Fierce Electronics proudly announces the first four honorees in the inaugural 40 Under 40 awards program. These awards are timed with the 40th anniversary of Sensors Converge being held June 24-26 in Santa Clara, CA.
The Fierce Electronics 40 Under 40 recognizes individuals under 40 who are driving advancements in technology, pushing boundaries and shaping the future of electronics with their creativity, expertise and impact. Additional honorees will be named weekly in Fierce Electronics in no particular order.
The entire class will honored at Sensors Converge 2025, celebrating its 40th anniversary June 24-26 in Santa Clara, CA.
Francis Pellegrino
Age 24
CEO and Founder
AGR Sensors
Francis Pellegrino, CEO and founder of Advanced Growing Resources (AGR) Sensors, invented Spectre, the world’s first embedded spectroscopy module, paired with edge-AI and vision tech. It achieved 97% accuracy in early crop disease detection—revolutionizing agriculture and earning National Science Foundation SBIR funding. Previously, at D3 Embedded, he turned a struggling vision business profitable, deploying more than 5,000 units in applications such as autonomous robotics, while forging key partnerships with Intel and others for advanced camera tech. From his early days as the youngest lab grantee at the Institute of Optics to founding AGR from his garage, Francis shows resilience and ingenuity. Nonprofit work in mentoring and STEM education further his impact.
Kara Zappitelli
Age 33
Foundry Director
Science Corporation
In her current role as Foundry Director at Science Corporation, Kara Zappitelli has worked to re-build, re-tool, and re-vamp the company’s fab. She leads an efficient team of engineers and technicians, and her efforts have more than doubled wafer throughput. Kara’s expert management has seen Science Foundry emerge as a leading US-based fab that partners with researchers and companies around the world on the production of high quality MEMS devices. As the nascent market for Brain Computer Interface devices takes shape, Kara and her team at Science Foundry are building the foundation of domestic wafer production that is viewed as indispensable to this emerging industry. Her background includes a PhD in Physics from University of Oregon and postdoctoral research in neural engineering.
Mark Hettick
Age 34
Co-founder and VP of Engineering, Microfabrication
Precision Neuroscience
As co-founder and VP Engineering, Microfabrication at Precision Neuroscience, Mark Hettick has pioneered work in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). With a PhD from UC Berkeley (2018) in scalable solar cell and electronics growth techniques, Hettick honed his skills at Elon Musk’s Neuralink as a process engineer before co-founding Precision Neuroscience in 2020 with Dr. Benjamin Rapoport. Focused on patient-centric, minimally invasive BCI implants, he led the design and development of flexible microelectrode arrays, advancing the technology from concept to in vivo testing. Hettick also drove the acquisition of Precision BioMEMS, spending a year establishing the foundry. Under his leadership, Precision Neuroscience recently secured $102 million in Series C funding, cementing its role in revolutionizing neurotechnology with innovative, tissue-friendly solutions.
Sakyasingha Dasgupta
Age 39
Founder and CEO
EdgeCortix
Dr. Sakyasingha (Sakya) Dasgupta is Founder & CEO of EdgeCortix. He holds a PhD in Physics from the Max Planck Institute and leadership experience at Microsoft, IBM Research, and RIKEN. Sakya holds over 20 patents and 1000 professional citations. Founding EdgeCortix in 2019, he pioneered a software-first approach to AI chip design, optimizing compilers before hardware for unmatched energy efficiency. His SAKURA-II processor, powering generative AI under 8W, earned Electronic Products’ 2024 Product of the Year. Under his leadership, EdgeCortix achieved more than double yearly revenue growth, raised $37M, and secured a $26M Japan Government project and a US DoD contract. Recognized as a 2024 World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer, Sakya’s innovations, validated by NASA for space, are transforming aerospace and national security AI applications globally.