Award-winning entrepreneur appointed CTO of Fenix International
Jit Bhattacharya, best known for his pioneering work in electric vehicles, has been appointed as Chief Technology Officer at Fenix International. The next-generation energy and financial services company has hired the well-respected Silicon Valley engineer and entrepreneur as part of an ongoing mission to deliver breakthrough technology and products to sub-Saharan Africa. Bhattacharya's more than 10 years' of experience in energy storage systems and product development will inform his work with the company.
Prior to accepting the role with Fenix, Bhattacharya worked as a senior manager in the special projects group at Apple Inc. Until 2014, Bhattacharya had served as the CEO and President of Mission Motors, a company which developed state-of-the-art technology for the emerging electric vehicle sector. Their company's record-breaking electric motorcycle remains one of the highest performing electric vehicles ever constructed.
Under Bhattacharya's leadership, the company raised over $30 million in capital and delivered battery and powertrain technology to manufacturers around the world including Honda Racing, Caterpillar, and Harley-Davidson.
In his new role, Bhattacharya will lead development of the company's next generation products, whilst ensuring that Fenix continues to provide exceptional customer experience to off-grid customers.
Bhattacharya will also lead Fenix's data science efforts as the company seeks to improve and extend its unique credit scoring for off grid customers into a wider portfolio of financing products offered through their ReadyPay platform.
As early as 2005, consultancy work on electrification in rural South Africa gave Bhattacharya exposure to the challenges and opportunities of off-grid home solar systems. This on the-ground experience will ensure that Fenix's technology remains specifically designed for the last-mile customers they are targeting.
Lyndsay Handler, CEO of Fenix International stated: "We're all incredibly excited to see how Jit's passion, skills and vision will accelerate our growth in the coming years. We know that if Fenix is going to achieve its mission of empowering last-mile customers with the benefits of solar energy, our technology and products need to be at the cutting edge of quality and cost. Jit has a track record of delivering world-class products and we're looking forward to him bringing that experience to Fenix."
Jit Bhattacharya, in his new role as CTO of Fenix International, commented: "Fenix has incredible credentials within the off-grid energy sector and are constantly striving to find the technology that will empower more change. With the costs of solar and battery technology continuing to improve, we have an incredible opportunity to bring life-changing energy systems to more households than ever before. Fenix's fearless pursuit of this goal is one of the reasons I am thrilled to be joining the team in Uganda."
Fenix are already providing their flagship home solar system, ReadyPay Power, to over 120,000 households in Uganda. The company, which has operations in Silicon Valley and Uganda, is planning further expansion into African markets with their pay-to-own delivery model.
