Hinetics
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Clean technology, Electric motors, Generators |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder | Kiruba Haran (spin-off from Haran Research Group) |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Electrified aviation, Offshore wind turbine industries |
| Products | Permanent magnet electric machines, Superconducting electric machines |
Hinetics is an innovative clean technology company focused on creating high specific power and highly efficient electric motors and generators tailored for the electrified aviation and offshore wind turbine industries. Their offerings encompass both permanent magnet electric machines and superconducting electric machines at lower TRL stages. Established in 2017 as a spin-off from the Haran Research Group at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, under the guidance of Professor Kiruba Haran, Hinetics brings to market a slotless motor design originally developed through a NASA NRA grant.
The company’s primary financial support comes from SBIR/STTR awards provided by NASA, the United States Air Force's AFWERX, and the NSF, accumulating over $3 million through various Phase I to III grants. In August 2022, Hinetics secured ARPA-E's largest contract from the OPEN 2021 program—a $5.7 million award—to engineer a 10 MW superconducting electric motor intended for electric aircraft propulsion systems.
In May 2025, Hinetics unveiled the first-ever fully integrated, cryogen-free superconducting electric machine globally. This sub-scale prototype, dubbed "Baby Yoda," consisted of an industrial motor adapted with a superconducting rotor that utilized only electrical connections. By removing components such as rotary transfer couplings, auxiliary cryogenic equipment, rotating seals, vacuum ports, and other balance of plant elements, this breakthrough marks a significant step forward in making superconducting technology commercially practical.