Our CEO

Niran Somasundaram is the founder and CEO of Etruvi, where he combines over 12 years of experience in product development with a decade of academic research to drive innovation at the intersection of machine learning, data science, sensors, and cloud technology. His journey has been marked by a commitment to transforming ideas into tangible products, leveraging his extensive background in both research and practical applications.

Professional Journey

Niran's career began with ten years in academic research across institutions in the United States, Canada, and Singapore. But the passion precedes that to school days accompanied by transistors, integrated circuits, wires, magnets, nuts, bolts, scrap metal and later extended to assembly language, C, Visual Basic, and embedded processors. This foundation laid the groundwork for his transition into product development, where he spent a significant portion of his career at Amazon. During his decade at Amazon, he held various technical lead roles within AWS and Amazon Go, successfully spinning out many applied science initiatives from concept to real-life products. His ability to navigate complex technological landscapes and lead multi-disciplinary teams has been pivotal in delivering innovative solutions.

Innovative Contributions

With 23 granted patents and 30 publications to his name, Niran has demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing technology through rigorous research and practical application. He has a proven track record in leading projects that utilize cutting-edge technologies such as ML, data science, signal processing and sensor integration, making significant contributions to product development that enhance system efficiency, robustness, user experiences and operational efficiency.

Etruvi’s Culture

The culture at Etruvi is deeply influenced by Niran's learnings from his life, from his time at Amazon, University of Southern California (Go Trojans!), and various research laboratories. He believes in fostering an environment where experimentation is encouraged, and lessons learned from both successes and failures are valued. This approach not only drives innovation but also cultivates a team dynamic that empowers individuals to challenge the status quo.

Mentorship and Team Development

Niran is passionate about mentorship, having spent years identifying hidden talent in and outside of work, and motivating them to achieve their best. His leadership style emphasizes individual potential, efficiency, encouraging team members to take initiative while providing the guidance necessary for growth. He believes that culture is equally important as technical strength for driving any team’s mission forward.

Vision for the Future

As CEO of Etruvi, Niran is dedicated to leveraging cutting-edge and useful technologies to create scalable solutions that meet the evolving needs of businesses. His hands-on approach ensures that he remains engaged with both the technical details and the broader vision of the company, positioning Etruvi as a leader in innovative technology solutions. In summary, Niran Somasundaram embodies a blend of academic rigor and practical experience, driving Etruvi towards a future filled with possibilities while maintaining a grounded approach to leadership and innovation.

Niran holds a PhD, and MEng both in wireless communications, a BSc (Hons) in Electronics & Telecom. Held multiple roles as technical advisor, applied science lead, technical lead, system architect, algorithms/signal processing engineer, embedded systems engineer, research fellow, research assistant, and of course tinkerer and hacker (positive).