Bengaluru's Vimag Labs Secures Patent for India’s Ist Software-Defined, Magnet-Free Motor Platform

Volektra Motor

• Fifth patent granted to the Accel-backed deep-tech company, protecting the core architecture of its Virtual Magnet Synchronous Motor (VMSM) - a rare-earth-free, software-controlled electric motor platform

Vimag Labs has been granted its fifth patent in India. The patent, titled "A Robust Rotating Transformer Excited Synchronous Motor and Its Control," covers the foundational motor architecture of the company’s proprietary Virtual Magnet Synchronous Motor (VMSM) platform.

Unlike conventional Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs), which rely on fixed rare-earth magnets embedded in the rotor, VMSM generates and controls its magnetic field in real time using power electronics and proprietary control algorithms. The result is a brushless, slip-ring-free synchronous motor that matches or exceeds the performance of permanent magnet solutions — without any magnets.

This latest grant brings the company’s intellectual property portfolio to five patents granted, ten in the pipeline, and fifteen trademarks filed spanning motor architecture, software controls, power electronics, and application-specific implementations.

Commercial Deployment

The patent strengthens Vimag Labs’ competitive position as it scales commercial deployments. The company currently has active pilots under way with established two-wheeler and passenger car manufacturers, with expansion planned into light commercial vehicles, commercial vehicles, and high-power industrial systems ranging from 200 kW to 600 kW. Additional application areas under development include robotics, defence, and cooling systems.

For OEMs, the platform offers a dual advantage: lower motor costs and freedom from the supply-chain risks of rare-earth magnets, the majority of which are currently sourced from China. For India, the technology directly supports the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat objectives by enabling indigenous development of critical electric motor technology.

Manish Seth, Co-founder and CEO, Vimag Labs, said: “This patent is the outcome of over 87,600 engineering hours. It strengthens every dimension of our commercial roadmap- OEM partnerships, licensing, manufacturing scale-up, and future growth.”

He added: “Our long-term vision is to build scalable, software-driven, magnet-free motor systems for global electrification. This innovation strengthens India’s deep-tech base across electric mobility, power electronics, robotics, defence, and clean-energy systems.”

Funding and Partnerships

Vimag Labs recently raised USD 5 million in its Series A round led by Accel, with participation from Chakra Growth Fund and Thinkuvate. The company has also signed a manufacturing MoU with Jendamark Pvt. Ltd. to support VMSM production scale-up.

About Vimag Labs

Vimag Labs is a Bengaluru-based deep-technology company building a new class of electric motor. Its patented VMSM platform replaces rare-earth permanent magnets with software-defined magnetic fields, delivering equivalent or superior performance across mobility, industrial, and defence applications. The company is scaling operations across India, Europe, and the United States.