Conifer, a new electric motor startup founded by engineers from Lucid Motors and Apple’s EV project, has raised $20 million in seed funding to bring its innovative hub motor technology to market.
The round included backing from top deep tech investors like True Ventures, MaC Ventures, MFV Partners, and others. True Ventures’ Rohit Sharma has also joined the company’s board.
A Simpler, Smarter Motor
Conifer’s electric hub motor stands out by eliminating rare earth materials, using more abundant ferrite magnets instead. This not only lowers costs but also minimizes supply chain risks, especially relevant in today’s climate of global trade tensions.
Its custom-built stator design boosts efficiency and power output while being half the size of comparable models. The result is a compact, high-performance motor suitable for everything from electric bikes and scooters to off-road vehicles and compact EVs.
“There’s been massive innovation in battery tech, but electric motors have been largely ignored,” said co-founder Ankit Somani. “We saw an opportunity to rethink the powertrain from the ground up.”by enabling high-speed, high-agility movement and more nuanced, intelligent interaction with the physical world.
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Plug-and-Play Performance
Conifer’s motor is designed as a “drop-in” replacement, meaning it can directly replace existing hub motors without requiring significant redesign—making adoption much easier for OEMs and manufacturers.
The company is already working with global customers and expects to start shipping production units later this year. Interest has also come from lawn equipment makers, tractors, and even HVAC system manufacturers.
A Practical Approach to Manufacturing
To streamline production and scale efficiently, Conifer is building a highly automated microfactory model, similar to the one previously pitched by defunct startup Arrival—but with a more pragmatic rollout strategy.
“We’re not trying to automate everything from day one,” Somani said. “We’ll start with key components like the stator, then expand. Our motors are far less complex than full vehicles, which helps mitigate risk.”
The plan is to establish localized manufacturing hubs, starting in one country before expanding based on regional demand.
Simplicity as a Sales Strategy
Rather than lead with technical specs and complexity, Conifer’s pitch to customers focuses on real-world benefits:
“Replace your current hub motor with ours and instantly get 10% more range. That’s it. The rest of the conversation—cost, supply chain, customization—comes after,” said Somani.
With fresh funding, a solid engineering pedigree, and a product addressing a growing gap in EV tech, Conifer is positioning itself as a major disruptor in electric mobility.
