Ex-Anduril engineer raises $42M to build the Amazon of composite parts
Zack Eakin has successfully raised $42 million in a Series A funding round for his startup, Layup Parts, which focuses on composite materials. The funding will be used to expand the team and move to a larger facility, with the aim of simplifying the ordering process for custom parts. Eakin's experience in the composites industry has driven him to innovate in a sector that has lagged behind other manufacturing verticals.
- ▪Zack Eakin previously worked at Anduril before founding Layup Parts.
- ▪The Series A funding round was led by Marlinspike and included participation from Cerberus Ventures and Pinegrove Venture Partners.
- ▪Layup Parts aims to make ordering custom composite parts as easy as ordering from Amazon.
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| Original publisher | Startups | TechCrunch |
| Canonical URL | https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/ex-anduril-engineer-raises-42m-to-build-the-amazon-of-composite-parts/ |
| Publication time | Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:00:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-06-02T18:08:25.656Z |
| Last seen | 2026-06-03T02:17:41.622Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Before Zack Eakin sold investors on his new startup, he practiced on Palmer Luckey. When he left Luckey’s defense startup, Anduril, in 2024 to start a new composites company called Layup Parts, Luckey — along with co-founders Brian Schimpf and Matt Grimm — let him workshop the pitch. He got different feedback from each, Eakin told TechCrunch. Grimm helped him think about how to pitch VCs, Schimpf (Anduril’s CEO) pushed him on strategy, while Luckey — ever the fundraiser — guided him on the storytelling. This miniature boot camp appears to have worked. Two years ago, Eakin raised a $9 million seed round.
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