Motor du Jour

Yet another electric motor startup--this one with Apple ties

Conifer, a recent electric motor startup focusing on compact powertrains, has its initial funding.

Cleverly named after trees, this Sunnyvale, CA outfit claims no dependence on rare-earth materials, something that would be unique, if not singular, in the EV sphere. This, combined with some big-name C-suite members, could very well have cemented its first round of funding.

The company was started by repeat founders and industry veterans from Apple, Lucid and Tesla. Conifer received a $20 million seed round from a host of deep tech investors, including True Ventures, MaC Ventures, MFV Partners, and others, per TechCrunch's Sean O'Kane. It currently has seven investors total, according to its LinkedIn page.

Also of special interest to EA readers: Conifer says it specializes in providing IE5 EC Motors that fit in NEMA frames.

Electric motor startups are all the rage; this is nothing new. With EV adoption being heavily advocated and industrial efficiency highly sought by most businesses, it's no crime that those with experience in tech and engineering circles want to capitalize on the opportunity. Conifer's pitch isn't super original (outside of the rare-earth specs) but it's certainly appealing.

"We are building the future of electric powertrains and motors. No rare-earth dependence, super compact, 10X simpler manufacturing and hardware + software layers under one roof," the company says on its LinkedIn profile. "For small electric mobility, our electric engine will make it spacious, affordable and low risk. For fans, pumps and industrial automation applications, our EC motors will make them efficient and compact."