Larry Page's flying car company Pivotal loses its CEO | TechCrunch

Ken Karklin, who has served as the chief executive officer of the flying car startup Pivotal for more than four years, has stepped down from his leadership position.

The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) firm, which is backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, announced the departure without providing specific reasons, stating only that Karklin is leaving to pursue other career paths. Mike Ross, an aviation executive who joined Pivotal's board of directors in late 2025, has been designated to step into the role of interim chief executive. Ross will guide the company through this transitional phase while Pivotal continues its efforts to scale up operations and bring its specialized personal aircraft models to a broader commercial market.

Under Karklin's guidance, Pivotal transitioned from developing prototype models to launching commercial sales of its single-seat personal aircraft, the Helix, which retails for roughly $200,000 and operates without requiring a pilot's license. The company has also made significant strides with its BlackFly aircraft, which is specifically designed for defense applications and first responder operations. Notably, the BlackFly was recently deployed for its first emergency response flight in North Carolina, arriving significantly ahead of a traditional land-based ambulance. Despite the sudden vacancy at the top executive position, leadership has reassured stakeholders that the company's development roadmap, engineering priorities, and safety standards will remain unchanged during this period of transition.