UK modular builder expands to US, hires former Katerra staff

Four former senior staff members at Katerra, the offsite construction firm that declared bankruptcy earlier this year, have landed new roles with a London-based construction technology company.

The former Katerra directors joined U.S. operations last month at Modulous, which is opening its first U.S. office in the Seattle region. The contech company offers a digitized platform to modernize the design and construction process of modular housing.

At its peak in early 2019, Katerra reached a valuation of more than $4 billion. The company shut down a few years later due to executive transitions, delayed projects, construction costs, pandemic-related impacts and an inability to convince developers and contractors to move away from their traditional subcontractors.