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At his 13,000-square-foot warehouse around the corner from its headquarters at Newlab in Michigan Central, Sam Shapiro is leading the electric revolution of recreational and work vehicles.

With a rapidly growing team, Shapiro has created a “Lego-like” system to outfit electric vans for both recreation and business use. Grounded is creating the world’s first fully customizable smart electric RVs and work vans, enabling customers to choose from dozens of customization options, solar and smart power electrics, Starlink internet connectivity, and much more.

“Newlab and Michigan Central were literally the reason that we chose to move to Detroit to start Grounded, and they’ve been invaluable to our growth and success as an early-stage startup,” said founder Sam Shapiro. “The benefits include affordable office and workshop space, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and an amazing community of founders, engineers and advisors.”

In addition to electric RVs, the custom-built vehicles offer a number of all-electric applications for businesses such as mobile
medical and dental studios, pet grooming and food service, delivery and maintenance, and more.

The startup secured $3.5 million pre-seed funding in October, and over the long term they hope to empower people to live and work more sustainably on wheels.
“Detroit is one of the best places in the country for building a manufacturing business right now because of its robust industrial base, highly skilled engineers and technicians, and very reasonable cost of space,” said Shapiro.