Marcus Leng
Founder of Pivotal.
Marcus Leng, a Canadian mechanical engineer (University of Toronto, 1983), began developing the all-electric VTOL concept that became BlackFly in 2009, flying the first proof-of-concept at his home in Warkworth, Ontario in October 2011. He founded the company (originally SkyKar, then Opener, renamed Pivotal in October 2023) and relocated it to Palo Alto, California in 2014, backed by Google co-founder Larry Page. Leng received the Experimental Aircraft Association's August Raspet Award for Innovation in 2019 for BlackFly's design.
Overview
- Role
- Founder
- Based in
- Palo Alto, CA
- Prior experience
Affiliated funds0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- Who is Marcus Leng?
- Marcus Leng, a Canadian mechanical engineer (University of Toronto, 1983), began developing the all-electric VTOL concept that became BlackFly in 2009, flying the first proof-of-concept at his home in Warkworth, Ontario in October 2011. He founded the company (originally SkyKar, then Opener, renamed Pivotal in October 2023) and relocated it to Palo Alto, California in 2014, backed by Google co-founder Larry Page. Leng received the Experimental Aircraft Association's August Raspet Award for Innovation in 2019 for BlackFly's design.
- What is Marcus Leng's role?
- Marcus Leng is Founder, based in Palo Alto, CA.
Sources & citations2
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- 1
Marcus Leng serves as Founder and CEO of Opener (now Pivotal); received the EAA's August Raspet Award for Innovation in July 2019 for the BlackFly all-electric VTOL ultralight design.
Pivotal: Marcus Leng Receives EAA 2019 August Raspet Award for InnovationVerified2019-07-01 - 2
Pivotal BlackFly, designed by Canadian engineer Marcus Leng, first flew as a proof-of-concept in Warkworth, Ontario on Oct 5, 2011; the company relocated to Palo Alto, CA in Sept 2014; renamed from Opener to Pivotal.
Wikipedia: Pivotal BlackFlyReported2026-07-20