Less than a week after he left Axon, Jawad Ahsan has already lined up a new job as president at Aira, a Chandler startup that makes wireless charging technology.
Ahsan will lead the company’s strategic planning as it scales up its business working with automakers. Ahsan has had a seat on Aira’s board of directors since August of last year, after he and Axon president Luke Larsen invested in the business.
Ahsan had served as the CFO at Axon since 2017; his departure was announced on May 4.
Aira makes FreePower, a charging surface for portable electronics like cellphones, wireless earphones or laptops.
“As a key investor and board member, Jawad bolstered our mission and helped us grow Aira into the company it is today. Now, as president, he will have a hand in building Aira into the company it can be tomorrow,” Aira’s co-founder and CEO Jake Slatnick said in a statement.
Aira is aiming to integrate its charging tech into cars, with the first vehicle shipments expected later this year.
The company raised $12 million in seed funding last year, and on Tuesday it said it would soon start series A fundraising in hopes of pulling in $50 million, a feat made easier with Ahsan at the company.
“I believe in Aira’s vision of a truly wireless future; that’s why I invested, that’s why I joined the board, and that’s why I accepted this position,” Ahsan said in a statement. “I know what this brand and the incredible team here are capable of, and as president, I will do everything I can to empower Aira's growth.”
Aira was co-founded by Eric Goodchild and Slatnick back in 2017 and the pair took a successful trip to ABC-TV's "Shark Tank" in 2019.
