Hyperloop Transportation Technologies

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies

Company type	Private
Industry	Transportation technology
Founded	2013 (2013)
Founder	JumpStarter, Inc.
Headquarters	Venice , United States
Area served	Global
Key people	Andrés de León (CEO)
Products	Commercial Hyperloop transportation systems
Number of employees	50 (full-time staff) (2024)
Website	hyperloop.global

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT) is a U.S.-based research firm employing a crowd collaboration approach—integrating team efforts with crowdsourcing—to create commercial transportation solutions globally inspired by the Hyperloop idea.

The Hyperloop concept gained widespread attention in 2013 through Elon Musk, who is not connected to HyperloopTT. Musk introduced a vision for a rapid intercity transport system operating inside a low-pressure tube, capable of speeds up to and handling around 15 million passengers annually.

In addition to high-speed corridors, HyperloopTT is developing slower urban Hyperloop models aimed at inter-suburban transit, thereby broadening potential market uses beyond just fast intercity travel.

JumpStarter, Inc

JumpStarter, Inc. established the company by utilizing its crowdfunding and collaborative platform JumpStartFund. In 2013, HyperloopTT collaborated with Ansys, GloCal Network, and UCLA’s Architecture & Urban Design program to assist with initial feasibility studies, supply chain coordination, and station architecture.

Early routes

Diverging from the original Hyperloop Alpha proposal centered on the Los Angeles–San Francisco route, HyperloopTT investigated different corridor options. In 2015, it entered into an agreement with GROW Holdings—the developer behind Quay Valley, California—to construct a demonstration track projected to begin in 2016.

That same year, the company formed partnerships with engineering leader AECOM and vacuum systems expert Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum. AECOM was tasked with designing the full-scale prototype track at Quay Valley. Nevertheless, construction did not proceed due to GROW Holdings’ funding shortfall and subsequent suspension of development activities in Quay Valley.

Employee expansion

HyperloopTT employs a distinctive collaboration framework that engages a network of contributors dedicating at least 10 hours weekly in return for future equity stakes, rather than conventional full-time employees. During the initial phase, approximately 100 engineers, mainly based in the United States, contributed their expertise compensated exclusively through stock options. Since then, the company has drawn top-tier engineers and corporate collaborators from around the world.

The contributor base saw rapid growth in 2015, reaching close to 200 by February and nearly 500 by November. As this network broadened, HyperloopTT began appointing full-time executives to oversee contributor activities. Presently, the organization boasts over 800 contributors spanning 40 countries, backed by a workforce of 50 full-time staff members and partnerships with more than 50 corporations.

Initial agreements

In 2016, then-CEO Dirk Ahlborn disclosed an arrangement with Slovakia’s government to carry out feasibility analyses for Hyperloop routes linking Vienna to Bratislava and Bratislava to Budapest. The initiative was projected to cost between $200 million and $300 million, with an annual passenger capacity estimated at 10 million. The plan involved utilizing passive Inductrack levitation technology; however, this agreement lapsed in August 2018 after negotiations failed to progress.

By September 2017, HyperloopTT had entered into a contract with the Indian state government of Andhra Pradesh to develop a Hyperloop system connecting Amaravati and Vijayawada. This project was structured in two stages: an initial six-month feasibility study followed by construction phases.

In July 2018, HyperloopTT established a joint venture with Guizhou province’s government in China to construct a 10-kilometer Hyperloop track in Tongren city, signifying a major step into the Chinese market.

Capital raising

By 2016, HyperloopTT had secured $31.8 million in cash funding alongside $77 million worth of man-hours, services, land rights, and anticipated in-kind investments. According to a Forbes article from 2020, total cash investments since inception amounted to $50 million, contrasted with Virgin Hyperloop’s $350 million. In a shareholder communication dated 2024, CEO Andrés de León disclosed financial challenges faced by the company, including several months of unpaid employee wages.

