Ethan Childerhose
| Ethan Childerhose | |
| Occupation | Co-founder and CTO of Steinmetz |
|---|---|
| Known for | Co-founding Steinmetz, a power electronics company for electric vehicles |
- Ethan Childerhose** is a Canadian-born engineer and entrepreneur who is the co-founder and chief technology officer (CTO) of **Steinmetz**, an electric vehicle hardware company based in San Francisco. The company, which participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2025 batch, develops advanced motor controllers and inverters for electric vehicles using novel power electronics techniques.[1]
Career
Childerhose previously worked as an engineer at Tesla, where he gained experience in power electronics and electric vehicle drivetrain systems.[2] He has ties to the University of Waterloo, where news articles from the university's Faculty of Engineering have referenced related entrepreneurial activities.
In 2024, Childerhose co-founded Steinmetz with Owen Brake, who serves as chief executive officer (CEO). The company is named after Charles Proteus Steinmetz, a pioneering electrical engineer known for his contributions to alternating current theory. Steinmetz is headquartered in San Francisco, California.[3]
Steinmetz develops power electronics hardware for electric vehicles, with a focus on improving power density — measured in kilowatts per kilogram (kW/kg) and kilowatts per liter (kW/L) — while remaining cost competitive. The company's primary products are inverters and motor controllers that convert direct current from an EV battery into three-phase alternating current to drive the motor. According to the company, its MC0-250 motor controller achieves a power density of 104 kW/L, compared to 65 kW/L for the Tesla Model 3 inverter.[3]
The company's product line includes controllers designed for different applications, ranging from robotics and automation to high-performance automotive and heavy industrial use. Steinmetz emphasizes open-source firmware and auto-tuning capabilities in its products.
Steinmetz has raised $3.9 million in capital from investors including Y Combinator, Four Cities Capital, and Zeno Ventures. In 2026, the company was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Transportation & Aerospace category.[4]
References
- ↑ "Steinmetz". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "The Hidden Power Behind Electric Vehicles: Meet Steinmetz". 'HireTop}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Steinmetz". 'Steinmetz Motors}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Steinmetz - Forbes Profile". 'Forbes}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.