The Factory
We are a team of inventors, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs working to solve some of the world’s toughest problems.
The Moonshot Factory is home to a collection of small, focused project teams who bring together deep expertise across disciplines and industries. We believe that breakthrough innovation happens when passionate people come together, challenge each other’s perspectives, and aim for the seemingly impossible. That’s why you’ll find former rocket scientists working alongside artists, and marine biologists mingling with machine learning experts.
Raj is a director at Google DeepMind and creator of X graduate Malta, which uses molten salt to transform energy storage. Earlier in his career, Raj helped develop and commercialize the first digital X-rays. LinkedIn.
Jessi is a firestarter of moonshots at X. A serial entrepreneur and former Carnegie Mellon professor, she also founded the X Surf Team, and spends as much of her time in the ocean as possible. LinkedIn.
Matt is a project lead and hardware engineer at X. Passionate about bridging the primitive and modern worlds, he spent 18 months living off-grid in Washington’s Cascade Mountains, crafting his own clothing, food, and shelter. LinkedIn, National Geographic
Benoit is Vice President of research at Google DeepMind and was formerly X's Chief Technology Officer. He’s a technologist with over 30 years of experience, a co-inventor of the Be Operating System (BeOS), and an amateur astronomer. LinkedIn
Ellie is Senior Program Manager at Taara, X’s moonshot for connectivity. A “Swiss Army knife,” she works across Taara's operations, partnerships, marketing and more. In college, she worked with diving fishermen off the Mexican coast. LinkedIn
Joe is Head of the Design Kitchen, X’s central prototyping lab. Prior to joining X, he led the production workshop of Mythbusters, and created special effects for the "Iron Man" film. LinkedIn
Emma works on product strategy at X, having built a career working across development, strategy, and operations. Notably, she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada and spent a year sailing the Caribbean. LinkedIn
Helen is X’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer. Over her multi-decade career at Alphabet, she’s helped establish offices around the world. Off the clock, she finds inspiration from animals: swimming with sharks, hiking with orangutans, and more. LinkedIn
Emily is Head of Special Projects at Google Real Estate and Workplace Services. She previously led Project Delta, X’s moonshot for food waste that graduated to Google. LinkedIn
Brian is a software engineer on X’s machine learning team. Previously, he spent 25 years at Pixar, developing many foundational technologies. After hours, he’s an accomplished composer, opera singer, and founder of several arts initiatives. LinkedIn
Ivo is a Vice President at X, and oversees a portfolio of projects focused on climate, sustainability, and justice. He holds more than 90 patents and has traveled the world performing Croatian folk dances and songs. LinkedIn
Alex is a project lead at X. He’s a health tech founder, and has developed innovative medical devices and digital vaccination records. Outside of work, he runs a winery specializing in small-batch pinot noir. LinkedIn
Charlie is Head of X’s Bio Design Kitchen. He’s founded multiple biotechnology companies focused on industrial enzyme development and advanced fermentation, and holds a PhD in biophysics. LinkedIn
Sanam is a hardware engineer at Taara, X’s moonshot for connectivity. With a PhD in vision science, she builds tools that harness light beams to provide internet access. Outside of work, she makes light-based interactive art. LinkedIn
Bhavesh is the Middle East and Africa Regional Lead for Taara, X’s moonshot for connectivity. For two decades, he’s spearheaded connectivity initiatives in Africa, and he also runs a small vegetable farm. LinkedIn
Nick works on operations at X and led operations strategy for Loon, an X graduate that beamed internet connectivity via stratospheric balloons. His career spans emergency medicine, wilderness search and rescue, and more. LinkedIn
Rey leads X’s Moonshot for Circularity. A materials scientist and serial entrepreneur, he has created groundbreaking sustainable consumer products and materials, including the materials for the world’s first recyclable wind turbine blade. LinkedIn
Sam is a Project Lead at X. A trained physicist, his career boasts multiple inventions, including a digital nose for detecting bioterror agents, an autonomous “smart brewery,” a breath-based sensor device, and more. LinkedIn
Marina is an additive manufacturing engineer and oversees manufacturing for X's Design Kitchen. As the resident 3D-printing expert, she likes to make 3D moose to test shapes — so much so that it became her nickname. LinkedIn
Sarah leads Bellwether, X’s moonshot to understand and anticipate changes across our planet. An award-winning innovator with two decades of experience across healthcare, sustainability, and technology she also practices medicine part-time at Stanford Hospital. LinkedIn
Vic is X’s General Counsel. She joined Google in 2008, advising on a range of products before leading YouTube’s EMEA legal team. Outside of work, Vic is an avid outdoor adventure traveler and explorer. LinkedIn
Wendy is CEO of X graduate Intrinsic, a robotics software and AI company. A serial entrepreneur and investor, her contributions to technology and business earned an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II. LinkedIn
Naila is a chemist at X and a principal scientist at Magnasem Solutions. She holds a PhD in organic chemistry, and previously led a team that developed a bio-based leather material made from fungi. LinkedIn
Denmark is X’s head of Market Intelligence. A seasoned venture partner, he previously held leadership positions at BET and MTV, and served as an advisor to the National Basketball Association. LinkedIn
The lone inventor having a eureka moment is largely a myth; innovation comes from great teams where everyone feels comfortable raising questions and sharing their views.
- Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots
Teams at X come together to experiment, prototype, and learn as quickly as possible. Some days this means 3D printing prototypes in the lab; other days we’re out in the field flying drones in the Australian bush, or testing underwater cameras in Norway. Along the way we partner with experts who are keen to come on learning journeys with us.
The Journey of a Moonshot
We investigate hundreds of promising ideas each year. Only a few survive the factory’s rigorous testing and de-risking process to become moonshot businesses.
A synthetic biology lab, a mechanical shop, a 3D printing lab, an analytical lab, a materials lab. There is virtually nowhere on earth that has this collection of labs and people all in one place.
- Joe Sargent, Head of the Design Kitchen
Growing arabidopsis plants in X’s environmental test chambers which can simulate different temperature and pressure conditions.
The Tidal team first used plastic fish to start building their computer vision and machine learning models. Very quickly they moved on to observing real fish.
The Taara team developed and tested their next generation communications technology, a photonics chip, in the moonshot factory’s clean rooms.
X’s additive manufacturing team created 3D-printed ear molds like these to test prototypes for in-ear computing projects Iyo and NextSense.
The synthetic biology lab is equipped with a full suite of automation, cell culture, imaging and analytical equipment to rapidly prototype moonshots in biology.
The Design Kitchen team helped the Everyday Robots team create a robot that could grasp, move, and interact with all kinds of everyday objects.
The first atmospheric water harvester prototype for Project H2E was created from off-the-shelf parts in the Design Kitchen.
The Design Kitchen team developed this early Google Glass prototype. Glass was a small, lightweight wearable computer with a transparent display.
Sometimes small isn’t small enough, and we need to prototype at nanoscale. X has machines that can fabricate microoptics, micromechanics and other very tiny things.
Sometimes prototyping starts as post-it note origami. This miniature paper car helped the Waymo team imagine what a fully self-driving vehicle could look like.
The Loon team tested their internet-beaming balloons in a range of conditions to ensure they could withstand the harsh conditions of the stratosphere.
The 280 Earth team experimented with 70 approaches and 700 different chemical combinations for their carbon dioxide sucking sorbent at X’s labs before landing on their current approach.
Designed in X’s labs, Waymo’s first prototype, the Firefly, helped the team understand how to build fully self-driving vehicles.
Project Wing’s autonomous planes for package delivery were designed, prototyped and tested in various labs and testing zones at X .