#186 Electric Flight, Commercializing Hardware, Sustainable Aviation, Working at NASA, & More w/ Kevin Noertker (Ampaire)

Why don't electric aircraft ever get lost? They always follow the current! ⚡️🌎 Welcome back to CleanTechies! This is a Founder edition. If you’re new (or forgot), we are The #1 Podcast For ClimateTech entrepreneurs. Each week, we publish 2 (usually) ~1 hour-long conversations with leading Founders, Investors, Operators, and Thinkers in ClimateTech to share their insights and tips for others building in the space. On top of that, we publish other written content like our Companies to Watch series we’ve been putting out recently. So—if you’re a ClimateTech Entrepreneur (or at least an aspiring one), this is the place for you. Subscribe today. Today, we are talking to Kevin Noertker from AmpaireLast episode, we chatted about decarbonizing industrial production through the use of green hydrogen. Today, we are taking a trip up to the clouds to discuss how we can decarbonize the skies today. Kevin started his career at NASA and ended up at Northrop Grumman, where he worked on Space and Aircraft technologies before he ended up founding Ampaire. At Ampaire, they are decarbonizing air travel today. They are jetting for a solution that bridges the gap between fully electric and traditional travel and it saves about 50% fuel usage. Today, Kevin takes us through his story and we explore a few topics: * Aerospace Engineer to Ampaire: His story of co-founding Ampaire. * Addressing Existing Stock: Electric aircraft is the future, but their solution helps address the existing stock of aircraft. * Bridging the Infrastructure Gap: How fully electric air travel will require massive infrastructure upgrades, so they are building a solution that will work in between. I know we say this a lot, but it genuinely was inspiring to speak with Kevin, learn from him, and, all the while, see how humble he is despite doing truly incredible things. See you in the cloud(s) ☁️📺 Watch on YouTube | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | 🎧 Spotify | 🗣️ Join the Slack Channel🚨Attention! 🚨 We interrupt your regular programming for an important message.ClimateTech founders are taking on a huge challenge. Building a climate startup is highly complex but also SO NECESSARY if we are going to save the climate. Founders not only you need to understand how to build a startup, but you also need to understand how to deal with hardware, have a strong handle on climate policy, know how to fundraise from diverse investors types, etc. etc. etc…It’s a lot.That’s why we make CleanTechies. The #1 Podcast for ClimateTech Entrepreneurs.In addition to our jobs, we devote ~20 hours a week to producing this podcast for you. This way, you can learn from others who have walked the path you’re on now, learn from their mistakes, and gain insights on navigating this complex world.If this mission resonates with you, we ask for your financial support of this project. It takes a lot of effort, and it’s not free. Your willingness to contribute on a monthly or yearly basis helps us keep this going.If you’re already a subscriber and want to contribute financially, click “Upgrade to Paid” at the top right of your screen.If not, follow the steps once you click “Subscribe Now” below to help us out. Thanks for helping us help all the climate entrepreneurs like you. 🙏 🌎The Guest: Kevin Noertker * Kevin originally grew up in Utah surrounded by nature. * After his university experience he landed a role with NASA. * From there he worked on Space and Aircraft at Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems. * After 7 years of that he Co-Founded Ampaire. Once he got a feel for building new technologies at scale, he had the confidence to start his own company. The Company: AmpaireOne Liner: Designing, Engineering, and Producing Hybrid Aviation Propulsion Systems to Decarbonize Air Travel Today.Founded out of the expeirence Kevin and his co-founders had in aerospace, with the desire to revolutionize air travel. They originally started with the goal of building fully electric aircraft, they eventually shifted to hybrid propulsion systems. This allows them to make an impact on decarbonizing the aviation industry today. Today, they have proved out their tech and are approaching commercial deployment at scale. Do you have suggestions on future guests or topics? Leave a comment!Unable to support financially but still want to help? Share this post w/ 3 ClimateTech entrepreneurs (or aspiring entrepreneurs). Sharing is super helpful to us, and it costs you nothing.📝 Show Notes:Topics* 1:53 Intro and Background* 7:01 The Impact of NASA Experience* 14:20 The Third Revolution in Aviation* 17:09 Economic and Environmental Benefits* 28:19 Commercialization Process and Milestones* 38:39 Design Considerations for Hybrid Systems* 42:21 Infrastructure and Charging* 42:58 Recharging Electric Aircraft in the Air* 43:18 Adapting Infrastructure for Electric Aviation* 44:54 TakeawaysLinks* Kevin Noertker | Ampaire* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.Asks 👋👉 Listeners Survey* We would love to hear how we can improve the show and what you like most.👉 Fundraising for Founders* If founders are looking for funding in the ClimateTech space, reach out & schedule a chat here!👉 Early-Stage Founders Hiring* Silas just started his own recruitment consultancy tailor-made for early-stage ClimateTech startups. He does this by offering heavily discounted headhunting services for companies at Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A companies. If you need a hand finding the best talent on the market, and you don’t want to sell your kidney to pay for it, let’s chat. (booking here)👉 Meet Top Founders* Interested in getting in front of hundreds of ClimateTech VCs and Founders each month, reach out to [email protected] to learn more about becoming a sponsor.If you couldn’t already tell, we care a lot about ClimateTech founders 😂🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see y’all next episode! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe