Larry Page's Pivotal loses CEO Ken Karklin after 4+ years
Original: Larry Page’s flying car company Pivotal loses its CEO
Why This Matters
CEO turnover at a key eVTOL startup signals evolving leadership needs as the sector matures beyond prototypes.
Ken Karklin, CEO of Larry Page-backed eVTOL startup Pivotal, has left the company after more than four years. Board member Mike Ross will serve as interim CEO. Pivotal sells its single-seat Helix aircraft at ~$200,000 and is developing the defense-focused BlackFly aircraft.
Pivotal, the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, announced that CEO Ken Karklin has departed the role this week after more than four years of leadership. The company stated Karklin is 'pursuing new endeavors' but provided no further details about the circumstances of his exit. Karklin said in a statement: 'Leading Pivotal has been the privilege of my career. Together, we've moved beyond the promise of light eVTOL and proved it out in practice.' He will be replaced on an interim basis by Mike Ross, an aviation executive who joined Pivotal's board in November 2025. The leadership change comes roughly two years after Pivotal began selling Helix, its single-seat personal aircraft that requires no pilot's license and starts at approximately $200,000. Pivotal is also developing BlackFly, an aircraft targeting defense and first responder use cases. BlackFly was deployed last month in North Carolina to respond to an emergency, reportedly arriving 20 minutes ahead of a parallel ambulance response. BlackFly has logged more than 10,000 flights to date. Pivotal is among the companies selected for the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, designed to expand testing of such aircraft nationwide.