Tula Technology

What Tula Technology does

Tula Technology, Inc. is a privately held automotive technology company founded in 2008 and headquartered in San Jose, California. The company develops software-based efficiency and emissions control technologies for vehicle powertrains, sold through IP licensing and engineering services to global automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. Its core technology portfolio is built around two proprietary control platforms: Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF), a software-controlled variable displacement technology that dynamically fires or skips individual engine cylinders on an event-by-event basis to deliver 5-15% fuel consumption gains in passenger vehicles and up to 74% NOx reduction plus 5% CO2 reduction in diesel commercial vehicles via the dDSF variant; and Dynamic Motor Drive (DMD), a software-based electric motor control approach that pulses magnetic fields at optimal efficiency points to reduce rare earth dependency and deliver 2-5% efficiency gains in EV motors. Specialized variants including HYBRID++ (mild hybrids), eDSF (electrified DSF), mDSF (Miller-cycle), and aDSF (autonomous vehicles) extend the platform across powertrain architectures.

The company monetizes its technology through a single-license IP licensing model covering 240+ issued and 180+ pending patents, complemented by design consulting, R&D, and integration services such as dyno testing and vehicle demonstration. Its only publicly disclosed scaled commercial deployment is with General Motors, with DSF technology installed in over 2M+ vehicles on the road; additional relationships span Cummins (dDSF co-development), Daimler, Volkswagen, and BorgWarner (board observer seat), with new development agreements signed with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers in China and Europe in February 2026 targeting 2027 production start. Recent commercialization efforts extend DMD into non-automotive applications including wind generation, industrial motors, fans, and compressors. The company is led by founder and CTO Dr. Adya S. Tripathi (third successful start-up after Tripath Technology) and President & CEO John Fuerst (formerly of Delphi Powertrain and GM), supported by a board including representatives from BorgWarner, Sigma Partners, and former CEOs of Plume, Aviatrix, and Nicira.

Name

Tula Technology

Legal name

Tula Technology, Inc.

Website

https://tulatech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Tula Technology develops software-based powertrain control technologies (Dynamic Skip Fire for combustion engines and Dynamic Motor Drive for EV motors), licensing its 240+ patent portfolio to global automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to deliver fuel efficiency, emissions reduction, and rare-earth-free EV propulsion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Powertrain Efficiency Software

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (33632), Motor Vehicle Transmission and Power Train Parts Manufacturing (33635), Motor Vehicle Gasoline Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing (33631)

SIC

Engines & Turbines (3510)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive ECUs/Control Modules & Embedded Electronics Manufacturing (IMACAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hybrid Powertrain Integration Manufacturing (ICE-HEV/PHEV modules) (IMACAHAJ), Industrial Electrification of Drives & Equipment (Motors, VFDs, Compressed Air, Pumps) (EUABAJAE)

Keywords

• Powertrain efficiency software
• Engine control technology
• Electric motor control
• Cylinder deactivation systems
• Automotive IP licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. IP Licensing: Broad IP portfolio accessible through a single license. Tula licenses its technology portfolio including DSF, dDSF, DMD, and related combustion and electric motor control patents to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
2. Design Consulting and R&D Services: Tula provides design consulting, R&D, and IP licensing services to customers as part of technology deployment engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tula Technology develops and licenses software-driven powertrain efficiency technologies for automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. Its core offerings are Dynamic Motor Drive (DMD) software for EV motors that reduces rare-earth dependency, Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) software for variable displacement engine control, Diesel Dynamic Skip Fire (dDSF) for simultaneous NOx and CO2 reduction in diesel engines, and supporting variants such as Hybrid++, eDSF, mDSF, and aDSF. The company monetizes these through IP licensing of its 240+ patent portfolio and through design consulting, R&D, and technical integration services.

Product overview

Tula Technology offers a portfolio of software-driven energy reduction solutions for vehicle powertrains, encompassing both electric and internal combustion engine domains. The core products are Dynamic Motor Drive (DMD), a software solution for electric vehicle motors that reduces rare-earth dependency and delivers efficiency gains through pulse density control, and Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF), a software-controlled variable displacement technology for gasoline engines. These are supported by specialized variants including dDSF for diesel commercial vehicles, Hybrid++ for mild hybrids, eDSF combining cylinder deactivation with electrification, mDSF for Miller-cycle engines, and aDSF for autonomous vehicles. Tula licenses its 240+ patent portfolio through an IP licensing model and provides design consulting, R&D, and technical integration services to OEM and Tier 1 customers. The company reports more than 2 million vehicles deployed with DSF technology on the road.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DMD (Dynamic Motor Drive): Software-based electric motor efficiency technology that eliminates reliance on rare earth elements and delivers 2-5% efficiency gains in EVs.
• DSF (Dynamic Skip Fire)
• dDSF (Diesel Dynamic Skip Fire)
• HYBRID++
• eDSF (Electric Dynamic Skip Fire)

