Valley of Depth

Redefining Air Mobility, with Marc Allen (CEO of Electra)


Listen Later

This week on Valley of Depth, we’re joined by Marc Allen, CEO of Electra and former Chief Strategy Officer at Boeing. After nearly two decades at one of aerospace’s most iconic companies, Marc stepped away—and then doubled down—on aviation with a bold bet: a hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off in 150 feet, carries 1,000 pounds, and can land almost anywhere.

 

In this episode, Marc breaks down why the future of flight is short-runway, low-noise, and mission-flexible—and how Electra’s EL-9 is carving out a new category of aircraft entirely. We also get into:

  • Why hybrid-electric beats all-electric
  • How Electra won over DOD and NASA
  • The military’s growing demand for quiet, flexible airlift
  • Why rotorcraft are ripe for disruption
  • The company’s $13B+ order book
  • And how Marc thinks about scaling from Boeing to startup

 

• Chapters •

0:00 - Episode Introduction

0:58 - Marc's Transition: Boeing to Electra

3:13 - Electric Propulsion Breakthrough Moment

4:29 - Electra's Core Technology

5:17 - Importance of Electric Aircraft

6:52 - EL9 vs Helicopter Comparison

7:30 - Safety Features

10:06 - Automation Capabilities

10:54 - Charging Infrastructure

11:18 - Technology Maturity Level

12:41 - EL9 Market Potential

15:57 - Current Demand & Use Cases

18:17 - Operator Economics

20:20 - Air Force Partnership

21:16 - Defense Applications

23:43 - Autonomous Potential

24:41 - Future Aircraft Versions

26:08 - NASA's Interest

26:47 - Civil vs Defense Models

27:21 - Manufacturing Process

29:15 - Certification Timeline

31:32 - Key Challenges

34:24 - Fundraising Status

36:32 - Commercialization Costs

38:00 - Upcoming Milestones

38:24 - Team Size

39:03 - Scaling From Large to Small Company

41:15 - OEM Strategy

41:50 - 10-Year Vision

42:44 - Marc's Personal Interests

43:40 - Pilot Training Requirements

 

• Show notes •

Electra’s socials — https://x.com/ElectraAero

Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam

Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace

Ignition’s socials — https://twitter.com/ignitionnuclear /  

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignition-nuclear/

Tectonic’s socials  — https://twitter.com/tectonicdefense / https://www.linkedin.com/company/tectonicdefense/

Valley of Depth archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/

 

• About us •

Valley of Depth is a podcast about the technologies that matter — and the people building them. Brought to you by Arkaea Media, the team behind Payload (space), Ignition (nuclear energy), and Tectonic (defense tech), this show goes beyond headlines and hype. We talk to founders, investors, government officials, and military leaders shaping the future of national security and deep tech. From breakthrough science to strategic policy, we dive into the high-stakes decisions behind the world’s hardest technologies.

  •  Payload: www.payloadspace.com
  • Ignition: www.ignition-news.com
  • Tectonic: www.tectonicdefense.com
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Valley of DepthBy Payload | Ignition | Tectonic

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

55 ratings


More shows like Valley of Depth

View all
Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science by The Planetary Society

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

1,343 Listeners

CNBC's "Fast Money" by CNBC

CNBC's "Fast Money"

1,369 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,965 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,076 Listeners

War on the Rocks by Ryan Evans

War on the Rocks

1,064 Listeners

Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

Decoder with Nilay Patel

3,139 Listeners

Main Engine Cut Off by Anthony Colangelo

Main Engine Cut Off

282 Listeners

Houston We Have a Podcast by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Houston We Have a Podcast

1,228 Listeners

Off-Nominal by Jake Robins, Anthony Colangelo

Off-Nominal

83 Listeners

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

8,912 Listeners

Decouple by Dr. Chris Keefer

Decouple

141 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,311 Listeners

Manifest Space with Morgan Brennan by CNBC

Manifest Space with Morgan Brennan

33 Listeners

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley by BG2Pod

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley

450 Listeners

Spacewalk with Everyday Astronaut by Tim Dodd

Spacewalk with Everyday Astronaut

124 Listeners