Mainspring Energy

Shannon Miller holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, where she was a National Science Foundation Fellow and received Global Climate Energy Project funding for research on improving fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiency. She co-founded Mainspring (originally EtaGen) in 2010 with Adam Simpson and Matt Svrcek based on work in Stanford's Advanced Energy Systems Lab. The MIT Technology Review named her one of "35 Innovators Under 35" in 2012. As CEO, Miller has led Mainspring through the development, commercialization, and DOE grant funding of its linear generator technology, which shipped commercially starting in 2020.

Adam Simpson co-founded Mainspring Energy in 2010 alongside Shannon Miller and Matt Svrcek while all three were conducting research in Stanford University's Advanced Energy Systems Lab. He developed the concept for the linear generator fuel-conversion system as part of his doctoral work focused on advanced combustion and reciprocating machines. As Chief Product Officer, Simpson leads product definition and roadmap for Mainspring's fuel-flexible linear generator, which the company has deployed to U.S. utilities and Fortune 500 commercial customers seeking on-site generation that does not require spark ignition or rotating machinery.

Matt Svrcek co-founded Mainspring Energy in 2010 and serves as CTO, leading research and development for the company's linear generator. He earned his doctorate at Stanford University as a Stanford Graduate Fellow, receiving Global Climate and Energy Project funding to investigate the efficiency and emissions impact of reacting various fuels in reciprocating machines. Svrcek's expertise in thermodynamics and combustion engineering is central to Mainspring's fuel flexibility — the linear generator runs on natural gas, hydrogen blends, biogas, and other fuels without mechanical modification, a key differentiator for behind-the-meter power and microgrids.