Former Tesla exec Drew Baglino launches heat pump startup
Original: Former Tesla exec and Heron Power CEO Drew Baglino has founded a heat pump startup
Why This Matters
Tesla's heat pump expertise entering residential market could accelerate adoption
Drew Baglino, former Tesla senior VP who left in April 2024, has founded Sadi Thermal Machines, a heat pump startup based in Scotts Valley, California. The company was formed in June 2025 and employs several Tesla alumni.
Drew Baglino, who spent nearly two decades at Tesla working on everything from the Roadster to Powerwall systems, has quietly launched Sadi Thermal Machines. The startup shares headquarters with his previous company Heron Power, which makes solid-state transformers. The company name references Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot, a French physicist who founded modern thermodynamics. At Tesla, Baglino worked extensively on heat pump technology and holds patents for thermal management systems including the octovalve system in Model Y. During a 2022 Tesla earnings call, Baglino and CEO Elon Musk discussed developing residential heat pumps for HVAC and water heating, calling it mission-aligned with Tesla's goals.