Raj is currently Chief Technology Officer for 374Water, a pioneering startup in the waste destruction space, whose mission is to destroy “forever chemicals” (PFAS) through a novel supercritical water oxidation process.
After graduating from Purdue with a BS (Honors) in Chemical Engineering, Raj went on to earn a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. He began his industrial career with Amoco Oil in Naperville, IL in oil refining R&D. In 1994, he embarked on a 13-year career with General Electric, starting with their Plastics division in Mt. Vernon, IN, where he drove process changes at their crystalline polymer & polycarbonate plants. He spent several weeks in Schwarzheide, Germany helping start up a polyester facility—an experience which still stands out as a career highlight. In 1999, he moved to GE’s Lighting division in Cleveland, OH, where he led teams in phosphor coating and fluorescent lamp engineering. In 2005, he moved to GE’s Global Research labs in Niskayuna, NY as an R&D project leader.
After director-level roles with United Technologies (fire suppression), Honeywell (personal protective equipment), and Brooks Automation / Edwards Vacuum (ultrahigh vacuum pumps and chillers for the semiconductor market), Raj made his foray into the cleantech arena when he joined BayoTech in late 2022 as SVP of Technology and later CTO. The experience he gained there, working on localized hydrogen generators for the burgeoning mobility & energy markets, positioned him for his current role.
Despite having lived in 16 different places since birth prior to his current residence in Greater Boston, Raj considers himself an Indiana native and is a diehard Colts/Pacers fan. His interests include biking, vegetarian cooking, travel, and fantasy football. He is very involved with both his alma mater universities, serving on the External Advisory Board for Chemical Engineering & Materials Science at Minnesota, as well as Scholarship Chair for the Purdue Club of Greater Boston. He has also been an engaged mentor, with Minds Matter Boston (preparing first generation high school students for college), PASE (Purdue), and CSE Alumni Mentoring (Minnesota).