Startup Founder Feature: Carl Copeland, Founder of Mobius

How will Möbius change the future of aerospace?

Möbius has dedicated itself to moving humanity forward by pioneering the future of electric aviation and mobility. Many Fortune 100 companies have tried in recent years to produce viable electric aircraft, but the available motor technology isn’t capable of delivering the power-to-weight ratios needed to compete with combustion systems. NASA, for example, recently announced they were shutting down their most recent effort in this field. Electric aviation is a very challenging effort, as electric motors haven’t really changed much in the last 100 years. This is where Möbius has taken a very different approach by designing their planes around their own motor solutions.

Möbius is focused on developing a new electric motor technology, designed by it’s founding Team Partner, MuZ Motion, for aviation and mobility applications. This new motor is ultra-light and very powerful. They are typically less than 10% the size and weight of other motors with the same performances. They are also 30~35% more energy efficient than conventional motors. This addresses the power-to-weight challenge by not only delivering an extremely light motor, but also reducing battery requirements.

In addition to the motor’s output, it only needs around 20% of the costly, heavy steel used in conventional motors. This frees them up to use alternative materials that are more efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly. By enabling the use of a diversity of materials, it enables the production of systems that can meet environmental, economic and performance needs.

What type of investors have you attracted so far? 

Möbius is wholly owed by its founder, Carl Copeland. Carl is also the founder of MuZ Motion. One of Möbius’ objectives is to bring awareness to MuZ new motion systems by demonstration in the extreme applications of high-performance racing.

Share how you're getting through the challenge of the pandemic setbacks and taking things to the next level. 

As with most small businesses, the shutdowns, and resulting supply chain issues, have had a profound and lasting impact on Möbius. We lost three years of development and most of their sponsorship commitments. We consider it a victory to have remained in business through these challenges, but are proud to show the world we never quit! We are now preparing for multiple public demonstrations, using various electric race platforms that include air, land and sea competitions.

What hinders startups like yours from growth and success in general? 

The biggest challenge Möbius (and MuZ) has faced is the investment climate. Most investment sources seem only interested in quick-turn “unicorn” investments. While the primary purpose of investing is to increase the value of the investments, there seems to be short-sighted emphasis on what looks like “quick” and “easy” returns. This mentality is what made investment scandals like Theranos and FTX possible. 

In contrast, a more successful, age-old mentality is for long-term investments into lasting, disruptive advancement. It seems that the current investment market doesn’t have the foresight and resolve to make investments into high-tech projects that require effort and perseverance to accomplish. Our predecessors built buildings and infrastructure, by hand, out of stone. Buildings that have stood for hundreds and thousands of years. Now it seems a five year plan is too long-term for most investments.

The future we all dream about requires innovation. Innovation requires research and development. These require a reasonable amount of time and investment. The returns are high, but it’s finding the right investors with the right amount of vision and patience that has been challenging.

Tell us about the literal and figurative race for the future of electric aviation. 

Möbius is a founding team in AirRaceE, a new, all-electric Formula air racing league. It’s team motto is “moving humanity forward.”

Formula air racing is the most extreme spectator sport on the planet. Each heat in the race consists of eight manned aircraft (not drones or RC) starting on a runway. They all take off together and complete 8 laps around a 3 mile loop only 10 meters (~30 ft) off the ground. They fly wingtip-to-wingtip at speeds up to 250 mph. It’s basically NASCAR in the air.

Most don’t realize that the majority of advancements in the auto industry were developed and perfected in the auto racing industry. Competition drives innovation. Competitors aren’t motivated by “market forces”. They are driven by winning, and by having the competitive edges that secure that victory. They are willing to make big investments into development and innovation just to shave a few seconds off their performances. This is the driving force that racing brings to innovation and new technologies.

This is the objective of Möbius and AirRaceE, driving the future of electric aviation through spirited competition and collaboration. The entertainment value of this race brings the community into this development and technology race. It’s a win for technology, a win for aviation, and a win for humanity.

