Fierce Electronics proudly announces the fifth group of 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.
Kaitlin Howell
Age 35
Product Manager
Sensirion
Dr. Kaitlin Howell is a product manager for the CO2 gas sensing portfolio at Sensirion. She holds an MSc. and PhD in Microsystems and Microelectronics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) Lausanne, Switzerland as well as a Master of Advanced Studies in Management, Technology and Economics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. She has experience in both research and strategic roles. Having transitioned from R&D to product management in 2022, her mission is to bring miniaturized sensors to market that directly impact people’s lives.
Andrea De Luca
Age 39
Co-founder and CEO
Flusso Ltd.
Andrea De Luca earned a first-class equivalent from the University of Naples Federico II and a PhD from Cambridge and has produced more than 70 publications and 17 patent families in MEMS sensors, earning numerous awards. In 2016, he co-founded Flusso Ltd., serving as CEO and leading it to a $32 million acquisition in 2022—the fastest exit for a Cambridge Engineering Department spinoff. Under his leadership, Flusso secured more than $6 million in equity, grew to 35-40 employees and brought 3 products to market. Engineering accolades include the 2020 Royal Academy of Engineering Young Engineer of the Year. His innovative contributions include the award-winning FLS112 and FLS122 sensor, the world’s smallest mass flow and air velocity sensors, respectively.
Hardik Nagrecha
Age 33
Business Partner
REW Earth LLC
Hardik Nagrecha is business partner for REW Earth, devoted to the intersection of consumer hardware, AI and sustainability. He has been a hardware engineer at PanasonicWELL and Yohana, which offered a personal assistant service for busy parents. At Google, he worked with teams on Nest, Pixel and other products. He holds a master’s of science in robotic system development at Carnegie Mellon and an engineer’s degree in electronics and instrumentation from Vellore Institute of Technology. He proudly serves on the advisory board of Sensors Converge.
Jack Howley
Age 29
Technology Analyst
IDTechEx
Dr. Jack Howley is a Technology Analyst supporting IDTechEx’s research in printed and flexible sensor technology. Prior to IDTechEx, Jack was a PhD researcher at the University of Oxford.
Jack obtained his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry for Future Manufacturing at the University of Oxford, where his work focused on the development of novel air-stable phosphorus precursors to indium phosphide quantum dots. During this time, Jack also worked at Oxford University Innovation supporting the commercialization of technology across the physical and life sciences, in areas including gas sensing, deep brain stimulation, and bioanalysis platforms. Jack also holds an MChem degree from the University of Edinburgh. During this time, he worked at Solvay (previously Cytec Industries) within the Mining Solutions business unit, developing solutions for mineral beneficiation and toxic metal removal from phosphate rock.