The Tech Connect

Behind the Wheel: Paolo Bargiacchi, Director of Electrification at Motion Applied (formerly McLaren Applied) In this episode of The Tech Connect, Paolo Bargiacchi shares his journey through the automotive industry; from his early days at Jaguar Land Rover and Bentley to his current role at Motion (McLaren) Applied. With a passion for electrification and product management, Paolo offers insights in...

Behind the Power: Thomas Blazak, Chief Engineer at Proterra In this episode of The Tech Connect, Thomas Blazak, Chief Engineer at Proterra, shares his inspiring journey from childhood curiosity to leading battery development for electric buses. With a deep passion for clean technology, mentorship, and cycling, Thomas offers a compelling look into the future of engineering and the collaborative cul...

Behind the mission: Sebastian Clauss, VP Software at STARK In this episode of The Tech Connect, Sebastian Clauss shares his journey from Air Force officer to leading software development for unmanned systems at Stark. With deep roots in aerospace and military technology, Sebastian reflects on the lessons learned from his service, the evolving defense market, and the importance of building purpose-...

Behind the Power: Jens Groot, Chief Engineer Battery System at Polestar In this electrifying episode of The Tech Connect, Jens Groot, Chief Engineer for Battery Systems at Polestar, takes us on a journey from academia to the cutting edge of clean tech. With a rich background in electrical engineering and a passion for hands-on innovation, Jens shares insights into the interdisciplinary nature of b...

Behind the Robot: Salimzhan Gafurov, Director of Advanced Research & Technology at Verne In this episode of The Tech Connect, Salimzhan Gafurov shares his inspiring journey from aviation to robotics and autonomous driving. With two PhDs and a passion for innovation, Salimzhan reflects on the importance of education, networking, and embracing competition to drive personal and industry-wide grow...

Behind the Robot: Brennand Pierce, Founder & CEO of Kinisi Robotics In this episode of The Tech Connect, Brennand Pierce, CEO of Kinisi Robotics, shares his lifelong passion for robotics and his journey from tinkering as a kid to leading a cutting-edge robotics startup. With candid reflections on education, leadership, and the future of AI, Bren offers a compelling look into the realities of b...

Behind the Robot: Dr. Robert Mackenzie, Deep Tech Executive In this episode of The Tech Connect, host Adam Ewing speaks with Robert McKenzie, CTO and robotics visionary, about his journey through the robotics industry and the values that drive his work. From balancing family life with leadership responsibilities to championing technology for good, Robert offers a thoughtful and inspiring look into...

Behind the Power: Sean Ackley, VP of Energy & Infrastructure at Einride In this episode of The Tech Connect, Sean Ackley, VP of Energy and Infrastructure at Einride, shares his journey from mechanical engineer to a key leader in the electric freight and e-mobility sector. With a passion for building and a mindset rooted in curiosity, Sean offers insights into the challenges and opportunities o...

Behind the wheel: Ricardo Garcia, Software Manager at Continental Automotive (soon to be AUMOVIO) In this episode of The Tech Connect, Ricardo Garcia, a seasoned engineering leader at Continental, shares his 18-year journey through the automotive industry. From starting as a technical engineer to leading software development and managing cross-functional teams, Ricardo offers a candid look into th...

Behind the Power: Sebastian Moitzheim, CTO of Powall In this episode of The Tech Connect, Sebastian Moitzheim, CTO of Powall, shares his journey from academic research to leading a cutting-edge battery technology startup. With a background in life sciences and nanotechnology, Sebastian reflects on the transition from theory to application, the role of AI in accelerating research, and the importanc...

Behind the Power: Prateek Mehta, Acceleration Lead at Mitra Chem In this episode of The Tech Connect, Prateek shares his journey from studying chemical engineering in India to leading a cutting-edge team at MitraChem, a battery materials startup in California. We dive into his path from academia to industry, exploring the leadership challenges and opportunities that come with building in the fast-...

Behind the Power: Richard LeCain, CTO at UKBIC In this episode of The Tech Connect, we sit down with Richard LeCain, CTO of the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), to explore the dynamic world of battery technology, industrialization, and team leadership. From his early days in chemical engineering to pioneering lithium iron phosphate commercialization at A123 Systems, Richard shares a ca...

