Donut Lab
Donut Lab is a Finnish EV technology platform company (founded 2024, spun out of Verge Motorcycles) that supplies OEMs across automotive, aviation, marine, defense, and robotics with in-wheel electric motors, an all-solid-state battery, an AI-ready control unit, and DonutOS software as an integrated stack.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersHelsinki, Finland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Donut Lab does
Donut Lab is a Finnish EV technology platform company founded in 2024 as a spin-off of Verge Motorcycles, headquartered in Helsinki/Espoo with a legal entity (Donut Lab OÜ) registered in Tallinn, Estonia. The company develops an integrated hardware-and-software platform for electric vehicles, comprising four core product lines: in-wheel electric motors (the Donut Motor, offered in 5", 12", 17", and 21" variants with outputs up to 630 kW and 4,300 Nm), an all-solid-state battery (the Donut Battery, claimed at 400 Wh/kg with 5-minute full charging and 100,000-cycle life), an AI-ready vehicle compute unit (Donut Control) integrating IMU, GPS, camera, and radar sensors, and a Digital Twin 2.0 software environment (DonutOS) with design, simulation, validation, and telematics modules. The platform is sold as a unified system rather than as independent components, targeting OEMs in automotive, aviation, marine, robotics, defense, and commercial transport.
The company operates an OEM-embedded go-to-market, supplying components and licensing technology directly to vehicle manufacturers and integrators rather than selling to end consumers. Named commercial relationships include Verge Motorcycles (sister company; flagship deployment in the TS Pro motorcycle), WATT Electric Vehicles (PACES aluminum skateboard platform), Cova Power (smart trailer JV with Ahola Group), ESOX Group (defense), Longbow Motors, HyperQ Aerospace, RoboRigger, Oruga, and BrüderX, with over 200 OEMs reportedly in active engagement. Revenue derives from hardware sales (motors, battery packs, control units), technology licensing and joint ventures, and software subscriptions (DonutOS, telematics cloud). Pricing is negotiated privately per OEM engagement and not publicly disclosed.
Donut Lab has raised approximately €40M in 2025 and roughly $25M in 2026 from over 1,300 small investors, reaching a $1.25B post-money valuation following its CES 2026 debut. The company is led by CEO Marko Lehtimäki and CTO Ville Piippo, with automotive veteran Haydn Baker (COO, formerly of Rivian/McLaren/Pininfarina) and recently added VPs of Engineering Programmes and Business Development. The company's flagship solid-state battery claim is under active scrutiny: independent teardowns and over 20 battery experts have questioned whether the cell is genuinely solid-state, the former CCO of Nordic Nano Group (a manufacturing partner) has filed a criminal complaint alleging exaggeration of technology and production capability, and Finnish authorities are investigating both the technology claims and the retail-investor fundraising. First VTT-validated test results (fast charging, high-temperature performance, self-discharge, safety under damage) have been published through an 'I Donut Believe' transparency campaign, but independent chemistry validation remains outstanding.
Donut Lab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Donut Lab
- Legal name
- Donut Lab OÜ
- Website
- https://donutlab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Donut Lab is a Finnish EV technology platform company (founded 2024, spun out of Verge Motorcycles) that supplies OEMs across automotive, aviation, marine, defense, and robotics with in-wheel electric motors, an all-solid-state battery, an AI-ready control unit, and DonutOS software as an integrated stack.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Donut Lab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electric Vehicle Powertrain Components
- NAICS
- Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)
- SIC
- Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Automotive ECUs/Control Modules & Embedded Electronics Manufacturing (IMACAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Truck & Commercial Vehicle Electrification Manufacturing (eAxles/Battery Packs/Fuel Cells) (IMACABAK), General-Purpose Logic & Microcontrollers (MCU/MPU) (HDAHAAAA)
Keywords
Where Donut Lab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Helsinki
- HQ country
- Finland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Donut Lab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Battery Technology Sales: Sale of all-solid-state battery packs and cells to vehicle manufacturers and industrial applications. Batteries are sold as components for integration into customer products.
- Electric Motor Sales: Direct sale of in-wheel electric motors in various sizes (5" to 21") to OEMs for automotive, motorcycle, drone, trailer, and industrial applications. Motors are available as standard products or custom configurations.
