Uber, NEA Alums Launch $300 Million Fund to Back Supply Chain Startups

When former Uber executive Rachel Holt and ex-NEA partner Dayna Grayson formed Construct Capital in early 2020, they set out to back companies that many venture capitalists overlook: manufacturing, supply chain and industrial startups.

Then came the coronavirus pandemic, which threw global manufacturing into disarray and made supply chain problems a household topic du jour. It was a challenging time to launch a fund for industrial and transportation startups, which were suddenly more visible to investors but also roiled by labor and chip shortages and a halt to travel. On Tuesday, the pair announced a new $225 million Construct Capital fund, along with a $75 million fund dedicated to follow-on investments.

“The pandemic just sort of highlighted the fragility of the space,” said Grayson in a video interview from Construct’s Washington, D.C., office. “There’s a huge opportunity.”

The pair said they’ll use the new capital to continue investing in seed and Series A deals, as well as to double down on past investments, which include several companies founded by Uber alumni. But one sector they’ll continue to avoid is the cash-intensive, overcrowded instant-delivery industry.