Steinmetz blog · Apr 2026
A company-authored technical post explaining the inverter architecture and Steinmetz's technical approach to EV motor control.
Hardware for Electric Vehicles.
Company research
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Updated Jul 29, 2026
Overview
Steinmetz is a San Francisco-based hardware startup that designs and manufactures high-voltage EV power electronics—especially 800V/1000V motor controllers and traction inverters—for EV, robotics, aerospace, marine, and industrial electrification. It is an engineering-first, quote-driven B2B company focused on direct OEM/integrator sales, open-source firmware, and American manufacturing. Public funding figures conflict across sources: the clearest documented early round is a $500k seed, while Forbes later reported $3.9M from additional backers. No public GitHub or X account was identified.
Primary product
High-voltage EV motor controllers / traction inverters (0-Series: MC0-10, MC0-250, MC0-500)
Founded
2024
Headquarters
2575 3rd St, Suite 304, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States
Team size
1-10
Industry
Computers and Electronics Manufacturing
Sub-industry
EV power electronics / motor controller manufacturer
Offices
2575 3rd St, Suite 304, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States
Business model
B2B manufacturing
quote-based direct sales
custom engineering / OEM integration
Funding
Stage
seed
Total raised
$500K
Latest round
Seed · Mar 2025
Latest amount
$500K
Mar 2025 · Y Combinator
People & investors
Work & culture
Small, hardware-heavy, engineering-first culture centered on performance, iteration, manufacturing discipline, and direct technical support; the company emphasizes open-source firmware, domestic manufacturing, and measurable power-density gains.
Compensation
YC hiring signals showed San Francisco roles around $100k-$175k for engineering positions; no broader compensation policy was publicly stated.
Product & market
Pricing
Quote-based B2B pricing, with configuration and custom-engineering quotes tied to application envelope and production volume.
Differentiators
- —3x greater power density than stated state of the art
- —99%+ efficiency
- —open-source firmware
- —one-click auto-tuning
- —IP67-rated controllers
- —direct engineering-support path
- —American-made manufacturing
- —broad vehicle/integrator applicability
Technology
1000V-class traction inverter architecture
800V/1000V power electronics
CAN bus / CAN-J1939
Automotive Ethernet
LIN
open-source firmware
one-click auto-tuning
EEPROM configuration
state-machine firmware
multi-sensor support
IP67 environmental protection
liquid cooling
air cooling
low-EMI design
Customers
EV OEMs
vehicle/integrator programs
robotics companies
aerospace / eVTOL programs
marine propulsion programs
industrial automation and electrification teams
Competitors
BorgWarner
Vitesco Technologies
Wolfspeed
STMicroelectronics
Zhenqu Technology
Shanghai Dajun Power Control Technology
Guangzhou Daxiang Technology Development
Scale & contact
Estimated revenue
Approximately $250k-$500k (third-party estimates vary)
Estimated monthly visits
2K
Traffic estimate as of Jun 2026
Latest news
Fondo · Feb 2026
Launch coverage highlighted Steinmetz's mission, the founders' Tesla background, and its claim of 3x higher power density versus existing solutions.
Forbes · Jan 2026
Forbes profiled Steinmetz, naming Owen Brake and Ethan Childerhose as cofounders and reporting $3.9M in capital from Y Combinator, Four Cities Capital, and Zeno Ventures.
Startup Intros · Mar 2025
Startup Intros reported Steinmetz's $500k seed round in March 2025.
Y Combinator · Feb 2025
YC launch page described Steinmetz as building high-density EV motor controllers and inverters with 3x greater density than state of the art.
Jobs and careers at Steinmetz
0 jobs at Steinmetz
No open positions
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