- Platform Technology Licensing: Licensing of Donut Platform technologies including motors, batteries, control systems, and software to partners for integration into their products. Joint ventures like Cova Power (with Ahola Group) represent co-development and licensing arrangements.
- Software and Control Systems: Sale of Donut Control compute units and DonutOS software platform for vehicle development and control.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Donut Lab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Donut Lab designs, manufactures, and supplies a unified EV technology platform consisting of in-wheel electric motors (Donut Motor), an all-solid-state battery (Donut Battery), an AI-ready control/compute unit (Donut Control), and a Digital Twin 2.0 software environment (DonutOS). The platform is sold as embedded components to OEMs across automotive, aviation, marine, robotics, defense, and commercial transport industries.
Product overview
Donut Lab offers a unified EV technology platform called the Donut Platform that integrates multiple core products: the Donut Motor (in-wheel electric motors in 5", 12", 17", and 21" variants), the Donut Battery (world's first production-ready all-solid-state battery), Donut Control (AI-ready compute unit), and DonutOS software (Digital Twin 2.0 environment with Studio, Builder, Simulator, and Inspector modules). The platform is designed for scalability across automotive, aviation, marine, space, and robotics industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Donut Battery: All-solid-state battery product line claiming 400 Wh/kg energy density, 5-minute charging, and 100,000 cycle lifespan.
- Donut Control
- DonutOS
- Donut Motor
Products and services
- Donut Battery All-solid-state battery pack and cells delivering claimed 400 Wh/kg energy density, 5-minute full charging, and 100,000 cycle design life, sold to vehicle manufacturers and industrial integrators as a component for integration into customer products.
- Donut Motor In-wheel electric motors available in 5", 12", 17", and 21" sizes, delivering high torque and power density (up to 630 kW and 4,300 Nm) with millisecond-precision torque vectoring. Sold as standard or custom-configured units to OEMs for automotive, motorcycle, drone, trailer, and industrial applications.
- Donut Control High-performance compute unit covering motor, battery, and vehicle systems including MCUs, ECUs, VCUs, and BMS, with WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, LTE connectivity, IMU/GPS/camera/radar sensor integration, and smart sleep-mode energy management. Sold to OEMs integrating EV systems.
- DonutOS Digital Twin 2.0 software platform for EV development that unifies design, simulation, validation, and deployment of vehicle behavior, including Studio (visual workspace), Builder (chassis design), Simulator (physics testing), and Inspector (real-time telematics). Sold/subscribed to OEMs and engineering teams developing electric vehicles.
- Donut Platform Modular integrated skateboard platform combining Donut motors, batteries, inverters, and software in a single architecture, enabling OEMs to derive multiple vehicle types from a single platform configuration with reduced development time and manufacturing complexity.
Quantifiable outcome
- Drivetrain BOM cost reduction of 55% for automotive applications
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Donut Lab
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Donut Lab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature5 records
Donut Lab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and notable.
- WATT Electric VehiclesmajorPartnership to integrate Donut Lab's in-wheel motor technology into WATT's ultra-lightweight PACES aluminum skateboard platform. The collaboration enables multiple vehicle types from beach buggies to sports cars. Functional prototype debuted at CES 2026.
- Nordic Nano GroupmajorDonut Lab made a significant strategic investment in Nordic Nano Group and CEO Marko Lehtimäki joined Nordic Nano's board of directors. The partnership focuses on nano-tech solutions for solar energy, storage, and hydrogen production, expanding the Donut Lab-led Nordic Tech Cluster for electric transportation.
- Verge MotorcyclescoreVerge Motorcycles is a sister company/spin-off of Donut Lab and serves as the primary deployment vehicle for Donut technology. Verge produces the world's first production motorcycle with all-solid-state batteries developed by Donut Lab. The partnership represents Donut Lab's flagship showcase for its battery and motor technologies.
- Ahola GroupmajorJoint venture partner in Cova Power smart trailer company. Ahola Group combines logistics expertise with Donut Lab's technology for series-production electrified trailers.
- Cova PowermajorJoint venture between Donut Lab and Ahola Group delivering series-production smart trailers powered by Donut in-wheel motors, Donut Battery, and Donut Platform software. Claims up to 54% diesel reduction.
