As a founder, I often find myself reflecting on the kinds of people who truly move the needle in the world. It’s not just the technical geniuses or the creative visionaries—though they’re vital. It’s the people who combine their talents with an unshakable desire to make an impact, no matter how steep the climb or how uncertain the path. Dr. Raj Kumar Bera is one of those people.
When Raj decided to join Flint, it wasn’t because it was the safest or most predictable choice. He had already achieved so much in academia—a PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and post-doctoral research across Israel, Korea, and India. He could have walked into any number of established institutions or corporate labs with ease. Instead, he chose to bet on something unproven: an early-stage deep-tech startup with big ambitions and even bigger challenges.
As someone who has built Flint from the ground up, I know the weight of that decision. Startups are not for the faint-hearted. They demand everything you have—your energy, your creativity, and often your sanity. There are no guarantees, only possibilities. But Raj embraced that uncertainty with open arms. For him, the potential to create real-world impact outweighed the comfort of a more predictable path.
This kind of mindset is rare, and it’s exactly what the world needs more of. It’s easy to stay in your lane, to stick with what you know. But the people who leave a mark are the ones who step into the unknown with purpose. They’re the ones who ask, “What if?” and then work tirelessly to answer that question.
At Flint, Raj’s work isn’t just about advancing our paper battery technology—it’s about proving that sustainable innovation can and should exist in the real world. He’s helping us de-risk the technology, validate it with customers, and take it from an idea to something tangible. And he’s doing it with a level of passion and focus that reminds me why I started this journey in the first place.
For me, Raj’s story is deeply personal because it mirrors so much of what I believe about building something meaningful. It’s not just about having a great idea or even the skills to execute it. It’s about having the courage to pursue it, the resilience to weather the setbacks, and the conviction to keep going when the odds aren’t in your favor.
I often think about the kind of world I want to help create. It’s a world where people like Raj—people with vision, integrity, and grit—can thrive. A world where taking a leap of faith isn’t the exception but the norm. Because when we have more people like Raj, willing to bridge the gap between what’s possible and what’s real, that’s when true progress happens.
To anyone out there wondering if it’s worth the risk to follow their gut and do the hard, meaningful work: Raj is proof that it is. And to Raj, thank you for taking this leap with us. The journey ahead won’t be easy, but with people like you on board, I’m more confident than ever that we’re building something that truly matters.
On that note— Flint is hiring. Join us: https://www.madebyflint.co/careers
