Fierce Sensors announces its fourth group of Rising Stars in the 2026 class. The awards are timed with Sensors Converge to be held May 5-7 in Santa Clara, CA.
Rising Stars drive advancements in technology and push boundaries with their creativity, expertise and impact. Groups of honorees are being named each week in no particular order.
Navya Veeturi
Cofounder, WYWA.AI
WYWA.AI
USA
Living in California, where wildfires have evolved from occasional disasters into a persistent and escalating threat due to climate change and prolonged dry conditions, Navya Veeturi has committed herself to addressing this crisis not merely as a theoretical research endeavor but as a pressing, personal reality that impacts communities daily.
She has skillfully assembled a diverse coalition of experts—including frontline firefighters, artificial intelligence specialists, hardware engineers, and leading academics from institutions such as MIT and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), alongside industry partners—to confront one of the most challenging real-world sensing problems: achieving reliable, ultra-early wildfire detection. Her inclusive leadership has drawn in contributors driven primarily by the potential for meaningful impact rather than traditional rewards, uniting them around a common goal of advancing early warning systems and proactive prevention strategies.
By effectively integrating hands-on field knowledge from emergency responders with cutting-edge AI algorithms and advanced sensor technologies, she is steadily narrowing the critical divide between innovative tech solutions and practical, on-the-ground firefighting operations. The project's growing momentum stems from deep-rooted trust among collaborators, seamless interdisciplinary teamwork, and an unwavering shared purpose to mitigate wildfire risks before they escalate.
WYWA.AI, which she co-founded, is a nonprofit lab that builds edge AI networks to smell and see wildfires at ignition. The system relies on a SNIFFR node, an edge device for continuous monitoring. AI models are trained on distinct chemical signatures captured by the sensors. Olfactory data is correlated with visual evidence, then generates an actionable alert.
Her contributions have garnered notable recognition, including invitations and features at prominent venues such as TED AI events and AI-focused forums like AI Kiran, highlighting her role in pushing forward impactful, human-centered AI applications for environmental resilience. She also serves as an engineering manager at Nvidia.
Cory Todd
Senior Embedded Systems Engineer
219 Design
USA
Cory Todd is a highly accomplished Senior Embedded Systems Engineer with more than 13 years of specialized experience in crafting robust, high-quality software for deeply embedded and resource-constrained systems. Currently at 219 Design, a firm focused on innovative product development, he has demonstrated proven expertise across diverse domains, including access control solutions, sophisticated counterfeit detection algorithms, Linux kernel enhancements, and device-level graphics engines.
Throughout his career, Cory has excelled in both leadership and hands-on technical roles, guiding cross-functional teams while remaining actively involved in implementation. He is particularly renowned for his proficiency in debugging complex issues and performing hardware bring-up during critical prototype stages, ensuring seamless transitions from concept to functional product. His collaborative approach enables effective partnerships with electrical engineers, mechanical designers, and other specialists to deliver integrated solutions.
Cory's technical proficiency includes mastery of C and Python programming languages, the Zephyr RTOS for real-time applications, and advanced Linux kernel development. He consistently prioritizes reliability, maintainability, and performance optimization in resource-limited environments, making him a valuable contributor to projects demanding precision and efficiency in embedded technologies.
Darien Niamir
Biosensor Manager
Meta
USA
Darien Niamir serves as Manager of Biosensors at Meta Platforms, leading efforts to advance social technologies through innovative sensor development, particularly for wearable and AR/VR applications.
At Meta, Darien progressed from Biosensor Architect—focused on designing and developing cutting-edge biosensor architectures—to the current managerial role overseeing biosensor teams and initiatives.
Previously, at Verily (Alphabet's life sciences division), Darien tracked emerging sensor technologies, evaluated novel sensing concepts for advanced medical devices, and delivered proof-of-concept prototypes. Darien ensured robust system performance under diverse physiological and environmental conditions, while also serving as a Hardware Engineer.
