Dr. Rajan Kapur

Dr. Rajan Kapur started his career at AT&T Bell Labs. Since 1985 he has worked exclusively with start-ups, first with micro-chips in the Silicon
Valley, and then micro-displays in Colorado. In 2006, he transitioned to renewable energy and founded a solar micro-inverter company that he later sold. Since then, he has run a sustainability incubator in his garage in Colorado, working with small dispersed teams on early-stage projects, with participants from the US and abroad.

In the leadership team at IEEE Smart Village, an all-volunteer humanitarian seed-fund cum incubator, he works with five regional groups in underserved regions around the world. They leverage renewable energy and the productive use of technologies, education and enterprise to improve livelihoods. They address climate change through the electrification of underserved economies. 

Current enterprises include Solar smart irrigation in India, gem-stone cutting in Zambia, electrification to combat deforestation in Argentina, peri-urban aquaculture in Malawi and India, Solar animal farming in China, etc. Working with Rotary International, IEEE Smart Village has funded telehealth projects in Uganda and Kenya. Under his leadership, they have started “vocational awareness” initiatives for children to better prepare for a more electrified future.

Dr. Kapur is the holder of five issued US patents. He holds Electrical Engineering degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur; Rice University, Houston and the University of Texas at Austin.