In the world of deep tech, there is "hard," and then there is "hybrid-electric aviation hard."

In a recent Founder Spotlight Session, Audun Abelsnes, Managing Director at Techstars, sat down with Kevin Noertker, co-founder and CEO of Ampaire (Techstars 2018), to discuss the decade-long journey of building a category-defining aerospace company. From his roots at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to flying record-breaking hybrid flights, Kevin shared the "secret sauce" behind Ampaire’s success and his philosophy on scaling a hardware giant.

The Vision: Why Hybrid-Electric?

When Ampaire was founded in 2016, the initial vision was as audacious as it gets: fully electric, supersonic, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) jets. However, Kevin quickly realized that the path to a sustainable future required a pragmatic bridge.

Instead of building entirely new airframes, a process that often erodes shareholder value through endless redesigns, Ampaire focused on the propulsion systems.

"The secret sauce for scale is about focusing the energy and the propulsion, not trying to do everything, but to instead upgrade the existing fleet... that is the nexus for what I see as the future of all, electrified aviation."

By upgrading existing planes with hybrid engines, Ampaire achieves 50% fuel savings while remaining "energy infrastructure independent," meaning they can fly into any airport today without waiting for a charging grid that doesn't yet exist.

Navigating the Investor Gauntlet

Raising $55M ($30M in equity and $25M in non-dilutive grants) in a difficult category like aviation is no small feat.

Kevin categorizes his investor journey into three distinct human archetypes:

1. The Believers in the Individual: Early friends and family who invest in the founder's tenacity before there is a single milestone.

2. The Vision Underwriters: Seed and Series A investors who buy into the massive market potential and early signals of execution.

3. The Financial Realists: Investors who care about margins, growth rates, and exit opportunities.

Kevin’s advice to founders is rooted in empathy: "Remember, like, investors are humans... If you can really understand how their world works... you will have a better shot at communicating appropriately with them."

The Power of Authentic Storytelling

As an engineer by trade, Kevin treats storytelling as a vital social connector, but one that must be anchored in truth. He emphasizes that a story isn't static; it must evolve based on the "lens" of the listener.

"When I go to Alaska, those operators care about the reliability and the economics of those planes... They don’t care generally about sustainability... But I’ve been in rooms there when I just say, 'Hey, you want to save 50% on your fuel and be safer?' and then they receive."

For Kevin, storytelling isn't about "flip-flopping," it’s about resource management — ensuring the most critical information for that specific stakeholder is front and center.

Building Trust with Giants

Selling to massive organizations like FedEx or UPS requires a marathon mindset. Kevin notes that consistency is the greatest driver of trust.

"Consistency drives trust more than almost anything else... You build that track record... I’m still trying to sell to that airline eight years later, after that first call... Now I can send the CEO an email and he’ll connect me to whomever is the right person."

Beyond consistency, he highlights the importance of Enterprise Sales mapping: identifying your internal "champions" (the enthusiasts) while understanding who might view your technology as a threat to their career or current goals.

Closing Thoughts: The "Sparkle" Factor

As Ampaire continues to scale, Kevin’s focus remains on building a team of dreamers who are pragmatic in their execution. When looking for partners or investors, he looks for one specific trait:

"Does their eyes sparkle when they look at the company, or are they looking at their phone ready to move on? ... The folks who are going to be your best allies are the ones that when they look at this, they’re like, 'This makes so much sense.'"

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