Brad Hunstable, and his father Fred, began Linear Labs in a garage in the Fort Worth area with the intent of changing the world – and it seems they are on their way to at the least, leaving their mark.
Inspired by the windmills doting the landscape that lies to the west of their home, the father-son duo founded the company in 2014, after developing an electric motor that could provide efficient water and electricity to rural Africa and South America. And after their discovery they have brought the company to their 11,000 square-foot space in Fort Worth to bring electric motors to nearly every sector of the marketplace in which they're used.
“Fifty percent of the world’s electricity passes through some kind of electric motor,” Brad Hunstable, Linear Labs founder and CEO said. “So, if we can make improvements in efficiency, if we can make improvements in how they operate, and the systems around them, you could have a massive impact not just economically… but you could also have a huge impact on global energy integration.”
The most recent iteration of the company’s patented Hunstable Electric Turbine (HET) technology, launched at the beginning of the week, is a motor designed for the micro-mobility space – think e-scooters.
Linear Labs actually has 65 patents issued or pending. Using its technology, which Hunstable said is defined by high torque output at low RPMs and no need for a gearbox, the micro-mobility version of the motor can propel things like the e-scooters weaving between traffic on the streets at ranges 50-100 percent farther than others on the market.
He describes traditional motors like someone driving a car, pedal to the floor always, and using only the brake to control the speed. Linear Lab’s motor produces more force and efficiency due to a high magnetic flux density.
“I love the micro mobility space I actually think it’s an important part of the future of mobility,” Hunstable said. “What we’re entering now is sort of this next wave of electrification, and primarily it’s things like mobility that’s driving it.”
"We believe we're a part of a movement of smarter energy utilization."
Fresh off a March seed round, led by Science Inc. and Kindred Venture, in which the company raised $4.5 million, the company is rapidly expanding. The company currently has 25 full-time and about 5 part-time employees, but Hunstable expects to double that amount next year. In addition, he said the company is expecting to see its HET tech integrated into vehicles by then as well. Eventually, he said you could likely expect to see the tech in 18-wheelers also.
“We believe we're a part of a movement of smarter energy utilization,” Hunstable said. “We will do it one day, but I think I can have a much bigger impact if I can put these motors in all applications. If we could save literally trillions of dollars every year… we could become the next great electric technology company.”
Hunstable said the next market the company is looking to expand to is residential AC. While something some North Texans take for granted, millions of people across the world are entering the middle-class in southern regions of the world, and Hunstable said one of the first things many purchase is air conditioning. He said this could have unintended impacts – a massive drain on the electric grid due to the inefficiency of current electric motor technology.
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Part of the decision is that it’s a massive and continuously expanding market; part is due to the increase strain on electric grids, even as governments are making stricter efficiency standards on AC products. This allows Linear Labs to step in, which also leads to less of an environmental impact, Hunstable said.
“It’s just presented incredible opportunities for companies like mine,” he said. “I believe in electricity and cleaner mobility.”
