The Tesla alumni network has emerged as a powerful incubator of entrepreneurial talent, spawning at least nine unicorn companies—startups valued at over $1 billion—across diverse sectors from energy storage to sustainable materials. These founders leveraged their experience at Elon Musk’s electric vehicle pioneer to build transformative companies of their own.
Form Energy – Mateo Jaramillo
Mateo Jaramillo, who served as Tesla’s early battery technology leader, founded Form Energy to tackle one of renewable energy’s biggest challenges: long-duration energy storage. The company develops iron-air battery technology capable of storing electricity for days rather than hours, making renewable energy more reliable andGrid-scale. Form Energy’s innovative approach to solving the intermittency problem of solar and wind power has attracted significant investment and positioned it as a key player in the clean energy transition.
Sila Nanotechnologies – Gene Berdichevsky and Alex Jacobs
Gene Berdichevsky, Tesla’s seventh employee and a key engineer on the original Roadster battery system, co-founded Sila Nanotechnologies alongside fellow Tesla alum Alex Jacobs. The company develops next-generation battery materials using silicon-based anodes that can significantly increase energy density compared to traditional graphite anodes. Sila’s technology promises to extend electric vehicle range and improve performance, with partnerships already established with major automakers including Mercedes-Benz.
Aurora Innovation – Sterling Anderson
Sterling Anderson, former director of Tesla’s Autopilot program, co-founded Aurora Innovation to advance autonomous vehicle technology. The company is developing self-driving systems for both commercial trucking and passenger vehicles. Aurora’s approach focuses on creating a universal autonomous driving platform that can be integrated across different vehicle types, and the company has formed partnerships with major manufacturers including Toyota and Volvo.
Faraday Future – Nick Sampson
Nick Sampson served as Tesla’s VP of Vehicle and Chassis Engineering before becoming a key founding executive at Faraday Future. The electric vehicle startup aimed to compete directly with Tesla in the luxury EV market, though it has faced significant production and financial challenges. Despite these hurdles, Faraday Future has worked to develop high-performance electric vehicles with advanced technology features.
Lucid Motors – Bernard Tse
Bernard Tse, a former Tesla executive, joined Lucid Motors in a leadership capacity as the company sought to create luxury electric vehicles that rival and exceed Tesla’s offerings. Lucid has successfully launched the Lucid Air sedan, which boasts impressive range figures exceeding 500 miles and has received acclaim for its design, performance, and luxury appointments. The company represents one of the most successful Tesla competitor stories among the alumni network.
Fair – Georg Bauer
Georg Bauer, who worked at Tesla in various capacities, founded Fair to revolutionize car ownership through a flexible car subscription model. The company allows customers to access vehicles through month-to-month subscriptions without traditional leases or loans, lowering barriers to car ownership. Fair’s platform addresses changing consumer preferences around mobility and ownership, particularly among younger demographics.
Tekion – Gurusankar Sankararaman and Jayaprakash Vijayan
Gurusankar Sankararaman and Jayaprakash Vijayan, both Tesla veterans who worked on the company’s software infrastructure, founded Tekion to transform automotive retail technology. The company provides cloud-native software platforms for automotive dealerships and OEMs, modernizing operations from customer relationship management to inventory and service. Tekion’s platform helps traditional dealerships adapt to the digital age and compete more effectively.
Redwood Materials – Jeffrey Straubel
Perhaps the most prominent Tesla alum entrepreneur, Jeffrey Straubel served as Tesla’s longtime CTO and was instrumental in developing the company’s battery technology and supply chain. He founded Redwood Materials to create a circular supply chain for batteries, recycling lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing critical battery materials domestically. Redwood’s mission addresses both the environmental impact of battery waste and the strategic need for domestic battery supply chains, making it crucial to the future of electric vehicles and energy storage.
Conclusion
The success of these Tesla alumni demonstrates how the company has served not just as an automotive innovator, but as a training ground for entrepreneurs tackling some of the most pressing challenges in transportation, energy, and sustainability. From next-generation batteries to autonomous driving to circular manufacturing, these unicorns are shaping the future of mobility and clean energy.