The founding team at H3X have a compelling origin story. The three friends — Jason Sylvestre, Max Liben, and Eric Maciolek — formed a bond as they participarted in an engineering course regarding electric vehicles.

After their careers led them in separate directions, with each finding work in the tech and auto industries, a Department of Energy grant brought them back together to ponder how they could improve electric motors.

Their first-principles mindset and efforts have borne fruit in the form of a new electric motor that can potentially power large commercial flights.