Nox Metals, Inc.
Cut-to-size aluminum plate supply / software-defined metals service center (raw-material layer feeding machining, aerospace and defense fabrication) · United States
Detroit-based, software-defined aluminum plate service center that quotes in seconds and ships cut-to-size aerospace-grade plate with mill certs, aiming to replace legacy metals distributors.
Instant online quoting and cut-to-size aluminum plate and bar — 6061-T651, 7075-T651/T7351, 7050-T7451 and 5000-series cast plate, plus 6061 round/flat bar and stainless bar — with DFARS/domestic-melt options, mill certs and full traceability on every order, committed ship dates, no minimums and nationwide delivery. Software stack: NOX NEST (order-to-ship platform), WAYNE (nesting/cut-path optimization) and GONDOR (customer portal), now marketed as 'Nox Nest'/'Factos'; API access rolling out.
Research mapping
Physical AI / Manufacturing, EMS & Industrial Automation (L4) / Cut-to-size aluminum plate supply / software-defined metals service center (raw-material layer feeding machining, aerospace and defense fabrication)
Evidence boundary
Original analysis and independent corroboration remain under development. Commercial scale and durable technical advantage remain under review.
What makes it defensible
The bottleneck in American manufacturing is metal supply, not machining: legacy service centers take 3-5 days to quote and 3-5 days to deliver, and waste 30-40% of every plate to scrap; fewer than ~40 software engineers work across the entire US metals service industry.
Position in the stack: Sits between aluminum rolling mills and machine shops/aerospace-defense OEMs — a technology-enabled replacement for traditional metals service centers (Reliance, Ryerson, Kloeckner, Alro, Yarde), owning inventory, cutting, traceability and delivery rather than brokering.
Who buys it
Founding team
Zane Hengsperger — Founder & CEO — University of Michigan (2022); grew up in his father's machine shop in Windsor, ON; previously acquired and ran a ~30-person fabrication facility; Forbes 30 Under 30 Manufacturing 2026
Vince Mazzei — COO (executive, not founder per company About page) — 21 years at Alro Steel
SourceFinancing detail
- Last round
- $11.5M Seed (Jun 2026)
Investors: Hyperion, Y Combinator, Palmer Luckey, Jared Friedman (YC partner), RoboStrategy, Operator Collective, DTX Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Behind Genius Ventures, 8090 Industrials, E1 Ventures, The Council, Anorak Ventures, Pioneer Fund
Mapped funds and investors
Direct relationships supported by published evidence.
Reported holdings as-of
No sourced relationships mapped yet.
Disclosed investment history
No sourced relationships mapped yet.
Showing up to four relationships in each group. ETF weights describe the fund’s portfolio, not ownership of this company. Private investment history does not establish current ownership.
Evidence & media
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Nox Metals raises $11.5M seed round
What this source supports: $11.5M seed round (led by Hyperion) to scale automated aluminum plate/bar/rounds production for aerospace and defense from Detroit
What it does not establish: Paywalled summary; does not disclose revenue, capacity, or named customer contracts
Source -
Detroit startup raises $11.5M in funding (Nox Metals)
What this source supports: Nox Metals raised $11.5M, applying software and automation to metals distribution for aerospace/defense
What it does not establish: Local-news brief; no financial or customer detail
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The metal shop that thinks like a software company - meet Nox Metals
What this source supports: Investor profile: Nox Metals runs an aluminum service center with software-driven quoting and production
What it does not establish: Investor-authored and promotional; not independent verification
Source -
SEC filing listing an investment in Nox Metals
What this source supports: SEC filing by an investment company that discloses a position in Nox Metals alongside other private holdings
What it does not establish: Regulatory disclosure of a fund holding; no terms, valuation, or company financials
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Nox Metals moves to Ferndale (Crain's Detroit Business)
What this source supports: Crain's Detroit Business reports Nox Metals relocating from its Michigan Central (Corktown) base in Detroit to a new factory in Ferndale, MI — evidence the AI-driven machine shop is scaling physical capacity after its 2026-06 $11.5M seed.
What it does not establish: Lede only (paywall); no capex, capacity, headcount or lease terms. Publication date taken from the URL path.
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Nox Metals raises $11.5M seed round
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Why We Invested in Nox Metals
Source
Timeline
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Facility
Move into 30,000 sq ft Ferndale factory
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Financing
Crain's Detroit Business: 'Detroit manufacturing startup raises $11.5M VC round'
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Media
Forbes 30 Under 30 — Manufacturing & Industry (Zane Hengsperger)
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Financing
Pre-seed ~$5.3M led by Behind Genius Ventures
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Product
Launch YC: 'NOX METALS: The modern metals supplier'
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Facility
Moves out of Michigan Central (Corktown, Detroit) into a new factory in Ferndale, Michigan
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