ISAIC

Name

ISAIC

Legal name

Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center

Website

https://isaic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Apparel Manufacturing Services

NAICS

Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (except Contractors) (31525)

akta.pro primary industry

Welding Codes, Safety & Compliance Training (AWS/ASME/OSHA) (EDAOADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education & Training Providers (EDABALAI)

Keywords

• Apparel manufacturing
• Industrial sewing training
• Workforce development
• Textile innovation pilots
• Contract cut and sew

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Contract Advanced Manufacturing: B2B contract sewing, cut-and-sew, dye sublimation, and apparel production services for major clothing brands and designers. Includes automated and hand-sewn production of garments, plus PPE (isolation gowns, face masks). Contract manufacturing is a core revenue stream with contracts from Carhartt, Detroit Denim, TD Industrial Covers, Detroit-Owned Apparel, Everywhere, Cleverhood, and others.
2. Direct Training and Apprenticeship Programs: Revenue from paid apprenticeship and training programs at the ISAIC factory and through licensed training at other sites. The Fundamentals of Industrial Sewing and Production (FISP) certificate curriculum is licensed/used in nine other states by community colleges, nonprofits, and manufacturers.
3. On-Demand T-Shirt and Branded Apparel Line: Direct sale of ISAIC-branded and custom-made T-shirts and apparel made on-demand from sustainable materials (100% organic cotton, recycled materials). Sold via own online storefront for B2B and B2C. Also includes blank T-shirts for logo printing.
4. Grants, Donations, and Public Funding: Significant revenue from federal, state, and philanthropic grants. Includes $150,000 PMBC COVID-19 Emergency Access and Retooling Grant, $50,000 William Davidson Foundation grant, $259,000 Jobs Ready Michigan Program incentive supporting 47 new jobs, and a $1.8M Carhartt in-kind buildout donation. FY2021 operating budget over $5 million.
5. Innovation Pilots and Industry Consulting: Revenue from innovation pilot programs, advanced technology testing, and consulting for manufacturers and brands. ISAIC tests and validates new soft-goods manufacturing technologies (e.g., Siemens robotic gown automation) and provides training/consulting services nationwide.
6. Sponsored Events and Sponsorships: Revenue from corporate sponsorship of annual ISAIC Honors Award Ceremony and other events, including co-hosted fashion events (e.g., ISAIC + Carhartt Fashion Experience during Month of Design).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ISAIC operates a Detroit-based "learning factory" that combines contract advanced manufacturing (cut-and-sew, dye sublimation, automated and hand-sewn apparel production), workforce training through its standardized Fundamentals of Industrial Sewing and Production (FISP) certificate program, and live innovation pilots that test and validate new soft-goods manufacturing technologies (robotics, laser cutting, 3D knitting). It serves apparel brands, healthcare and government PPE buyers, manufacturers needing skilled labor, and emerging designers, with curriculum licensed across nine U.S. states.

Product overview

ISAIC (Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center) is a Detroit-based national nonprofit institute that delivers an integrated portfolio of products and services organized around three pillars — Advanced Manufacturing, Skilling, and Workplace Culture. Its Advanced Manufacturing pillar spans Advanced Manufacturing Solutions, Innovation Pilots, Contract Advanced Manufacturing, and Advanced Manufacturing at Your Site, anchored by the new ISAIC Innovation Lab at the CCS Taubman Center. Its Skilling pillar is delivered through Skills Building Solutions, Direct Training at ISAIC (including the eight-week Fundamentals of Industrial Sewing and Production certificate), Licensed Training At Your Site, and Skilling Solutions at Your Site, with the planned Employee Business Unit (EBU) extending the Workplace Culture pillar into worker ownership. Community-facing offerings — Community Access, Courses, Workshops, Design2Manufacturing, the Pin-Felting R&D Grant, and the annual ISAIC Honors awards — sit alongside the core industrial offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ISAIC Honors: An annual awards ceremony hosted by ISAIC celebrating and amplifying the achievements of pioneers shaping the textile and apparel industry (manufacturer, champion, innovator, future leader, and alumni of the year awards).

