Evacuated Tube Transport Technologies (ET3)

What Evacuated Tube Transport Technologies (ET3) does

Evacuated Tube Transport Technologies (ET3), operating as ET3 Global Alliance Inc., is a US-based private company founded in 1999 that develops evacuated tube transportation infrastructure. Its core concept is a network of tubes from which air is evacuated to eliminate aerodynamic friction and rolling resistance, through which car-sized driverless capsules are magnetically levitated and propelled by linear motor/generator equipment mounted inside the tube. The system is designed to operate at 400 mph (650 km/h) with claimed future potential up to 4,000 mph, and to allow passengers to dynamically select any access portal during travel, which the company markets as a 'physical Internet' for transportation.

ET3's business model is built on IP licensing rather than direct infrastructure ownership. The company holds many issued patents with more pending and licenses them to approximately 400 experts and companies across 25 nations who contribute to and use the technology. The company is seeking to validate the concept by building a 3-mile demonstration project in three phases, with Phase 1 complete and Phase 2 — a Maglev Limousine operating in a 5-foot diameter evacuated tube — past halfway as of 2020. The demonstration is intended to operate as an entertainment ride at 400 mph with a minimum infrastructure cost of $20M, expandable to approximately $50M with airlocks and ancillary uses.

The company serves three primary participant groups: IP licensees and technology contributors, government and private Right-Of-Way (ROW) owners who could host demonstration or full-scale projects, and accredited investors or institutions funding the demonstration. ET3 targets the $10 trillion annual global transport market and claims 1/10 the cost of high-speed rail at 10x capacity, 1/4 the cost of freeways at 1/10 the maintenance, and 50x more transport per kWh than electric cars or trains. To date, ET3 has no disclosed revenue, no disclosed institutional funding, and no operational system; the company's commercial viability depends on executing the demonstration project and converting its licensee network into revenue-generating deployments.

Name

Evacuated Tube Transport Technologies (ET3)

Legal name

ET3 Global Alliance Inc.

Website

https://et3.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ET3 Global Alliance Inc. licenses intellectual property for evacuated tube transportation networks using magnetically levitated capsules, serving approximately 400 experts and companies across 25 nations while pursuing a $20M demonstration project to validate the technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transportation Infrastructure Technology

NAICS

Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533), Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533110)

SIC

Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

IP Licensing, Transactions & Technology Transfer (BPAHAMAF)

Keywords

• Evacuated tube transport
• Magnetic levitation systems
• High-speed transportation
• Transportation IP licensing
• Maglev capsule infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Crystal River

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. IP Licensing: ET3 profitably sells licenses to contribute to and use their intellectual property and build and use ET3 systems. First customers were experts with key IP. The company now attracts companies who see a new market for production assets. The vision includes co-use of government and private Right-Of-Way (ROW).
2. Demonstration Project Revenue: Revenue from operating the demo as an entertainment ride with capacity of 120 passengers per hour (single tube) or up to 3,452,800 passengers per year with expanded capacity. Additional revenue streams include advertising (naming rights, tube/building ads, capsule wraps), speed record events, TV/movie rights, and promotional agreements.
3. Licensee Network Royalties: Licensees number about 400 experts and companies in 25 nations who have been optimizing and developing the technology since 1999. These licensees contribute to and use ET3 IP.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ET3 sells licenses to its intellectual property portfolio (many issued patents, more pending) covering evacuated tube transportation, allowing licensees to contribute to, build, and operate magnetically levitated capsule networks for passenger and cargo movement. The company validates the technology through a phased demonstration project and monetizes access to patents, know-how, design services, and project management via multi-year licensing agreements with experts and companies worldwide.

