reindustrializing America isn't going to happen through think pieces or thoughts and prayers," Belosic said. "It happens when people build actual companies, buy actual machines, hire actual people, and ship actual products. There’s never been a better time to manufacture in America. Go build something."
Finally, Belosic offered one final piece of advice: "Put a buy now button on your website."
