In what month and year was the Tesla Electric Company formed?

The Tesla Electric Company was formed in April 1887.

After leaving the Edison organization, Tesla endured a difficult period that included laboring on electrical projects and, for a time, working as a ditch digger. His fortunes changed when he met Alfred S. Brown, a Western Union superintendent, and Charles Fletcher Peck, a New York attorney who understood patents and business promotion.

Brown and Peck backed Tesla and helped establish a laboratory at 89 Liberty Street in Manhattan. The Tesla Electric Company gave him a place to develop electrical machinery, including alternating-current motors, generators, and related equipment. An agreement divided patent proceeds among Tesla, the backers, and continued development.

Tesla developed his famous AC induction motor during this period. Several related U.S. patents were issued on May 1, 1888, and the work soon attracted George Westinghouse. The company’s April 1887 formation should not be confused with Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing, an earlier venture formed in 1885.