Product overview

ET3 Global Alliance Inc. offers a unified physical transportation system based on Evacuated Tube Transport Technologies (ET3). The core product is a network of magnetically levitated capsules traveling through frictionless evacuated tubes. The company operates a three-phase Demonstration Project to validate the technology, and licenses its intellectual property (patents issued and pending) to approximately 400 experts and companies in 25 nations. The system aims to achieve 400mph (650km/h) design speed with future potential of up to 4000 mph (6500 km/h).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Evacuated Tube Transport Technologies (ET3) Network A transportation network of evacuated tubes (air removed to eliminate aerodynamic friction and rolling resistance) carrying car-sized, driverless, magnetically levitated capsules for passengers and cargo, targeting a design speed of 400mph (650km/h) with future potential up to 4000mph. Offered to licensees (experts and companies) seeking to build and operate ET3 systems.
• ET3 IP License A technology license granting access to ET3's portfolio of many issued patents and pending patents, plus specialized know-how, that allows licensees to contribute to, build, and operate ET3 evacuated tube transport systems. Sold to experts and companies globally as a one-time/perpetual multi-year license.
• ET3 Demonstration Project A three-phase demonstration project validating ET3 technology with a design speed of 400mph (650km/h) over a minimum 3-mile (5km) straight Right-Of-Way, intended to be operated as a paid entertainment ride (capacity up to 120 passengers/hour per single tube, scaling to ~3,452,800 passengers/year). Offers ancillary revenue from advertising, naming rights, speed record events, and TV/movie rights. Minimum infrastructure cost approximately $20M for a single tube with one maglev capsule, with a second tube, high-capacity airlock, and 5 additional capsules available for an additional $20M.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50X more transport per kWh than electric cars or trains
• +5 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Right-Of-Way (ROW) Land OwnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019ET3 requires partnerships with land or ROW owners who supply minimum 3 miles (5km) of straight Right-Of-Way 20' wide, plus space for access portal buildings and parking. The ideal location is highly visible, along a high demand (>50k vehicles per day) route, in or close to a large city (over 2M). ET3 targets co-use of trillions in government and private ROW.
• Contractors and SupplierscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Partners supply materials, components, construction know-how, equipment, and labor required to build tube, capsule, and access portal infrastructure. Preferred foundation type is helical pier. Construction and testing requires one to two years prior to revenue service.
• ET3 LicenseescoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1999Licensees number about 400 experts and companies in 25 nations who have been optimizing and developing the technology since ET3 was founded in 1999. Licensees contribute to and use ET3 IP and build ET3 systems.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Virgin Hyperloop (now Hyperloop): Most-funded evacuated tube transport venture (formerly Virgin Hyperloop, rebranded after pivoting away from passenger transport in 2022); the most direct historical competitor in the same technology category.
• TransPod: Canadian company developing ultra-high-speed tube transport vehicles with similar evacuated-tube physics; comparable target speeds (close to 1000 km/h) and analogous pre-revenue infrastructure stage.
• Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT): Direct peer pursuing maglev-in-evacuated-tube passenger transport with a similar global consortium/licensing-inspired model; comparable technology concept, comparable pre-commercial stage.
• MPEG LA: Leading independent patent pool administrator licensing platform technology IP across many licensees — analogous business model to ET3's IP licensing GTM, though in a different technology domain (digital video codecs).
• Via Licensing Alliance: IP licensing administrator running patent pools across audio, wireless, and other technologies; comparable operating model of granting access to patented technology through structured licensing programs.
• Hardt Hyperloop: European (Dutch) hyperloop developer building a European hyperloop network; comparable maglev-in-tube concept and similar licensing/open-architecture approach to system standardization.
• Sisvel International: Patent pool and licensing specialist managing technology IP rights for consortiums of patent owners — directly comparable to ET3's model of monetizing transport IP through multi-licensee licensing arrangements.

Emerging players

• Arrivo (formerly Colorado Maglev Group / ET3-adjacent): Colorado-based competitor pursuing hyperloop-adjacent maglev technology; geographically proximate peer sharing the Colorado/front-range operating environment as ET3.
• Zeleros Hyperloop: Spanish startup developing scalable hyperloop technology; directly comparable in technology category but earlier-stage with smaller test infrastructure than ET3.

Broad incumbents

• Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) — SCMaglev: Operator of the Chuo Shinkansen SCMaglev — the only commercially deployed high-speed maglev system; adjacent incumbent in the high-speed ground transportation category where ET3 ultimately competes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/127942693949325
• Xx.com/ET3Transport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/et3

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Evacuated Tube Transport Technologies (ET3)