Airgility Inc. is composed of topnotch professionals working together to build a company focused on critical missions, and the like. It has been around since April 2017 and only employs the best there is. This is to make sure that all is working well in accordance with the company’s mission, which includes their investors’ interests.
The company has technologically-geared leaders, the best advisors, and most of all, a team of engineers. All members of this organization lend expertise to whatever project they take on and promote to their target consumers.
Airgility, Inc.’s Leaders, Founders, Execs: Who Are They?
Get to know Airgility Inc. leaders, founders, & execs below.
Pramod Raheja, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Pramod Raheja is the Chief Executive Officer of Airgility. He possesses over 30 years of experience in aviation and aerospace operations. CEO Raheja is a seasoned entrepreneur and a proven leader who consistently exceeds revenue goals. I’m
With an unwavering passion for business growth, Raheja excels in creating innovative service offerings and executive-level relationships. Additionally, he is adept at strategizing and mentoring team members. Raheja’s expertise extends to tactical and strategic aspects of technology, prioritizing customer-focused approach to management, new business development, revenue growth, and profitability.
Raheja is a graduate of the Founder’s Institute and the Entrepreneurial Master’s Program at MIT and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland. He is a longstanding member and past President of the Entrepreneur’s Organization. Add to that, he founded multiple companies, including mystaffNOW and Intelligent Office, while working as a full-time pilot with United Airlines.
Evandro Valente, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Evandro Valente is the Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Airgility. Prior to that, while working as a faculty member at the University of Maryland in College Park, he played an active role in shaping Airgility’s vision.
Valente is the inventor of intellectual property and leads the company’s technical development and product design to drive innovation and oversee various areas. These include manufacturing, test and evaluation, flight testing, and supporting business development alongside the CEO.
He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Aerospace from UMCP and has a solid background with over 14 years of experience in vehicle design, fabrication, advanced composites, assembly and integration, wind tunnel, flight testing, and piloting.
He also spent 12 years as an Engineering lecturer at the A. J. Clark School of Engineering at UMCP before joining Airgility full-time.
Other team members
- Gregory McDonough, Chief Financial Officer
- Navin Ganeshan, Chief of Product, Gemini Data
- Darrin Auito, JD MBA, Strategic Technology Advisor
- David Bain, Serial Entrepreneur
- Jewel Barlow, PhD, World-Renowned Aerodynamicist and Vehicle Dynamics Expert
- Inderit Chopra, PhD, World-Renowned Rotor-Craft Expert
- Timothy K. Koriuchi, PhD, Bio-Inspired Systems SME
What is Airgility Inc.’s Flagship Product?
Airgility’s flagship product is the HorseSHU. It’s a special aircraft that can take off, land vertically, and fly forward really fast. This is possible because of its unique design that controls the direction of the thrust.
The idea for this aircraft started in 2006 when the University of Maryland’s Design, Build, and Fly Team developed it. They got inspired by an old aircraft called the Vought V-172 “Flying Pancake”. Evandro, one of the team members, realized that by adding a special type of engine control, they could make an aircraft that didn’t need a runway and fly forward more efficiently than similar systems.
In 2015, Evandro shared his invention with the Office of Technology Commercialization and filed a temporary patent. Then, they began building the HorseSHU (HS-1) prototype, which they named after the horseshoe crab found in the Chesapeake Bay. After completing the prototype, Evandro and Pramod started Airgility Inc. in April 2017.
(Photos from Airgility’s Official Website)
Who Does Airgility Serve?
Airgility’s main customers are public safety, the federal government, and the commercial sector.
Airgility creates a social impact by building aerial unmanned systems that serve the noble purpose of supporting national security and defense missions. The College Park, Maryland-based company’s drones defy conventional flights’ boundaries, covering confined areas with scarce GPS access.
Airgility tackles critical missions such as search and rescue operations, border protection, and delivering medical supplies to remote areas with these capabilities. With artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, the company’s drones perceive the surroundings effortlessly to create maps, track objects, and provide real-time analytical feedback.
Who are Airgility Inc.’s Investors?
Airgility secured investments from various organizations, including the U.S. Air Force Labs’ MassChallenge, the U.S. Air Force, and the National Science Foundation. The company was one of the initial ten startups that participated in the U.S. Air Force Lab with MassChallenge.
Mass Challenge is a two-year pilot project that promoted nontraditional involvement in Small Business Innovative Research program opportunities in April 2020. Just before that, in August 2019, Airgility received a grant of $225,000 from the National Science Foundation.
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