Earlier, as a Senior MEMS Engineer and MEMS Engineer at InvenSense, Darien specialized in characterizing accelerometers, gyroscopes, and pressure sensors. Darien provided critical debug analysis, resolved gyroscope issues, and contributed to next-generation MEMS and IC designs, including simulations and validations for improvements to flagship 6-axis inertial measurement units (IMUs) featuring Coriolis Vibratory Gyroscopes (CVGs).
Darien's career began with research and teaching support at Stanford University's Micro Structures and Sensors Lab. Niamir holds a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering (MEMS specialization) and a Bachelor's in Engineering Physics from Stanford, complemented by process engineering experience as an intern at Maxim Integrated.
Amit Nene
Senior Electrical Architect
Collaborative Robotics
USA
Amit Nene is a distinguished electrical engineer with a Bachelor's and Master's in Electrical/Electronics Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology, specializing in robotics, control systems, and image processing. His academic foundation has propelled a dynamic career focused on innovative hardware solutions for autonomous and AI-driven applications.
Currently serving as Senior Electrical Architect at Collaborative Robotics (Cobot), a startup revolutionizing human-robot collaboration with advanced AI-integrated cobots founded by former Amazon Robotics VP Brad Porter, Amit leads power distribution, sensor and compute selection, wiring, and testing for next-generation robotic systems. Previously, as Senior Electrical Engineer at Grabango, a pioneer in AI-powered cashierless retail technology, he managed compute platform design, certifications, testing, and manufacturing, contributing to scalable vision-based checkout solutions.
Earlier, as Principal Electrical Engineer at Mercedes-Benz R&D North America, Amit designed advanced cargo handling systems for commercial vans, incorporating cameras, onboard compute, and automation for efficient logistics. His innovations include patents like GB2556464A for delivery vehicle item distribution methods and US 62/944,831 for image capturing hardware, alongside projects such as Farm Assist—a semi-autonomous weed removal machine using image processing—and high-ranking robot designs in ABU Robocon competitions.
Amit's rapid progression through leadership roles in automotive, retail AI, and collaborative robotics, combined with his patented technologies and hands-on expertise in resource-constrained environments, make him an exemplary candidate for a Rising Star honor. Such recognitions celebrate emerging talents driving technological impact; Amit exemplifies this through his contributions to sustainable agriculture, efficient manufacturing, and human-centered automation, addressing real-world challenges like labor shortages and supply chain optimization with reliable, cutting-edge engineering.
Apurva Jain
VP of Product
Lumotive
Canada
Apurva Jain, Ph.D., is an outstanding candidate for the Rising Stars 2026 honor as VP of Product and Customer Success at Lumotive, where he spearheads the commercialization of groundbreaking programmable optics technology. Lumotive pioneers Light Control Metasurface (LCM™) beamforming chips, enabling solid-state, software-defined light steering without moving parts—revolutionizing 3D sensing, lidar, optical communications, and AI data center switching with advantages like ultra-wide fields of view, high reliability, and scalability.
With over a decade of expertise in optics, photonics, and semiconductor innovation, Apurva bridges rigorous technical development with market-driven deployment across mobility, robotics, and consumer electronics. He has guided transformative optical products from concept through mass production, emphasizing product strategy, manufacturing operations, and customer success.
His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Optics from CREOL at the University of Central Florida and a B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from McGill University, where his passion for optics was ignited. Apurva has played a pivotal role in Lumotive's global expansion, establishing its Canadian operations in Burnaby, BC, and contributing to the company's growing commercial traction amid over 150 patents.
Recognized as a thought leader, he frequently speaks at premier events like Sensors Converge 2026 and Optica webinars on lidar and next-generation 3D sensors. Apurva's blend of deep technical acumen, proven product leadership, and impact on emerging perception technologies positions him as a rising star driving the future of programmable optics and real-world innovation.