Our Origin Story

Built by hackers,
for makers.

In 2021, we were frustrated. The tools for selling physical products were either too rigid or took too much code to customize. We quit our jobs to build a marketplace that actually understands modular design.

Founders working on hardware prototypes in a garage
Our Mission

Empower the next generation of modular product creators.

We believe the future of commerce isn't about mass production; it's about modular, customizable, and sustainable goods. Modly provides the infrastructure for creators to own their distribution, control their branding, and scale without selling out.

Our Journey

Key milestones

2021

Founded by Alex Chen and Sarah Jenkins. Built the first MVP in a shared garage in Austin, TX.

2022

Closed Seed round from Y Combinator. Launched closed beta with 50 hardware makers.

2023

Public launch. Reached 1,000 active sellers in the first 6 months.

2024

Expanded to 50+ countries. Introduced modular product configuration engine.

Core Values

How we work.

Boldness

We take calculated risks. We challenge the status quo of e-commerce and aren't afraid to ship unfinished features if they solve a real problem.

Openness

Transparent pricing, open source tooling where possible, and honest communication with our community.

Maker-First

Everything we build starts with a physical product. We code with hardware in mind.

Speed

We move fast. Decisions are made locally, shipping is prioritized, and we iterate constantly.

The Team

The people building Modly.

Alex Chen and Sarah Jenkins, founders of Modly

Alex Chen

Co-Founder & CEO

Ex-embedded systems engineer. Obsessed with hardware reliability.

Maria Rodriguez, Head of Product at Modly

Maria Rodriguez

Head of Product

Former Shopify PM. Loves solving complex configuration problems.

David Kim

Co-Founder & CTO

Full-stack wizard. Built the core engine in Python and Rust.

Elena Vasquez

Head of Growth

Growth hacker by day, synth enthusiast by night.

Our Backers

Backed by leaders in innovation.

We're proud to partner with investors who understand the hardware revolution.

Y Combinator • Sequoia Scout • LocalGlobe

Angel investors from Stripe, Pinterest, and Tesla

Culture

Where we work.

Modly office space and team collaboration

Remote First

We don't believe in the 9-to-5. We believe in output. Our team is distributed across 12 time zones.

Maker Space

Our Austin HQ features a full machine shop, 3D printers, and soldering stations for everyone.

We're Hiring

Join the revolution.

We're looking for engineers, product designers, and hardware experts to help us build the future of commerce. Check our open roles.