# Josh Santos

> Josh Santos is an MIT-trained engineer, Noya co-founder and former CEO who now works with Fifty Years on its 5050 founder program in London. His career includes work on Tesla Model 3 production and Harley-Davidson electric powertrains. He founded Noya with former roommate Daniel Cavero in 2020, led it through an $11 million Series A, and announced its wind-down in August 2025.

- **Role:** 5050 founder program team member at Fifty Years
- **Organizations:** Fifty Years, Noya (co-founder; wound down in 2025), Tesla (former), Harley-Davidson (former), Labdoor (former)
- **Education:** B.S., Chemical-Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Management Development Program, University of Richmond - Robins School of Business, Y Combinator
- **Known for:** Co-founded direct air capture startup Noya in 2020., Forbes 30 Under 30, 2022 Social Impact list., Led Noya through an $11 million Series A in 2023.

## Career timeline

- **2014** — Graduated from MIT.
- **2017–2018** — Project manager on Tesla’s Model 3 program.
- **2019–2020** — Senior program manager working on electric powertrain development at Harley-Davidson.
- **2020** — Co-founded Noya with Daniel Cavero.
- **2021** — Noya participated in Y Combinator Winter 2021.
- **2023** — Noya announced an $11 million Series A led by USV and Collaborative Fund.
- **2024** — Noya announced a sorbent manufacturing partnership with Johnson Matthey.
- **2025-08** — Announced Noya’s wind-down and helped alumni seek jobs.
- **2025-11** — Announced his move to London and work with Fifty Years on 5050.
- **2026-02** — Promoted Paycheck to Pre-Seed Playbook sessions for aspiring founders.

## Achievements

- Co-founded direct air capture startup Noya in 2020.
- Forbes 30 Under 30, 2022 Social Impact list.
- Led Noya through an $11 million Series A in 2023.
- Worked on Tesla Model 3 production scaling and Harley-Davidson electric powertrain development.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Shared reflections from UK 5050 camp on candid conversations, trust and taking time away from work.
- **2026-02** — Announced Paycheck to Pre-Seed Playbook sessions for prospective founders.
- **2025-11** — Announced London relocation and work with Fifty Years on the ARIA-backed 5050 program.
- **2025-08** — Announced Noya wind-down and organized an alumni hiring list.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshisantos/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/joshsandtoes

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/josh-santos
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22