Factory_OS

Factory_OS is a developer of multifamily residential units which are manufactured off-site and installed on-site. The company, based in Vallejo, California, has two manufacturing facilities in Mare Island, California, and operates throughout the west coast. The company reports its houses can be built 40–50% faster than a traditionally built home, developing a 100-unit apartment building in less than 10 days, at a 20–40% lower cost. According to the company, these houses generate around 40% less waste through advanced material cutting and storage while reducing carbon emissions due to fewer transportation requirements. 

The company’s houses comprise smart home features such as security and temperature control. The company has its own “Housing Innovation Lab” (HIL) in partnership with UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation. This identifies ways in which the efficiency of the manufacturing process can be continuously improved. The lab gathers ideas from architects, engineers, developers, corporations, public officials, and academics, to identify how environmental and community benefits can be maximized and delivered at prices that are affordable to middle-class families. The company uses technologies such as building information modeling (BIM), digital prototyping, and precision manufacturing for construction.

In November 2020, the company raised USD 55 million in Series B funding, bringing its total funding to USD 77.7 million. The round was led by Lafayette Square Holdings with participation from Google, Facebook, Morgan Stanley, Autodesk, and Citi. The funds were used to expand to Los Angeles and open the HIL. By April 2021, the company developed more than 1,000 apartment units.