# Podium Automation

> Podium Automation is a Brooklyn-based manufacturer rebuilding how industrial control panels are designed and built. Using a software-enabled configuration and fabrication process, Podium designs, wires, tests, and ships UL 508A and UL 698A control panels in under four weeks - roughly a third of the industry-standard lead time - with real-time transparency from purchase order to delivery. Founded in 2024 by Jamie Niu Serota (CEO) and Jacob Buser (CTO), the company aims to become the 'Protolabs of control panels,' serving customers from hardware scale-ups to Fortune 500 manufacturers.

- **Founded:** 2024
- **Headquarters:** Brooklyn, New York, United States
- **Founders:** Jamie Niu Serota (Co-Founder & CEO), Jacob Buser (Co-Founder & CTO)
- **Team size:** ~16 employees
- **Products:** UL 508A Control Panels, UL 698A Hazardous Location Panels, Design-Build Partnership, Design-to-Print, Configuration & Design Software
- **Notable:** Shipped 200+ UL-certified control panels within two years of founding, Cut typical panel lead times from 12+ weeks to under 4 weeks, Doubled factory throughput in a single quarter (2026)

## Products & services

- **UL 508A Control Panels** — Design and build of UL 508A listed industrial control panels, shipped in under four weeks versus a 12+ week industry standard.
- **UL 698A Hazardous Location Panels** — Control panels certified for hazardous / intrinsically safe locations (UL 698A, NNNY/NRBX classifications).
- **Design-Build Partnership** — Full design-build service where Podium engineers the schematics, sources components, fabricates, wires, and tests the finished panel.
- **Design-to-Print** — Build-to-spec manufacturing from a customer's existing drawings and bill of materials.
- **Configuration & Design Software** — An intuitive software layer that speeds up panel configuration, reduces design errors, and drives the automated factory.
- **Automated Panel Factory** — A Brooklyn facility combining CNC machining, automated wire processing, and human-verified quality assurance for machine-augmented builds.

## Achievements

- Shipped 200+ UL-certified control panels within two years of founding
- Cut typical panel lead times from 12+ weeks to under 4 weeks
- Doubled factory throughput in a single quarter (2026)
- Raised $23M+ total from a16z, Construct Capital, SV Angel and others
- Won customers spanning hardware scale-ups to Fortune 500s, including Redwood Materials, CSX, Symbotic and Commonwealth Fusion Systems
- Reached positive factory-level unit economics out of a single Brooklyn facility

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Raised $18M Series A led by Construct Capital, bringing total funding to more than $23M and adding Dayna Grayson to the board.
- **2026-06** — Reported 200+ panels shipped, throughput doubling in the prior quarter, and positive factory-level economics.
- **2025-03** — Closed $5M seed round led by a16z's American Dynamism team to build its configuration software and automated factory.

## Links

- Website: https://podiumautomation.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/podium-automation/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/podium-automation
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-03