# Matt Chasen

> Matt Chasen is an Austin-based entrepreneur and engineer who co-founded uShip in 2003 and served as its founding CEO until 2016. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of LIFT Aircraft, developer of the HEXA electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and remains a uShip board director. His career connects online shipping marketplaces with efforts to make personal flight accessible.

- **Role:** Founder, Chairman and CEO at LIFT Aircraft; Co-founder and Board Director at uShip
- **Organizations:** uShip, LIFT Aircraft, Hitch, Boeing
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, MBA, Texas McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin
- **Known for:** Co-founded uShip and led the company until 2016., Austin Business Journal Best CEO, small company category, 2012., Austin Under 40 business and entrepreneur category honoree, 2011.

## Career timeline

- **1998** — Earned a mechanical engineering degree from UT Austin; subsequently worked at Boeing in Seattle.
- **2001** — The uShip origin account places his Seattle-to-Austin move, in a largely empty rental truck, in this year.
- **2003** — Co-founded uShip with Jay Manickam and Mickey Millsap while attending business school.
- **2004** — uShip.com launched in March; Chasen completed his MBA in May.
- **2005** — Benchmark invested in uShip’s Series A; Bob Kagle joined the board.
- **2016** — Stepped down as uShip CEO on December 1, remaining on the board.
- **2017** — Founded LIFT Aircraft. SEC records date his service to September; the company story dates its founding to November.
- **2018** — Piloted HEXA’s first crewed flight in October; SEC records date his Hitch chairmanship to July.
- **2023** — LIFT demonstrated piloted HEXA flights in Japan with Marubeni.
- **2025** — Attended LIFT’s World Expo demonstration in Osaka; LIFT later announced initiation of FAA type certification for a commercial HEXA edition.
- **2026** — Appeared with HEXA at the September Project Nexus launch in Fort Worth.

## Achievements

- Co-founded uShip and led the company until 2016.
- Austin Business Journal Best CEO, small company category, 2012.
- Austin Under 40 business and entrepreneur category honoree, 2011.
- University of Texas McCombs Rising Star honoree, 2011.
- Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Central Texas finalist, 2010.
- Recognized in UT Austin’s Distinguished Mechanical Engineer class of 2020.
- Piloted the inaugural crewed flight of LIFT’s HEXA in October 2018.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — LIFT displayed HEXA and a full-motion simulator at the Project Nexus eIPP launch at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport; Chasen toured the aircraft with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
- **2026-04** — LIFT’s annual SEC filing continued to identify Chasen as founder, CEO and chairman, with uShip board and Hitch chairman roles.
- **2025-12** — LIFT announced that it had initiated the FAA type certification process for a new commercial HEXA edition; this was an announcement of a process, not completed certification.
- **2025-04** — Chasen attended HEXA’s World Expo demonstration in Osaka alongside Marubeni executives.

## Links

- Website: https://www.liftaircraft.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewchasen
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mattchasen

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/matt-chasen
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-26