Rize Modular

In 1913, Henry Ford changed the world. He introduced the assembly line — a faster, safer, more efficient way to build cars.

Now a startup is using the concept of assembly lines to solve America’s housing shortage. It’s called Rize Modular.

Rize is developing modular, affordable multi-family structures. And it’s doing so by way of an assembly line in a factory — just like cars are made.

Not only can this system improve worker safety and shorten production timelines by up to fifty percent, but it also ensures high-quality, low-waste results.

As mentioned, Rize Modular aims to address America’s housing shortage. Right now, there’s a need for 3.4 million rental homes, and 4 million single-family homes.

Due to outdated practices and labor shortages, projects often take twenty percent longer to finish than anticipated, and can be up to eighty percent over budget when finally completed. Projects also fill U.S. landfills with 145 million tons of waste annually.

Conventional construction takes as much as two years from planning to designing to completion. Rize Modular’s technology, in contrast, can help get a home built in just half the time.

At the moment, Rize Modular is creating a factory that can assemble homes from start to finish. But it eventually aims to create an end-to-end service that enables the design, construction, and delivery of a home.

The company has twenty projects in its pipeline, which translates to $500 million in potential revenue. It has partnerships with California-based property management company American Hospitality Services and real estate company Clever Homes.

Rize Modular is seeking capital to begin production on the robotics element of its assembly line, and will spend next year building out its factory. It also plans to begin generating revenue in 2023.

Team Background

Michael McCaffrey - Chief Financial Officer

Michael has more than fifteen years of financial experience in investment banking and strategic planning.

In addition to his role with Rize Modular, he runs his own residential real estate development business. Before that, he was Treasury Director with Diamond Foods, a food and beverage company acquired in 2016.

Earlier in his career, he was Chief Financial Officer with Blu Homes, a startup focused on modular home manufacturing. Prior to that, he was Director of Finance with SolarCity, an energy company.

Michael began his career spending thirteen years as an investment banking professional, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He also holds an MBA from the University of Southern California.

Greg Welch - Founder & CEO

Greg is a serial entrepreneur who’s been a part of six startup “exits.”

He began his career with GE, serving as Senior Vice President of Sales and Business Development. From there, he founded AmeriCom Communications, a telecommunications business.

He then continued to work in telecommunications, serving as Executive Vice President with companies QTelecom and Sirius Telecom.

More recently, Greg was a partner with Ingk Labs, a New York-based startup accelerator. He then founded SquishClip, a communications startup. From there, he was President of Dvele, a company producing luxury homes more affordably and efficiently.

He studied Political Science at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Co-Investors