Headquarters relocation to Venice

In early 2024, HyperloopTT announced plans to transfer its headquarters from Toulouse to new offices situated near Venice within the first half of the year.

Existing prototypes

HyperloopTT is currently engaged in developing or operating four prototype systems.

Toulouse

Between 2017 and 2023, HyperloopTT maintained an R&D facility at Francazal Airport under an agreement with Toulouse city authorities, capitalizing on its position within Europe’s renowned "Aerospace Valley." Construction commenced in April 2018 on a 320-meter-long test track featuring a diameter of 4 meters—the only full-scale hyperloop test track worldwide at that time. Activity at this location ceased by 2022. In November 2023, due to inactivity, HyperloopTT was evicted from the site and the test track was dismantled shortly thereafter.

Abu Dhabi

In November 2016, HyperloopTT entered into an agreement with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipal Affairs and Transportation to perform a feasibility study for a hyperloop link between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The following year saw collaboration with the Office of His Highness Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan aimed at expediting development aligned with Abu Dhabi’s Vision 2030. The feasibility study conducted in 2018 confirmed the system’s viability and cost advantages over high-speed rail alternatives, projecting travel times between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain ranging from 10 to 20 minutes.

Later in 2018, HyperloopTT partnered with Aldar Properties to develop the initial 10-kilometer segment connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Although originally targeted for completion by 2023, this project remains underway as of 2024 due to delays largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Great Lakes

In February 2018, HyperloopTT unveiled a collaborative initiative involving the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) and the Illinois Department of Transportation to establish the first interstate hyperloop system in the United States within the Great Lakes megaregion. The initial plan centered on linking Cleveland and Chicago but expanded in 2019 to incorporate Pittsburgh, with the objective of developing a nationwide network connecting the Midwest to the East Coast via Pittsburgh.

The audio branding firm DFAD was responsible for creating the sound identity and acoustic environment for HyperloopTT’s capsules and stations. Their work included designing auditory elements for passenger comfort, infotainment interfaces, safety warnings, and operational notifications, all tailored for optimal functional performance.

The Great Lakes initiative generated the most extensive hyperloop feasibility analysis globally, concluding that the system would deliver significant benefits to communities along its travel routes while representing a sound commercial opportunity. The study projected development expenses around $40 billion and anticipated revenues of $30 billion over the first 25 years. Additionally, it predicted an increase of 931,745 jobs, a $74.8 billion boost in property values, and an expanded tax base yielding $12.7 billion in government income between 2025 and 2050.

Powered entirely by renewable energy and producing zero emissions, this hyperloop system is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 143 million tons by replacing conventional air, automobile, and rail transport along its corridor.

As of 2023, Rob Miller, Chief Marketing Officer at HyperloopTT, confirmed that the Cleveland segment remains scheduled for completion before 2030.

Hamburg

In 2018, HyperloopTT entered into a joint venture with Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft (HHLA), the primary container terminal operator at Hamburg’s port. This collaboration focuses on constructing a 100-meter test track for the cargo hyperloop system as a preliminary step toward connecting the port with an inland container yard to alleviate congestion issues. In 2019, HyperloopTT also partnered with Gaussin Group, a French company specializing in autonomous vehicles, to develop electric self-driving AIVs tailored for cost-effective container transport and transfer within the fully automated Hyperloop Cargo System.

Venice

Hyperloop Italia, a subsidiary of HyperloopTT, leads the Hyper Builders consortium alongside Italian engineering companies Webuild, Leonardo, and RINA. In May 2023, this consortium secured a multi-phase contract to develop a hyperloop connection between Venice and Padua. The first stage involves conducting a feasibility study for a 10-kilometer prototype route between Venice-Mestre and Padua. Should this phase prove successful, HyperloopTT aims to deploy a fully functional system by 2030; however, progression beyond the feasibility study remains uncertain.

See also

• List of crowdsourcing projects