Team
WiBotic core technology was developed by co-founders, Ben Waters (CEO) and Professor Joshua Smith, at the University of Washington in Seattle. Now headquartered near the UW, the company continues to benefit from a rich pool of technical and managerial talent in one of the country’s fastest growing markets.
Leadership
Ben Waters, Ph.D.
CEO and Co-Founder
Ben Waters, Ph.D.
CEO and Co-Founder
Ben Waters has been the CEO of WiBotic since 2015, when he and Co-Founder Joshua Smith commercialized the wireless charging solutions they developed at the University of Washington. Ben is responsible for company vision, strategy and company operations. He is a Puget Sound Business Journal 2016 “40 Under 40” honoree.
As a graduate student, Ben developed the FREE-D System – a wireless power system for left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). LVADs are implanted artificial heart pumps for end-stage heart failure patients who are waiting or ineligible for a heart transplant. His research focused on the field of wireless power, including near-field antenna design, RF amplifiers, embedded systems, and adaptive maximum power point tracking systems as well as applications for these systems. He has worked with Network Appliance, Arup, Intel Labs Seattle and, most recently, with Bosch in 2013, where he continued his work in wireless power transfer. Ben holds a B.A. in physics from Occidental College, a B.S. in electrical engineering from Columbia University, M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Washington.
Prof. Joshua R. Smith, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and Advisor
Prof. Joshua R. Smith, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and Advisor
Josh Smith helps form strategy for WiBotic in engineering, business development and fundraising. He is an Associate Professor in the departments of Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington, Seattle, where he leads the Sensor Systems research group. His group develops techniques for wirelessly powering and communicating with embedded sensor-actuator systems. The research has application in areas such as biomedical electronics, robotics and ubiquitous computing. In 2013 Josh was named an “Allen Distinguished Investigator” by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. He is the thrust leader for Communications and Interface in the NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering.
As a graduate student, he co-invented an electric field sensing system that is now included in every Honda car. Before returning to academia as a professor, he worked in industry for 10 years: five years at Intel, and five years at a startup. He received B.A. degrees in computer science and philosophy from Williams College, M.A. degree in physics from Cambridge University, and the Ph.D. and S.M. degrees from the MIT Media Lab’s Physics and Media group.
Matt Carlson
Vice President, Business Development
Matt Carlson
Vice President, Business Development
A 20+ year veteran of technology and environmental product start-ups, Matt’s background includes Sr. Management positions in Sales, Marketing, Product/Project Management, and Business Development. He enjoys working at small, entrepreneurial companies with exciting new products and services. Mr. Carlson graduated, cum laude, from the University of Washington with a degree in Business Administration.
Patrick Vilbrandt
Lead Engineer
Patrick Vilbrandt
Lead Engineer
Pat joined WiBotic in 2015 and is responsible for production of the entire WiBotic product portfolio and ensuring it meets FCC wireless power requirements for EMC certification.
He is a broadly experienced electrical engineer with 38 years of experience in electronic product development and manufacturing. He has worked at large corporations and small entrepreneurial start-ups, developing products for consumer, industrial and medical markets.
Pat’s product development experience includes introducing products into high volume manufacturing in Asia. He has worked with Contract Manufacturers and Original Design Manufacturers in Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and China, as well as many manufacturers across the USA.
Advisors
Pete Mansfield, Ph.D.
Pete Mansfield, Ph.D.
Peter K. (Pete) Mansfield has over 30 years of academic, consulting and startup experience developing sensor-based automated solutions and designing mechanical systems across a range of applications. In 2003, Pete joined a startup, Kiva Systems (now Amazon Robotics) and was initially tasked with conceptualizing and developing a novel navigation sensor to keep what would become thousands of autonomous robots on course across million-square-foot warehouse floors. During the ensuing 12 years at Kiva/Amazon, he led efforts on a wide range of technical and business challenges. Pete is named on several patents and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from St. Lawrence University, a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University and Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Travis Deyle, Ph.D.
Travis Deyle, Ph.D.
Travis Deyle is an expert in passive UHF RFID systems and their applications in healthcare and robotics. He earned a Ph.D. from Professor Charlie Kemp’s Healthcare Robotics Lab at Georgia Tech; he worked on “cyborg dragonflies” as a Postdoc at Duke University under Professor Matt Reynolds; and he worked on new, non-public projects within Google[x] Life Sciences (now Verily Life Sciences) alongside the team that developed the glucose-sensing “smart contact lens.” He is now the co-founder and CEO of a robotics startup named Cobalt Robotics.
Mike Dierks
Mike Dierks
Mike Dierks is the Founder and President of Lobos Valley Advisors, and helps Wibotic with IP, investment, and corporate strategy. He has over 20 years of experience in helping companies turn ideas into more than $500 million in realized shareholder returns. Prior to founding Lobos Valley, he served as COO/CFO of Crossbow Technology, a sensor company acquired by Moog (NYSE: MOG.A). As a Director of Strategic Investments at Intel Capital, seven of the ten companies in which Mike drove an investment resulted in successful M&A exits. Mike is admitted to the United States Patent Bar and the State Bar of New York, and is himself an inventor on several patents. He holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.S.E.E. from Duke University (both with honors).
Chrismon Nofsinger, Ph.D.
Chrismon Nofsinger
In his 20+ years in the field, Chrismon has become a trusted confidant and advisor to numerous CEOs, board members, and private equity investors. He has personally worked with more than 500 companies, from start-ups to Fortune 50, focusing on organizational change, individual and team development, and CEO coaching. Chrismon earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in organizational psychology from Claremont Graduate University, where he was a student of management guru Peter F. Drucker, and has remained involved as an advisory board member.
Larry Stapleton
Larry Stapleton
Larry Stapleton is CEO of Optimum Energy. He has over 25 years of experience in sales, engineering, marketing, and product development. Most recently, Larry served as President of Ballard Fuel Cell Systems where he led the U.S. based subsidiary, Ballard Power. Prior to Ballard Power Systems, Larry led worldwide sales and marketing for the software firm, BSQUARE, where he increased sales from below $30M to over $100M in five years. Larry has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from San Jose State University and MBA from University of Washington Foster School of Business.
Investors
Partners
WiBotic wireless charging and power optimization solutions can help you to significantly enhance your offering, increase your revenues and build your business. Contact us today about partnership opportunities!
Careers
Are you excited about the emerging world of robots? Are you self-motivated and hard working? Is a fast-paced, high-growth and team-oriented startup the place for you? At WiBotic, you will be a part of a dynamic team that is making a significant, transformative impact in the aerial, mobile, marine and industrial robotics industries.
Openings:
Manufacturing Engineer