Marcus Leng

Opener founder Marcus Leng's personal interest in aeronautics began at an early age. He obtained a recreational pilot's license at the age of 18 and never stopped thinking about flight. After completing his education at the University of Toronto in 1983 with a Mechanical Engineering Degree, Marcus worked in multiple management roles with multinational corporations until venturing out on his own in 1986 to build a successful manufacturing company.

After selling his manufacturing firm and retiring, Marcus pursued his love of aeronautics. He dug into researching aircraft design and ultimately realized that converging technologies had the potential to revolutionize air travel. This epiphany inspired him. Everything from batteries, electric motors, and controllers, to carbon fiber technology, had reached a point where it was possible to produce all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) personal ultralight aircraft. Leng innovated motor, motor controller, and carbon fiber technologies and was awarded the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) 2019 August Raspet Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the advancement of light-aircraft design.