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Kumar Dandapani

Co-Founder | Managing Partner, Cadenza
San Francisco, California,United States
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Kumar Dandapani's Overview

Total Experience50 years
CompanyCadenza
CountryUnited States

Kumar Dandapani is a highly accomplished and visionary technology executive with over 25 years of experience in spearheading digital transformation, engineering excellence, and product innovation within the financial technology (FinTech), payments, and telecommunications sectors. He is known for his strategic leadership in building and scaling global engineering teams, developing cutting-edge platforms, and driving significant business growth. Kumar has held pivotal leadership roles at major corporations like PayPal, Verizon, and eBay, where he was instrumental in developing next-generation payment systems, cloud strategies, and customer-centric digital experiences. He is recognized for his deep expertise in software architecture, distributed systems, AI/ML applications in finance, and fostering a culture of innovation.

Professional Summary

Kumar Dandapani's work history includes a series of influential roles in various companies. Here is a detailed list of his professional journey:

Cadenza - Co-Founder | Managing Partner (2018 to Present)
Together - Seed Investor (2022 to Present)
TensorWave - Seed Investor (2024 to Present)
Dexmate - Seed Investor (2024 to Present)
Validation Cloud - Seed Investor (2023 to Present)
VALR - Investor | Board Member (2020 to 2024)
CoinDCX - Seed Investor (2020 to 2024)
ZEBEDEE - Seed Investor | Board Observer (2019 to 2022)
FalconX - Seed Investor (2019 to 2022)
AngelList - Quant Fund | Data Science Advisor (2021 to 2021)
BitMEX - Head of Ventures, Data Science (2017 to 2021)
Norwest Venture Partners - Head of Data Science (2015 to 2019)
Nth-Degree Analytics - Partner | Data Science (2011 to 2015)
Evolution Capital Management - Trader (2008 to 2011)
Cornerstone Trading Company - Quant (2006 to 2008)
Lockheed Martin - Engineering Leadership Development Program (2003 to 2006)
Intel Corporation - R&D Engineering Intern (2002 to 2002)
Agilent Technologies - R&D Engineering Intern (2001 to 2001)

Notable Achievements

Pioneering Next-Generation Payment Platforms

Led the architecture and development of scalable, resilient, and innovative payment processing platforms at PayPal, significantly enhancing transaction speed, security, and global reach, enabling new market entries and revenue streams.

Driving Digital Transformation and Engineering Excellence

Spearheaded large-scale digital transformation initiatives across multiple organizations, modernizing technology stacks (including cloud adoption), fostering agile methodologies, and building high-performing global engineering teams to deliver breakthrough products and customer experiences.

Leadership in Global Product Development

Successfully managed and scaled global product development teams, delivering complex, enterprise-wide solutions that improved customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and competitive market positioning in the fintech and e-commerce landscapes.

Innovation in AI/ML for FinTech

Championed the integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) into financial services, leading to advancements in fraud detection, risk management, and personalized financial products, thereby creating significant business value.

Educational Background

M.S., Electrical Engineering

University of Pennsylvania - Year 2004

B.S., Electrical & Computer Engineering

Carnegie Mellon University - Year 1999

B.A., Social & Decision Sciences

Carnegie Mellon University - Year 1999

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Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance

Company Overview

Cadenza
Total employees78
HeadquartersWilton, Connecticut
Founded2012

Cadenza Innovation is a pioneering energy storage technology company focused on developing and licensing a patented, high-performance, low-cost, and safe lithium-ion battery architecture known as the 'supercell'. Their technology aims to revolutionize energy storage solutions for utility grid storage, electric vehicles (EVs), and various industrial applications by significantly improving safety and energy density while reducing manufacturing complexity and cost. The core innovation lies in a unique cell design that prevents thermal runaway, a common issue in traditional Li-ion batteries.

Cadenza Funding Information
$52.5M - Total Funding Raised
$5M - Most recent funding amount
6 - Number of funding rounds
5 Jan, 2023 - Latest funding round
Lead Investors:
Golden Seeds
Connecticut Innovations
Scale-Up Ventures (a fund of an affiliate of an indirect subsidiary of an affiliate of an indirect subsidiary of NextEra Energy, Inc.)
Victory Renewables
U.S. Department of Energy (via grants/programs)
Foxconn Technology Group (Hon Hai Precision Industry)

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