Behind the Power: Andre Gronke, Head of Global Engineering at Farasis Energy In this episode of The Tech Connect, we sit down with André Gronke, Head of Engineering Project Management and Technical Acquisition at Farasis Energy Europe. With over a decade of experience in battery technology, from his early days at Mercedes to leadership roles at A123 Systems and now Farasis, André shares his journe...

Behind the Yoke: Jason Coon, Founder & Principal Consultant and Former VP of Systems, Software and Intergration at Archer In this episode of The Tech Connect , aerospace engineer Jason Coon takes us through his career journey; from early interests to leadership in the fast-evolving eVTOL sector. Jason shares his perspective on how teamwork, diversity, and innovation fuel progress in aerospace,...

Behind the Wheel: Gorazd Gotovac, CTO of Elaphe In this episode of The Tech Connect , we speak with Gorazd Gotovac, CTO of Elaphe, about his journey from mathematical physics to leading innovations in in-wheel motor technology. Gorazd shares insights on building from a vision, aligning teams for breakthrough results, and why mobility’s future will be shaped by both engineering excellence and human...

Behind the Entrepreneur: Yateendra Deshpande, Co-Founder at Conifer In this episode of The Tech Connect , Conifer's Yateendra Deshpande shares the leap from high-pressure engineering roles into founding a startup pioneering sustainable ferrite-magnet motors. We explore his early influences, lessons from Apple and Lucid, the risks of entrepreneurship, and why staying true to your mission matters. T...

Behind the Power: Dennis Yu, Director of Hardware & Systems Engineering at Liminal Insights Inc. In this episode of The Tech Connect , we talk to Dennis Yu , Director of Hardware & Systems Engineering at Liminal , a startup using ultrasound to transform battery quality inspection. Dennis shares his unconventional path from trade school to UC Berkeley to helping deploy novel metrology tools...

Behind the Power: Daniel Evans, Former Senior Manager of Research and Development In this episode of The Tech Connect , we talk with Dan Evans , Former Senior Manager of Research and Development at Alsym Energy , about what it takes to lead battery R&D in a high-stakes, high-growth environment. Dan shares his unconventional path from zeolite synthesis to aqueous battery innovation, and why mak...

Behind the Power: Ninni Hed, Senior Manager, Software & Electronics at BorgWarner Inc. In this episode of The Tech Connect , we sit down with Ninni Hed , Chief Engineer at BorgWarner, whose career journey spans mobile tech, IT infrastructure, and now electrification. Ninni shares how she navigated major transitions; from coaching rival tech teams to leading global battery system strategy, all...

Behind the Power: Aamir Iqbal Waidha, Head of Research & Development at theion In this episode of The Tech Connect , we meet Dr. Aamir Iqbal Waidha, Head of R&D at Thion and a passionate material scientist reshaping the future of energy storage. From growing up in India to leading cutting-edge battery innovation in Berlin, Aamir walks us through his academic path in nanotechnology and soli...

Behind the Power: Xavier Kohll, CTO & Co-Founder at Circu Li-ion In this episode of The Tech Connect, we speak with Xavier Kohll, CTO and co-founder of Circu Li-ion, whose journey from Swiss research labs to robotic battery dismantling is driving real impact in the clean tech revolution. Xavier shares: 🔬 How soft robotics and academic research led to a real-world startup solution ⚡ Why Europ...

Behind the Power: Tom Maull, Technical Strategy Manager at Elysia Battery Intelligence In this episode of Behind the Power , we sit down with Tom Maull , Technical Strategy Manager at Elysia Battery Intelligence , whose unconventional career path has taken him from US courtrooms to UK racetracks, and everywhere in between. Tom shares: ⚙️ How a career in litigation consulting shaped his systems-thi...

🎙️ Behind the Entrepreneur: Niclas Lehnert, Co-Founder of PulseTrain In this episode, we sit down with Niclas Lehnert , co-founder of PulseTrain , a deep tech startup pioneering sustainable battery management systems for electric vehicles and beyond. Niclas shares the remarkable story of how a Christmas Eve conversation sparked the idea for PulseTrain, the intense journey from prototype to commerc...