Que: What core problem is Conifer solving, and what sets your technology apart from conventional electric powertrains?

Ans: Our vision is to rapidly accelerate electrification and physical automation, a goal shared by both governments and consumers. From an OEM’s standpoint, we help our customers achieve three key objectives:
• Eliminate dependence on rare-earth materials (used in magnets) without sacrificing performance. In EVs, rare earths are the new oil, and this has to change. We manufacture in-house, enabling a truly indigenous and sustainable supply chain.
• Increase efficiency and thereby extend the range in electric mobility by up to 30 percent.
• Reduce size and weight for industrial automation applications by over 50 percent.

Our technology also offers high modularity using the same commonised building blocks, we can produce multiple SKUs on a single, software-driven manufacturing line. This enables customers to bring new SKUs to production much faster, often by an order of magnitude.

Que: Why is simplifying electric powertrains so critical for global EV adoption, and how do you approach this simplification without sacrificing performance?

Ans: We’ve already captured the early adopters of EVs, customers who are willing to lean forward, pay more, and accept a slightly inferior experience for an electric product. That approach has gotten us to 5 percent-10 percent market penetration, mostly with unprofitable product lines. But to reach 50 percent-75 percent penetration, short of strict government regulations, EVs must become more affordable, reliable, and enjoyable than ICE vehicles.

Powertrains account for 15 percent-30 percent of EV costs, are responsible for up to 40 percent of vehicle energy losses, take up significant space, and typically come with warranties of less than three years, with real-life performance often lower. Additionally, the powertrain supply chain is heavily concentrated around globally constrained rare-earth materials.
These challenges can’t be solved with just one innovation. They require broad-based innovation, rethinking each element; motor, controller, gearbox, and control software, from the ground up.

We believe enduring innovation is simple to build, uses widely available materials, and is easy to integrate, enabling the rapid development of new EV form factors.

Que: How is your architecture helping reduce reliance on rare-earth materials, and what kind of cost or environmental benefits does that bring?

Ans: Our motor architecture is rare-earth agnostic, not magnet-free. Magnet-free designs often compromise on efficiency or power density. Our rare-earth-free motors match or exceed the performance of conventional magnet-based designs.

We use the term “agnostic” because if a stronger and globally accessible magnet material becomes available in the future, our architecture is ready to adapt for even higher power density and efficiency.

Eliminating rare-earth dependence not only eases supply chain constraints but also reduces environmental harm as rare-earth processing produces highly toxic waste, which is why only a few countries are willing to undertake it.

Thanks to our software-driven, no-tool manufacturing line, we can produce a diverse range of SKUs across multiple industries from EV motors to industrial pump motors, using the same commonised parts. This improves ROI, flexibility, and sustainability across applications.

Que: Conifer talks about democratising access to sustainable electric motion. What does that mean in practical terms for industries exploring electrification?

Ans: Conifer’s rare-earth-free motors perform equal to or better than conventional motors with rare-earth magnets.

This means we eliminate rare-earth dependency, not just a supply chain challenge but also an environmental one, due to the toxic waste generated during processing.

Our manufacturing process is almost tool-free and driven by software, enabling us to produce a wide variety of products on a single line. This allows better utilisation of machines and tools, resulting in faster ROI.

The use of commonised building parts allows us to serve multiple industries. For example, we use the same components for EV motors and pump motors, with minimal variation in the manufacturing process. This drastically reduces development time and cost for new products.

Que: Tell us more about your electric hub motor. How does it address the common challenges that OEMs and fleet operators face, particularly in terms of integration and cost?

Ans: Our in-wheel powertrain is a drop-in replacement for hub motors, which are used by over 80 percent of electric two-wheelers. Conventional hub motors suffer from sealing issues, poor lifespan, low drive-cycle efficiency, and heavy reliance on rare-earth materials.

We offer OEMs a rare-earth-free solution that delivers high continuous power, superior torque density, and up to 30 percent more range. For fleet operators, this translates into less downtime and higher utilisation, directly impacting business efficiency.

Another overlooked area is the controller software. OEMs often face poor support for customisations, lack of test and calibration tools, and limited field feedback. Yet the controller defines much of the user experience.

We’re building a feature-rich controller suite that’s easy to customise, includes on-the-spot tuning, and is fully integrated with VCU to consolidate electronics, saving both cost and space.

Que: You recently raised USD 20 million in seed funding. How will this capital be used to scale your production and accelerate the adoption of your tech platform?

Ans: We’ve spent the last few years validating our technology in the field with real customers. The current funding will be used to scale manufacturing and launch our first production line.

We are experiencing tremendous demand for our products, and our primary focus is to ramp up supply to match this growing interest.

Que: Are there any new product developments, partnerships, or global markets you’re targeting in the coming months?

Ans: Yes, we are a global company with customers and prospects around the world. In the West, we see strong interest in power tools, agricultural equipment, and off-road mobility. In Asia, Africa, and LATAM, the focus is more on personal mobility.

We also have a stationary applications product line that includes fans, pumps, and industrial automation systems, with demand coming from several international markets.

Right now, our top priority is to get more products into customers' hands, and do it fast, because demand is very high.