The building startup Plant Prefab recently got a funding boost from Amazon.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the fund, which “promotes the development of applications for its Alexa voice-activated technology,” puts Amazon in the mix of companies trying to modernize the building industry with prefabricated technology.
Plant Prefab, which started out as a manufacturing partner for its sister company, Living Homes, is now a one-stop shop for compact prefabricated homes for urban areas. The Los Angeles Times reports that the Amazon partnership will give the startup “access to several non-monetary services such as development support, marketing assistance and ‘other resources that help them build successful businesses with Alexa,’ according to an Amazon representative."
It’s a huge business opportunity. With more than 600,000 new homes sold in the U.S. alone last year, there are billions of dollars to be made by anyone who can get a head start in dragging the industry into the tech age — something Amazon has accomplished in multiple businesses.