Hyperloop One announced Wednesday that it's promoted financial advisor Brent Callinicos to COO and CFO. The company is one of several racing to develop a high-speed train based on a concept developed by entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Top priority: Callinicos' first priority will be raising a Series C in the coming months, he told the Wall Street Journal. While at Uber as the company's CFO for three years, he helped the company raise more than $4 billion in equity and debt funding.
- The funding round is likely to be large—in October, Forbes reported that the company plans to raise as much as $250 million in early 2017. Reached for comment, Hyperloop One declined to share specifics with Axios about its fundraising plans.
Extra marketing: In the next 90 days, Hyperloop One plans to do a demo of a new track, and while Callinicos says that the fundraising is unrelated to its construction, it will likely be a "flashy public display that is going to cause a spike in demand," he told the Journal.
Why now? Callinicos' promotion is in part due to a recent fight between some of Hyperloop One's executives. Co-founder Brogan BamBrogan and three other execs sued the company last year, alleging mismanagement.
