The CEO of Pivotal, a flying car company backed by Larry Page, has left the company, Pivotal said this week.
Ken Karklin, who led Pivotal for more than four years, stepped down. The company said he is “pursuing new endeavors” and did not provide further details on the reasons for his departure.
“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,” Karklin said in a company statement. “This industry has moved past prototypes and press releases; it’s now operating in the real world, under real constraints, with real consequences for the future of Advanced Air Mobility. As I turn to new endeavors, I do so knowing the foundation we built here will help carry this industry forward.”
Mike Ross, an aviation executive who joined Pivotal’s board of directors in November 2025, will serve as interim CEO. Pivotal said Ross will lead the company through the transition. Karklin did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Karklin leaves two years after Pivotal began sales of Helix, its first lightweight electric personal aircraft. The single-seat Helix does not require a pilot’s license and Pivotal lists the base price at about $200,000.
Ross said Karklin’s leadership over the past four years helped bring Pivotal to its current position and that the company’s team, priorities, and roadmap will remain steady during the transition. He added he will work with the team as Pivotal prepares to bring a fourth-generation Helix aircraft to market.
Pivotal has also developed an aircraft called BlackFly for defense and first-responder roles. The company said BlackFly was used in an emergency response in North Carolina last month and arrived about 20 minutes ahead of an ambulance that responded at the same time. Pivotal also reported that BlackFly has flown more than 10,000 times.
Pivotal was among several companies selected for the Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, a federal effort to expand testing of these aircraft around the country.
