Early Life
JoeBen Bevirt was born in the early 1970s and raised in the Last Chance community in Santa Cruz County, California. His upbringing in an off-the-grid community instilled a passion for engineering and sustainability, which later influenced his focus on electric propulsion. His name was inspired by the character JoeBen in the novel "Sometimes a Great Notion" by Ken Kesey, a family friend.
Rise to Success
Bevirt's career began in 1999 when he co-founded Velocity11, which developed robotic laboratory systems. The company was later acquired by Agilent Technologies in 2007. In 2005, he founded Joby Inc., creating consumer products like the Gorillapod flexible camera tripod. However, his most significant venture, Joby Aviation, was founded in 2009. This company focuses on developing eVTOL aircraft, aiming to create a sustainable air taxi service.
Key Business Strategies
Joby Aviation's success is rooted in several key strategies. Bevirt secured substantial investments from Toyota Motor, which has invested roughly $894 million in the company and other key pre-public listing backers including Paul Sciarra and Jeff Skoll's Capricorn Investment Group. Joby Aviation went public via a SPAC merger in 2021. The company focuses on achieving FAA certification, with commercial operations targeted for 2025. Strategic partnerships, such as the co-owned operation in Japan with ANA, and the distribution agreement with Abdul Latif Jameel in Saudi Arabia for aircraft sales, accelerate revenue growth.
Philanthropy
While specific philanthropy amounts are unavailable, Bevirt's commitment to sustainability extends beyond his business ventures, as evidenced by his testimony before Congress on environmental challenges. He is passionate about sustainable aviation and electric propulsion.