JB Straubel

JB Straubel
Name	JB Straubel
Birth date	1981
Birth place	Des Moines, Iowa
Occupation	Engineer, entrepreneur, investor
Known for	Co‑founder and former Chief Technical Officer of Tesla, Inc.; founder of Redwood Materials
Alma mater	Stanford University

JB Straubel is an American engineer and entrepreneur known for co‑founding Tesla, Inc. and for advancing lithium‑ion battery technology, battery recycling, and energy storage systems. He served as Chief Technical Officer at Tesla, Inc. and later founded Redwood Materials, a company focused on battery materials recovery and supply chain resilience. Straubel has been involved with multiple startups, research initiatives, and investment firms across the Silicon Valley and clean energy ecosystems.

Early life and education

Straubel was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and attended high school in Iowa before enrolling at Stanford University, where he studied energy systems and mechanical engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (Stanford University). At Stanford he worked with faculty and laboratories engaged in lithium‑ion research, collaborating with researchers linked to SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. During his education he interacted with peers and mentors from institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, California Institute of Technology, Princeton University, and Carnegie Mellon University through conferences and research exchanges.

Career

Straubel began his career in energy and automotive engineering with roles at startups and research groups connected to the Bay Area technology ecosystem, contributing to projects that intersected with organizations like NASA, DARPA, Department of Energy (United States), National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and corporate R&D centers of General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Toyota. He co‑founded a venture that worked on electric vehicle powertrains and later joined a team that became central to the founding of Tesla, Inc.. Straubel helped scale engineering teams that collaborated with suppliers including Panasonic Corporation, Samsung SDI, LG Chem, Bosch, and Continental AG while engaging with standards bodies and industry consortia such as Society of Automotive Engineers, International Electrotechnical Commission, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and California Air Resources Board.

Tesla Motors and battery technology

As Chief Technical Officer at Tesla, Inc., Straubel oversaw battery pack design, thermal management, power electronics, and vehicle integration during development cycles for the Tesla Roadster (2008), Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, Tesla Model 3, and Tesla Model Y. He directed work on cell chemistry, module architecture, and manufacturing processes partnering with firms like Panasonic Corporation, Gigafactory Nevada, Panasonic Energy, SK Innovation, CATL, and suppliers across Asia. Straubel contributed to vehicle programs that interfaced with infrastructure efforts including Supercharger network, Energy Storage (Tesla), Powerwall, and Powerpack. He engaged with regulatory and standards environments involving National Transportation Safety Board, Environmental Protection Agency, and international automotive type approval authorities. Straubel also participated in academic collaborations with Stanford University, University of Michigan, MIT Energy Initiative, Berkeley Energy and Climate Institute, and research centers focused on electrochemistry and materials science.

Redwood Materials and recycling initiatives

After departing Tesla, Inc., Straubel founded Redwood Materials to address battery lifecycle issues, material recovery, and domestic supply chain concentration for lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite. Redwood formed partnerships and pilot programs with companies such as Amazon (company), Ford Motor Company, Toyota Motor Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, and recycling firms across Nevada and the United States. The company collaborates with laboratories including Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and university programs at Stanford University and UC Berkeley to scale hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes and to supply precursor materials to cathode makers like Sumitomo Metal Mining, Nissan Motor Company, and Johnson Matthey. Redwood’s strategy interacts with policy frameworks and incentives in jurisdictions such as California, the European Union, and federal initiatives tied to the Inflation Reduction Act and critical minerals strategies. The venture has engaged investors and partners including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Baillie Gifford, Sequoia Capital, Handel, and strategic corporate partners in battery manufacturing.

Other ventures and investments

Straubel is an active investor and advisor to startups across cleantech, aerospace, and advanced materials. His portfolio and advisory roles link him to companies and institutions including QuantumScape, Sila Nanotechnologies, SolidEnergy Systems, Rivian Automotive, Lucid Motors, ChargePoint, Proterra, Nikola Corporation, ZeroAvia, Joby Aviation, Lilium, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Planet Labs, Nuro, Cruise (company), and venture funds such as Khosla Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, and Kleiner Perkins. He has lectured and participated in panels with organizations like World Economic Forum, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Cleantech Group, ARPA‑E, IEEE, and academic symposia at Harvard University and Yale University.

Personal life and recognition

Straubel has been recognized by industry awards and publications, appearing in lists compiled by Forbes, Time (magazine), Bloomberg, and Wired (magazine), and receiving honors from groups including Automotive News, Fast Company, and CleanTechnica. He has served on advisory boards and councils associated with Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and nonprofit organizations focused on sustainable transportation and materials such as RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute), The Sierra Club, and Natural Resources Defense Council. Straubel resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and maintains involvement with philanthropic and educational initiatives connected to technology entrepreneurship and materials research.

Category:American engineers Category:Entrepreneurs from California