Products and services

• Advanced Manufacturing Solutions End-to-end advanced apparel manufacturing services using programmable sewing machines, laser cutters, multi-ply cutting machines, and human-centered production workflows for brands and manufacturers.
• Innovation Pilots Live testing ground for emerging soft-goods manufacturing technologies where ISAIC pilots innovations on behalf of the apparel industry as a neutral convener and implementation partner.
• Contract Advanced Manufacturing Contract apparel manufacturing for major clothing brands using an on-demand rather than mass-production model, including cut-and-sew, dye sublimation, automated and hand-sewn production, and bespoke production runs.
• Advanced Manufacturing at Your Site Deployment of ISAIC's advanced manufacturing capabilities at a partner's site, extending the institute's human-centered, technology-enabled production model beyond its Detroit headquarters.
• Skills Building Solutions Holistic workforce development solutions covering traditional industrial sewing alongside upskilling for advanced apparel manufacturing, including curriculum licensed to community colleges, nonprofits, and manufacturers in nine other states.
• Direct Training at ISAIC In-house training delivered at ISAIC's Detroit facility, including the eight-week Fundamentals of Industrial Sewing and Production (FISP) certificate course and paid apprenticeships for sewing personnel at all skill levels.
• Licensed Training At Your Site Licensed delivery of ISAIC's training curriculum at partner sites, used by community colleges, nonprofits, and manufacturers across multiple states to scale workforce development.
• Skilling Solutions at Your Site Customized skilling solutions delivered at a partner's site, including the standardized, data-driven repair training ISAIC is exploring with Goodwill of Northern and Central Arizona.
• Empowering Workers Workplace culture pillar focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, living wages, and upward mobility for apparel and textile workers.
• Employee Business Unit (EBU) Planned worker-owned for-profit subsidiary under which ISAIC employees would be stakeholders, intended to provide equity in growth and economic mobility for skilled workers.
• Community Access Programs providing Detroit-area community members with pathways into apparel manufacturing through classes, workshops, and drop-in access.
• Courses Short-format community courses introducing industrial sewing and apparel/textile production skills.
• Workshops Hands-on workshops including PIN-UP (pin-felting) and Design2Manufacturing programming.
• Design2Manufacturing Program supporting local designers and fashion entrepreneurs to take designs from concept through to manufacturing in Detroit.
• Pin-Felting R&D Grant Research and development grant supporting pin-felting innovation as part of ISAIC's broader textile R&D activities.
• ISAIC Honors Annual awards ceremony celebrating unsung pioneers in the textile and apparel industry across Manufacturer, Champion, Innovator, Future Leader, and Alumni of the Year categories. Co-hosted by SPESA in 2026.
• ISAIC Innovation Lab at CCS Taubman Center Newly expanded facility at the College for Creative Studies' A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education offering access to advanced apparel manufacturing technology, a fully equipped classroom, and hands-on training for job seekers, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals.
• Fundamentals of Industrial Sewing and Production (FISP) Certificate Eight-week industrial sewing certificate program offered at ISAIC's Detroit facility and licensed to community colleges, other nonprofits, and manufacturers in nine other states.
• ISAIC On-Demand T-Shirt Line Blank T-shirt line made from sustainable materials and packaging, produced on demand for B2B and B2C customers to reduce waste; ISAIC-branded items sold through the website storefront.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduated 25 students from FISP course; hired 33 staff (two-thirds women, nearly half people of color).
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability7 records

Feature7 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Manufacture New York: A New York-based nonprofit fashion manufacturing and training center serving emerging designers and brands. Highly comparable as a U.S. nonprofit apparel manufacturing institute with a workforce development mission and contract production services.
• Detroit Sewn: Detroit-based apparel contract manufacturer focused on domestic production. A direct local peer for ISAIC's contract manufacturing services, serving similar Detroit-area brands and designers.

Emerging players

• Bottomless (Made in NYC): A nonprofit apparel manufacturer in NYC providing paid training, contract manufacturing, and supply-chain support to emerging brands. Comparable mission (workforce + manufacturing), slightly different geographic focus.
• Fashion for Good: Amsterdam-based global platform for sustainable fashion innovation, piloting and scaling circular apparel technologies. Comparable as a neutral industry convener running innovation pilots and training programs for sustainable apparel.
• Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute: Manufacturing Innovation Institute funded by the Department of Defense, accelerating U.S. adoption of robotics. A direct collaboration partner of ISAIC via the Siemens gown pilot; comparable as an applied robotics R&D and training hub.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit workforce development and textile reuse operator; ISAIC is actively partnering with Goodwill of Northern and Central Arizona on repair training. Comparable on workforce development and circular textile operations.
• Year Up: Large national nonprofit providing workforce training and apprenticeships to underserved young adults. Comparable as a mission-driven workforce development organization with employer partnerships and government/foundation funding.
• Los Angeles Apparel: Large vertically integrated U.S. apparel manufacturer producing domestically at scale. Comparable as a domestic apparel manufacturer, though operating as a for-profit at much larger scale than ISAIC.

Others

• CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America): Industry association that has engaged ISAIC on a $14M workforce development initiative. Not a direct competitor but a peer ecosystem partner — both serve as convening bodies for the U.S. fashion industry and run workforce/diversity programs.
• AAFA (American Apparel and Footwear Association): National trade association representing apparel and footwear brands, manufacturers, and suppliers. Industry association peer to ISAIC — overlapping membership, overlapping workforce and sustainability agendas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISAIC_Detroit
• Facebookfacebook.com/ISAICDetroit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ISAIC