Gene Berdichevsky, CEO, Sila Nanotechnologies: From Ukraine to Stanford to Tesla To Founding A $3 Billion Battery Startup

Gene Berdichevsky's life could come straight out of a James Bond movie. Born in the Ukraine, raised in Russia, he and his family immigrated to America when he turned nine years old. Along the way, he had lived for five years north of the arctic circle. Berdichevsky studied engineering at Stanford and convinced Tesla founders to make him employee No. 7. Today, Berdichevsky is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sila Nanotechnologies. In 2022, Sila won a landmark contract to supply batteries to the exclusive Mercedes G Wagon, starting in 2025. Berdichevsky's deep expertise in developing silicon-based anodes has attracted investors from every time zone. Sila is currently valued at more than. $3 billion. Sila is one leader among a wave of new battery startups in America that are positioned to help the United States close the battery capabilities gap with China.