Sampriti Bhattacharyya

About

Sampriti Bhattacharyya is the founder and CEO of Navier, a San Francisco-based startup revolutionizing maritime transportation with zero-emission electric hydrofoil boats that "fly" above the water for unparalleled efficiency—up to 10 times more than traditional vessels—boasting the world's longest-range electric boat and features like AI-driven autodocking to make waterways viable highways for people and goods at land-like speeds and costs. Born in Kolkata, India, she overcame early academic hurdles and cultural barriers, moving to the U.S. at age 20 with just $200 to intern at Fermilab, followed by internships at NASA, a master's in aerospace engineering from Ohio State University, and a PhD in mechanical engineering from MIT, where her work on autonomous underwater drones inspired her first company, Hydroswarm. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, advocate for women in STEM, and persistent innovator who once applied to over 500 internships, Bhattacharyya now leads Navier in scaling sustainable ocean mobility, with prototypes operating in the Bay Area and ambitions for global commercial, military, and transit networks.