The aerogel market is growing rapidly, mainly driven by the rising demand from the applications of oil and gas, construction, transportation, performance coating, day-lightning, and others. A venture capital-backed aerogel solutions start-up, KrossLinker is based out of Singapore. Founded by a team of scientists, Dr. Mahesh Nathan is leading the technological innovation at KrossLinker, enabling the company to make aerogels affordable and accessible to the most demanding insulation applications from cold-chain and e-mobility to construction and energy infrastructure.
A leading expert in insulation technology, Dr. Mahesh Nathan has more than ten years of experience in engineering, manufacturing, and commercializing high-performance insulation material. CEO INSIGHTS recently engaged in a one on one interaction with Mahesh Nathan. Here are the highlights from our conversation.
Throw some light on your educational and professional background. Could you talk about the learnings and experiences you acquired from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore?
I am a mechanical and aerospace engineer by training and I served the Air force for 17 years, which included 12 years in various leadership roles, spearheading projects, training, people development and leading teams till 2010. I completed my Ph.D. in 2015 from NTU, researching advanced nanomaterials called aerogels for a decade now. NTU is a world-class institution renowned for its state-of-the-art campus facilities, interdisciplinary faculties, and research in engineering fields. I had the opportunities to work with different professors from various fields on sophisticated equipment and research on aerogels under the tutelage of A/P Sunil Joshi. Venturing into an unknown field and pushing the boundaries gave me the motivation and adrenaline to keep marching.
How would you define KrossLinker as an organization and its position in the market? What is the unique proposition that your organization offers to clients?
At KrossLinker, we believe the world deserves a better way to be energy efficient. We are an aerogel innovation company developing a state-of-the-art platform technology to address the thermal insulation management inadequacies in the industry.
We are the first company to address a USD 80 Billion cold chain market segment where thermal insulation inefficiencies are responsible for USD 15 Billion. Our state-of-the-art platform technology produces various aerogel products in different forms and factors developed by our expert team. With our aerogels, we advocate reusability and recyclability to eventually reduce carbon emissions by 40% in the value chain. We offer premium protection at a competitive cost and ROI that can be realized within months by adopting our solutions. Our aerogel technology will create strong economic and environmental incentives across the entire value chain for broader adoption to contribute toward Global 2030 UN SDGs to reduce GHG emissions.
What are the major challenges you have experienced in your journey so far? How did you overcome them, and what did you learn from them?
Even a small challenge for a startup would be seen as a significant roadblock because every challenge that is addressed will cause a strain on resources, finances, and manpower, especially in the formative years. We must remain calm and conscious of what we set out to do and make small, calibrated changes along the way to stay on course. My co-founders and I had to wear many different hats to manage resources with prudence to keep us in the game. As a founder, I often find myself repairing and operating machines and planning the budget for the company or reviewing legal contracts, all within a day. While many are fascinated by our traction and technology, it still takes a lot of education to create awareness, push use-cases, proving data, and other strategies to turn heads expected from any new disruptive technology as the industry needs to acclimatize to changes. The learning curve has been steep but rewarding as we are able to see how the whole eco-system functions.
How do you maintain the perfect balance between your personal and professional life? What is your success mantra?
I don’t believe we can ever maintain a ‘perfect balance' but we should be thankful and count our blessings that a ‘balance’ is achieved in the first place. Relationships are vital to maintaining that balance and I get my strength from the support of my wife, Rani, and our three children. They have been with me throughout the journey and the ones I confide in, especially during my struggles. Knowing someone has your back gives you the confidence to break all barriers. I indulge in active listening in everything I do, and I think it is one of the most essential personal and professional qualities.
Expect the unexpected and understand different perspectives, especially the thin line between failure & success. What is perceived as a failure by one is seen as a success by another
What drives you today as an industry leader? In the light of your strong experience, what advice would you give to budding industry leaders?
I am self-driven and passionate about innovations and creating a changed mindset. A significant part of what drives me till today is being resolute, decisive, and creating a sense of belief and confidence with my colleagues and our industry partners. We are facing a future with uncertainties and complexities brought about by climate change, resource scarcity, and inefficiencies in energy management. Industries are moving away from mortar and brick businesses and embracing future technologies. Industry leaders should view the industry with new perspectives and collaborate to create a collective effort towards sustainability in business, growth, and opportunities. A collaborative initiative creates more success than failures and can turn failures into success.
Dr. Mahesh Nathan, Co-Founder & Director, KrossLinker
A Ph.D. in the aerogel domain with several journal publications, patents, and a book on Silica Aerogel Composites, Dr. Mahesh was featured in the Straits Times and several magazines for aerogel innovation. He enjoys a good movie or conversation, playing soccer, and Indian and local fusion cuisine. He prefers to stay updated with current affairs and likes reading about history.
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