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10 Tesla alumni who founded companies

Each of these Tesla alumni who founded companies worked at Tesla, in roles from software engineer to senior vice president, before starting the company they run now. A reader can learn how people who worked at Tesla went on to build companies, from the founders themselves.

10 professionals10 companiesData retrieved October 25, 2026

Professionals to explore

  1. AD Veluri

    Experience: Co-Founder and CEO · exlens

    AD Veluri was Director, Factory Software at Tesla from 2022 to 2024, and has been Co-Founder and CEO of exlens since 2025.

    This is me

  2. Austin Oehlerking

    Experience: Founder & CEO · Boxbot

    Austin Oehlerking was Senior Software Engineer, Team Lead at Tesla from 2011 to 2014, and has been Founder & CEO of Boxbot since 2017.

    This is me

  3. Drew Baglino

    Experience: Founder and CEO · Heron Power

    Drew Baglino was SVP, Powertrain and Energy at Tesla from 2019 to 2024, and has been Founder and CEO of Heron Power since 2024.

    This is me

  4. Dustin Grace

    Experience: Co-founder & CEO · Estes Energy

    Dustin Grace was Sr. Engineering Manager, Battery Engineering at Tesla from 2014 to 2015, and has been Co-founder & CEO of Estes Energy since 2024.

    This is me

  5. Eric Moch

    Experience: Cofounder and CEO · Glimpse

    Eric Moch was Staff Engineering Program Manager, Cell Engineering at Tesla from 2021 to 2023, and has been Cofounder and CEO of Glimpse since 2023.

    This is me

  6. Jay Vijayan

    Experience: Founder and CEO · Tekion Corp

    Jay Vijayan was Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Tesla from 2012 to 2016, and has been Founder and CEO of Tekion Corp since 2016.

    This is me

  7. Mateo Jaramillo

    Experience: CEO/co-founder · Form Energy

    Mateo Jaramillo was VP Products & Programs, Tesla Energy at Tesla from 2015 to 2016, and has been CEO/co-founder of Form Energy since 2018. The profile describes Form Energy's work as multi-day energy storage technology.

    This is me

  8. Tejas Bhakta

    Experience: Founder & CEO · Morph

    Tejas Bhakta was Machine Learning Engineer at Tesla from 2020 to 2023, and has been Founder & CEO of Morph since 2025.

    This is me

  9. Toby Corey

    Experience: Founder & CEO · BrandCapsule

    Toby Corey was President, Global Sales & Customer Experience Energy Group at Tesla from 2016 to 2017, and has been Founder & CEO of BrandCapsule since 2025.

    This is me

  10. Turner Caldwell

    Experience: Co-Founder and CEO · Mariana Minerals

    Turner Caldwell was Sr Manager, Battery Minerals & Metals at Tesla from 2022 to 2024, and has been Co-Founder and CEO of Mariana Minerals since 2024.

    This is me

Choose the right perspective

Match the person's role at Tesla, such as engineering, product, sales or IT, to the part of the path from employee to founder you want to understand. Check when each company was started to judge how recent the person's experience of the early stage is.

Questions to take into the conversation

  1. 01What from your work at Tesla turned out to be most useful when you started your own company?
  2. 02How did you decide what problem your company would work on?
  3. 03What did you have to learn quickly that your Tesla role had not prepared you for?

Reaching Tesla alumni who founded companies

How can I contact one of these Tesla alumni who founded companies?

Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 10 companies, including exlens, Boxbot and Heron Power, based on profile data retrieved on October 25, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.

How much does it cost to reach Tesla alumni who founded companies?

You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.

What if they don't reply?

You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.

Can an AI agent ask one of these Tesla alumni who founded companies a question?

Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs

About this directory

This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.

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