Title: Former Anduril Engineer Secures $42M to Create an Amazon for Composite Components

Before pitching his latest venture to investors, Zack Eakin refined his presentation with a high-profile trial run involving Palmer Luckey. After departing defense technology firm Anduril in 2024 to launch Layup Parts, a new enterprise focused on composite materials, Luckey—accompanied by Anduril co-founders Brian Schimpf and Matt Grimm—allowed Eakin to test-drive his pitch. Eakin revealed to TechCrunch that he received distinct counsel from each leader: Grimm advised on structuring pitches for venture capitalists, Schimpf, the current CEO of Anduril, challenged his strategic approach, and Luckey, known for his fundraising prowess, coached him on narrative delivery. This intensive preparatory phase appears to have paid off. Following a $9 million seed round two years ago, the company announced on Tuesday the closing of a $42 million Series A round. The investment was led by dual-purpose venture fund Marlinspike, with contributions from new partners Cerberus Ventures and Pinegrove Venture Partners, as well as existing investors Founders Fund and Lux Capital.

For the Huntington Beach, California-based startup, which currently boasts a workforce of approximately 60, this capital injection represents a significant milestone. A large portion of these funds is earmarked for expanding the team and relocating to a larger facility later this year, a shift from the previous seed capital which was primarily allocated to capital expenditures. Eakin’s vision is to streamline the procurement of custom carbon fiber and fiberglass components, making the process as seamless as shopping on Amazon.

Eakin brings nearly two decades of experience with composite materials to the table, a journey that began in the motorsports industry. He launched his career at Chip Ganassi Racing, specializing in carbon-fiber structures and bodywork for IndyCar vehicles and the unconventional DeltaWing prototype. In 2017, he briefly pivoted to become the inaugural engineer at Elon Musk’s Boring Company. However, by 2021, he returned to his roots at Anduril. It was during his tenure there, while working on tunneling projects, that Eakin observed a transformation in industrial fabrication and manufacturing. Companies such as Protolabs and SendCutSend had significantly lowered the costs and timelines associated with prototyping and shipping parts. Yet, he noted that no comparable solution existed for composites.

“It struck me that while other manufacturing sectors are improving, we are struggling to find personnel to manufacture our composite components,” Eakin told TechCrunch. “Why is there no one attempting to improve this space?”

Eakin was aware of the underlying reasons for this gap. Composites are inherently more complex to manage, involving numerous stakeholders and intricate processes. Additionally, the industry has undergone significant consolidation, leading larger firms to prioritize steady revenue over risky innovation. Furthermore, Eakin pointed out that these established companies lack the software expertise necessary to develop the tools required for a streamlined, one-click or zero-click ordering system.

“If we leverage stock materials and possess a deep understanding of them, we can develop software that reduces the number of clicks required for an engineer by an order of magnitude,” Eakin explained, smiling. “Ultimately, we aim for a zero-click solution where customer data is input and shapes are output automatically.”

Recognizing that solving this supply chain inefficiency was critical, Eakin concluded that establishing a new company was the most effective path. “I realized this was the best contribution I could make to Anduril, as this is not merely an Anduril issue but a broader industry problem,” he stated.

Since founding Layup Parts two years ago, Eakin’s team has successfully prototyped and manufactured parts for a diverse clientele, including pickleball paddle manufacturers, design studios creating show cars, and motorsports teams. The company has already demonstrated its ability to significantly reduce the turnaround time from order receipt to delivery.

Source: TechCrunch Generated at: 2026-06-02 18:00:00 UTC