- ESOX GroupmajorDefense technology company deploying Donut Battery technology for military applications including four-wheel tactical buggies and next-generation drone platforms. ESOX positions the technology as part of European supply chain independence from China.
- Longbow MotorsnotableUK startup using Donut Lab's 17" enclosed in-wheel motor for ultra-lightweight electric sports cars. Longbow targets extreme power-to-weight ratios and is building the Speedster and Roadster models.
- HyperQ AerospacenotableVTOL rotorcraft company integrating Donut Platform technology for long-range, heavy-lift drone applications including the RotorHawk platform.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights8 records
Donut Lab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Verge Motorcycles: Sister company and flagship deployment customer for Donut Lab's in-wheel motors and solid-state battery; both firms share the same Finnish EV technology origin and operate as the production showcase for Donut's platform.
- Elaphe Propulsion Technologies: Slovenia-based specialist in in-wheel electric motors for EVs, directly comparable to Donut Lab's Donut Motor line across torque density, packaging and OEM integration use cases.
- WATT Electric Vehicles: UK skateboard platform partner using Donut Lab's motors and battery, but also a peer building ultra-lightweight PACES aluminium EV platforms; comparable in customer base and target vehicle programs.
- Protean Electric: Pioneer in in-wheel electric drive technology for passenger and commercial vehicles, with comparable torque vectoring and OEM integration focus to Donut Lab's Donut Motor product.
Emerging players
- QuantumScape: U.S. solid-state battery developer targeting automotive OEMs with lithium-metal cells; comparable to Donut Lab's battery roadmap and positioning as a next-generation cell supplier to vehicle manufacturers.
- Solid Power: Colorado-based developer of all-solid-state batteries for EVs with partnerships with BMW and Ford; directly comparable technology category and OEM go-to-market motion as Donut Battery.
- ProLogium Technology: Taiwanese solid-state battery manufacturer moving toward gigafactory-scale production, comparable to Donut Battery on cell chemistry claims and automotive OEM customer targeting.
- Canoo: U.S. EV startup built around a modular skateboard platform serving multiple vehicle programs; directly comparable platform architecture to Donut Lab's modular skateboard concept with WATT and others.
Broad incumbents
- Rivian: Integrated EV OEM with vertically developed powertrain, battery and software stack; relevant incumbent peer because Donut Lab's executive team includes former Rivian leadership and several OEM customers target similar use cases.
- CATL: World's largest battery manufacturer and a leading supplier of cells to global EV OEMs; sets the competitive benchmark Donut Battery must beat on cost, energy density and manufacturability to win volume automotive contracts.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Donut Lab social profiles
Digital presenceDonut Lab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Donut Lab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Donut Lab subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Donut Lab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Donut Lab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Donut Lab
What does Donut Lab do?
Donut Lab designs, manufactures, and supplies a unified EV technology platform consisting of in-wheel electric motors (Donut Motor), an all-solid-state battery (Donut Battery), an AI-ready control/compute unit (Donut Control), and a Digital Twin 2.0 software environment (DonutOS). The platform is sold as embedded components to OEMs across automotive, aviation, marine, robotics, defense, and commercial transport industries.
Is Donut Lab a public or private company?
Donut Lab is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Donut Lab founded?
Donut Lab was founded in 2024. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Donut Lab based?
Donut Lab is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, in the Europe region.
How does Donut Lab make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Battery Technology Sales are the primary driver. The others are electric Motor Sales, platform Technology Licensing and software and Control Systems.
Who are Donut Lab's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Verge Motorcycles, Elaphe Propulsion Technologies, WATT Electric Vehicles and Protean Electric. Emerging players are QuantumScape, Solid Power, ProLogium Technology and Canoo. Broad incumbents are Rivian and CATL.
Does Donut Lab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Donut Lab.
What industry is Donut Lab in?
Donut Lab's product category is Electric Vehicle Powertrain Components. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAJAC, Automotive ECUs/Control Modules & Embedded Electronics Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMACABAK, Truck & Commercial Vehicle Electrification Manufacturing (eAxles/Battery Packs/Fuel Cells). Its NAICS code is 335314 and its SIC code is 3620.