I know you mentioned Martin Molin as an inventor who you admire and why. Would like you to mention one or two others and why you admire them as engineers and/or founders? 

I derive inspiration from a few historical innovators. At the top of the list is Isaac Newton. He was driven not by recognition, acclaim or wealth, but simply a desire for understanding of the elements and forces that comprise the physical world. His work was relentless and focused on a mastery of the physical properties and invisible forces that form the world we take for granted.

Second would be George Washington Carver. Born a slave, he had little hope of the opportunities every American is born with. He didn’t let anything hold him down. He studied, learned, worked and persevered through a world few modern Americans could survive, yet he created and innovated the very world we now live in. He is the father of polymerization (plastics) and dozens of other innovations that make our lives and technologies possible. Even more impressive, he made several of these innovations out of peanuts, flax, hemp, and other natural, sustainable materials.

Third would be what might seem like a no-brainer, Nikola Tesla, but probably not for the reasons one usually expects. Tesla was motivated, not by wealth, but by advancing humanity. At one point he forfeit millions of dollars owed to him in order to ensure his technologies became available to all the world. While we may not yet have seen this vision completed to his ambition, he is responsible for the greatest age of advancement in human history.

All of these innovators dedicated their lives to bringing lasting, positive change to the world. Their efforts are a daily inspiration.

What's in the next stage for Möbius? 

Möbius is currently working to complete the 3D printed power plant for their race plane, the Voltaire. We expect to have the motor in the plane by years-end, and into other race platforms early next year. Once the plane is ready for flights, we will begin to perform a series of public record-setting and record-breaking attempts.

Möbius has been invited to participate in several other air races, as well as land racing events.

What do you think the potential opportunities for startups like yours in Texas? Why Texas over other states if you were building elsewhere? 

Texas has a rich heritage of innovation and technical advancements. It was Texas Instruments that invented microchips and the integrated circuit, and thus, the computerized age. Texans pioneered the energy sector and the technologies needed to extract and refine petroleum. Texans invented the heart stent, early laptops/cell phones, laser sintering 3D printers, the ATM and liquid paper.

The real reason why Texas is the right place for startups and innovation is due to the fiercely independent mindset and stubborn resolve Texans are famous for. Perseverance and tenacity are the most important traits an entrepreneur or innovator should have. Most startups fail. If you have any quit in you, a startup will pull it out of you. Great ideas are, well, great, but they don’t get you through failures, long nights and heartbreaks that are a regular part of the process. Resolve and ruggedness is what pioneered Texas, and is what also pioneers success over failure.

Texans inherently understand this, respect it, and are usually excited to put their shoulder into effort, lending a hand to what others might deem a hopeless effort. This makes Texas an ideal place for the stout of heart, strong of mind, and fearless entrepreneur.

What is a key reason why Möbius has progressed, and why will Möbius be successful?

Tenacity and resolve are the primary reasons for Möbius progress, and strong community of family and friends are equally responsible. Vision is very important. Assembling a like-minded team and having a vision that exceeds personal ambitions is also key.

While Möbius boasts a superior technology, it’s the people that make the team, and the people that will make the efforts a success. Innovations are built on foundations of failure. The team, that’s what keeps a project alive through these failures.

What are you looking forward to about the Texas Venture Crawl?

First and foremost, I’m a Texan. Anything that promotes Texas and his fellow Texans is a win to him. There are some sad statistics that indicate that more than 80% of investments made by Texans go to companies outside Texas, and that more than 80% of Texas that raise capital have to go outside of Texas to get it. We need to foster an environment where Texans are investing in Texans, building our state and committees.

Team Möbius is very excited to meet friends, fans and community, and to support our Texas ecosystem at the same time. It’s an opportunity to serve Texas by bringing Texans together in hopes of uniting investments and entrepreneurs in the effort of growing and improving our communities, state and nation.