London startup opens major new factory amid defence manufacturing boom

UK startup Isembard has opened what it says is central London’s largest factory since the Second World War, as rising investment in defence and artificial intelligence drives renewed interest in advanced manufacturing.

The company’s 160,000-square-foot, four-floor factory and headquarters is located on the site of a former council car pound in Southwark, the Financial Times reports. 

Isembard Chief Executive Alexander Fitzgerald said the facility would manufacture components for drones, rockets, robots, submarines and jet engines. Its customers include US defence technology company Anduril, Babcock International and the UK government.

The company currently employs 35 people and expects its workforce to grow to 200 by the end of next year.

Other defence companies, along with the UK government, have also been seeking idle or disused factories to expand manufacturing capacity.

Isembard has previously raised more than $50 million from investors, including early Twitter backer Union Square Ventures. A recent funding round involving existing investors valued the company at about $500 million, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company plans to raise additional funding to support its expansion.

Named after Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Isembard operates 15 factories across the UK, US, France and Germany, most of which are owned by franchisees.

The company aims to transform fragmented component supply chains, traditionally dominated by small businesses, through a network of software-driven factories serving critical industries.

By Sabina Mamamdli