Donut Lab

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.

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

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

• Electric vehicle components
• Solid-state batteries
• In-wheel motors
• EV powertrain systems
• EV development platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

Core 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

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and notable.

• WATT Electric VehiclesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2025Partnership 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 GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025Donut 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 MotorcyclescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVerge 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 GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner in Cova Power smart trailer company. Ahola Group combines logistics expertise with Donut Lab's technology for series-production electrified trailers.
• Cova PowermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint 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 GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDefense 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 MotorsnotableTechnology or IntegrationUK 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 AerospacenotableTechnology or IntegrationVTOL 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@donutlab
• Facebookfacebook.com/donutlabofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/donut-lab-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/donutlabofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Donut Lab