Products and services

• Dynamic Motor Drive (DMD) Software-based efficiency solution for electric vehicle motors that removes reliance on rare-earth magnets by pulsing the magnetic field at optimal efficiency points, reducing core and inverter switching losses by up to 25% and delivering 2-5% efficiency gains in standard vehicle drive cycles. Intended for automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
• Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) Software-controlled variable displacement technology for gasoline/personal vehicle internal combustion engines that dynamically fires or skips individual cylinders on an event-by-event basis to maintain peak efficiency, delivering 5-15% fuel consumption benefit and up to 1 ton annual CO2 reduction per vehicle. Deployed in over 2M vehicles via General Motors.
• Diesel Dynamic Skip Fire (dDSF) DSF technology adapted for diesel engines that simultaneously reduces NOx by up to 74% and CO2 by up to 5% by controlling combustion event density and increasing exhaust gas temperatures for more efficient aftertreatment conversion. Targeted at commercial vehicle OEMs facing stringent NOx regulations.
• IP Licensing IP licensing model providing OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers with access to Tula's broad patent portfolio (240+ issued, 180+ pending patents) through a single license, enabling integration of DSF and DMD technologies into customer powertrains with open technology transfer.
• Design Consulting, R&D & Technical Services Design consulting, R&D, and technical integration services provided to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, including dynamometer testing, vehicle build and demonstration, and technology transfer to support integration of DMD and DSF into production powertrains.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2-5% efficiency gain in standard EV drive cycles with DMD technology
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• China OEM and Tier 1 PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026New development agreements for testing and potential software updates for electric vehicle powertrains. Production targeted for 2027.
• Europe OEM and Tier 1 PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Testing agreements and development engagements for EV powertrains. Production targeted for 2027.
• General MotorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration delivering DSF technology to over 2 million vehicles on the road. Tula's one-team execution approach resulted in successful technology deployment at scale.
• CumminscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of dDSF technology for diesel engines. Published paper at Vienna Motor Symposium 2020 on simultaneous CO2 and NOx reduction.
• BorgWarnerstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaul Farrell, VP and Chief Strategy Officer at BorgWarner, serves on Tula's Board of Directors.
• ARPA-E NEXTCAR ProjectstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected and Autonomous Vehicle collaboration with The Ohio State University, Aptiv, and Delphi Technologies for DSF optimization in autonomous vehicles.
• University of SheffieldminorOthersAcademic partner for research collaboration in motor and powertrain technology.
• University of Wisconsin-MadisonminorOthersAcademic partner for research collaboration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bosch: Bosch is one of the world's largest automotive suppliers with extensive engine management ECU, hybrid, and EV powertrain portfolios. As a Tier-1 incumbent in automotive ECUs and motor control, it competes with Tula's DSF and DMD licensing opportunities at the OEM level.
• Marelli: Marelli is a global Tier-1 supplier of automotive powertrain, e-motor, and electronics technologies. Tula's Executive Technologist Philippe Farah previously led Marelli's Mechatronics R&D, and Marelli competes with DMD on e-motor and power electronics offerings.
• ZF Friedrichshafen: ZF is a large global automotive supplier with extensive powertrain, driveline, and e-mobility product lines. It competes with Tula's offerings in hybrid and EV propulsion software/control and serves overlapping OEM customers.
• Denso: Denso is a leading Japanese Tier-1 supplier with strong engine management ECU, hybrid, and EV systems portfolios. As a broad incumbent, Denso overlaps with Tula's DSF, dDSF, and DMD software offerings for OEM powertrain programs.
• BorgWarner: BorgWarner is a global Tier-1 automotive supplier with a broad powertrain and drivetrain portfolio. Tula has a strategic relationship with BorgWarner (Paul Farrell of BorgWarner sits on Tula's board) and co-supplies ICE, hybrid, and EV propulsion technologies to overlapping OEM customers.
• Continental AG: Continental's Powertrain segment (now Vitesco Technologies) supplies engine control units, hybrid modules, and EV power electronics. It is a direct competitor to Tula's software-driven engine and motor control licensing model at major global OEMs.

Others

• Aptiv: Aptiv is a global technology company focused on advanced vehicle electronics, ADAS, and connected vehicle architectures. It collaborated with Tula through the ARPA-E NEXTCAR program on DSF optimization in autonomous vehicles, making it a partner/adjacent player in Tula's aDSF roadmap.

Direct peers

• Turntide Technologies: Turntide develops software-controlled switched reluctance motors and integrated motor/generator systems that compete directly with Tula's DMD rare-earth-free EV motor efficiency approach. Both companies target the same OEM opportunity to displace permanent-magnet motors with software-optimized alternatives.
• Valeo: Valeo is a major Tier-1 supplier with significant EV motor, power electronics, and electrified powertrain programs. Tula lists Valeo as part of its global technical ecosystem and competes with DMD for EV motor design wins across passenger and commercial OEMs.
• Delphi Technologies (now part of BorgWarner): Delphi Technologies was a leading powertrain electronics and engine control supplier (now integrated into BorgWarner). It directly competes with Tula's ECU/embedded control and engine management software offerings, and is where Tula's CEO and several senior team members previously worked.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=ZNii3_WRfYQ&list=PLk6Mysd5MHdHLleVFnt6wSG7F6Cwpo1cb&index=3
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tula-technology-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors6 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Tula Technology