An Interview with Dorian West

What motivated your transition from focusing on electric vehicles at Tesla to broader climate solutions?

Over 15 years at Tesla, I got to see my hard work have a visible impact on climate change. I loved seeing my work become so meaningful, so I began exploring the wider climate tech arena and was inspired by the array of innovative approaches emerging in the field. Taking a step outside of transportation, I co-founded Electric Hydrogen, which is primarily aimed at decarbonizing heavy industries. I believe having a significant and positive impact on climate change is a great measure of one’s career success. I urge anyone looking for the next step in their career to consider it through this lens.

What made Aigen's approach to technology stand out from other startups in the climate tech space?

For starters, I've always been drawn to alternative energy. In my college years, my fascination for electric cars led me to build solar-powered ones and, as my career has progressed, I’ve come to value simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and scalability of climate solutions. Aigen’s alternative approach utilizes all three, plus a strong team and vision to make it happen.?

From your experience at Tesla, how vital is it for startups to achieve initial economic viability before scaling for a broader impact?

Strong economics are required to enable a scaled impact, but that can take some time. At Tesla, our early work, on the Roadster and OEM programs for Toyota and Daimler, didn't themselves make a dent in emissions, but the products showed a path to break even on cost. Once we proved EVs were economically viable and attractive to customers, we built credibility in the market and ultimately had a monumental impact. Achieving profitability is a stepping stone before scaling up to meet a grander mission.

What transformative changes do you anticipate Aigen will bring to the ag-tech sector??

What excites me the most is the transformative vision Aigen offers. For instance, I'm particularly intrigued by the idea of using robots to terraform the Earth, making it more conducive for plant life and, consequently, carbon capture. For ag-tech, I expect the game-changer will be AI. Robotics have been with us for a while, but the integration of AI offers a novel solution to the pressing sustainability challenges we face, and one that Aigen pursues.