ABOUT US
The people behind the revolution
ABOUT US
The people behind the revolution
Founder & CEO
ANKUR BHATNAGAR
Prior to founding Flyway, Ankur was a co-founder of skyTran, a magnetic levitation automated personal transit technology company based in California, USA. skyTran worked with reputed organisations including NASA and Israel Aerospace Industries, and attracted investments from reputed investors such as Innovation Endeavors, Tim Draper, Adam Neuman and Reliance Industries.
Ankur is driven by a passion to solve the intractable problem of transportation for almost two decades. This passion motivated him to join a team of similarly highly motivated and talented team of engineers who founded skyTran, where he worked across technology, transport planning, investments, business development and partnerships.
Ankur has also worked in the field of telecom and software in CTO roles, and also in business consulting. He has graduate and post graduate engineering degrees from Indian Institutes of Technology in Roorkee and Kanpur in India.
Co-Founder
DAMITA NIKAPOTA
Damita has a background in corporate finance for (Delloite Haskins & Sells; Wasserstein Perella) followed by a move into the startup universe specializing in supporting Companies developing industrial process technologies and telecom in the UK and North America. Since 2013 Damita has increasingly been interested in environmental issues and the development of sustainable solutions with the focus on the developing world. In June 2015 became part of the environmental consultancy and technology/financial partnership, G2050, based in Lucerne, Switzerland. He is also currently a consultant for the Seattle, USA, based investment banking advisory and fund manager, GILfund and is also heading EISC Advisors (Dubai, USA) which is involved in spearheading the Sri Lanka Green Energy Hub Project centered on Sri Lanka but also involving the East Coast of India and Bangladesh plus other startup sustainable development solutions. Through these activities Damita has an extensive network of relationships with VC’s, Impact Funds, Private equity and hedge funds in UAE, South and Southeast Asia.
Concurrently Damita also worked in film distribution and production (for United International Pictures among others) as he saw films and startups as similar in that all films are startups.
Damita holds a BA (Hons) Modern Studies from Coventry University.
Advisory
Board
Flyway’s Business Strategy, Technology Strategy, Market
Outreach and Investor Connect is Ably Guided by a Team of
Highly Accomplished Leaders in Their Fields.
Advisory
Board
Flyway’s Business Strategy, Technology Strategy, Market Outreach and Investor Connect is Ably Guided by a Team of Highly Accomplished Leaders in Their Fields.
JOHN COLE
Co-Founder & CEO of skyTran
Product and technology strategy
John is a seasoned technology startup and turnaround CEO with extensive engineering experience across multiple industries, including mobility, aerospace, medical devices, and renewable energy. He possesses a unique combination of technical skills, including mechanical design and simulation, quality management, and automated systems design. John’s technical expertise enables him to solve complex problems and drive innovation.
John’s leadership skills are equally impressive, with a proven ability to sell ambitious projects to investors and partners, organize and motivate teams through adversity, and turn around struggling companies. He has a talent for storytelling, which enables him to secure funding and forge partnerships with governments and large companies worldwide. John’s soft skills complement his technical expertise, making him a versatile and effective leader.
John’s accomplishments are notable, with two standout examples demonstrating his leadership and innovation. He led a team in developing a breakthrough transportation technology, securing over $200 million in funding and forging global partnerships. Additionally, he founded a company that developed a revolutionary wind turbine generator, raising sufficient funds to build a 65kW prototype. John’s ability to drive innovation, secure funding, and build partnerships has made a significant impact in the industries he has touched.
RAJESH RAZDAN
Tech Investor, Serial Entrepreneur
Funding and corporate strategy
Rajesh has worked across roles, consulting, product management and marketing, business development, sales, across multi cultural regions and geos. Innovation has always been the thinking DNA and it helped me with my entrepreneurial stints and investing experiences alike. Rajesh considers himself an entrepreneur first and last by trying and navigating everything in between. From working for Fortune 100 companies to bootstrapping a startup, Rajesh has had the opportunities to navigate the nuances of capital raise, growth and scale, culture building, exits and transitions. He keeps constantly thinking about large impacts that can be created by building long lasting businesses with ever changing business models and innovation.
CHHAVI LAL
Principal Eastman Perkins
Integrating Flyway Rapid in large scale real estate projects
Chhavi is an award winning large scale property planner and designer. She has done master planning and built- area design for projects of over a hundred acres. These projects include universities and mixed use townships. With a background in architecture and urban design, Chhavi is a practitioner with more than 18 years’ experience.
She is a Principal with Perkins Eastman, a global design firm and has been pivotal in establishing the firm’s presence in the country. She has designed and delivered large scale institutional and mixed-use developments. She is passionate about sustainability and integrates it closely in all her work. Chhavi has won many awards and speaks as a recognised expert at national and international levels in India, Middle East and Europe.
Apart from professional work, she is active in the fraternity through association with academia and mentoring. She’s been involved in international events like World Urban Forum, Local Projects Challenge and World Congress of Architects to promote and support UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. She is an Associate member of the Indian Institute of Architects, Institute of Urban Designers in India and Urban Land Institute.
