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Akil Bhagat

Akil Bhagat

Founder & CEO; AI-native optical design and product leader

Kirkland, Washington, US
Colorado, US

Summary

Founder and product leader focused on applying AI to engineering workflows. Akil has founded and leads companies (Paraxial, NovaNorth) that build AI-native platforms: Paraxial targets optical design with differentiable ray tracing and hybrid AI tolerancing, while NovaNorth focuses on data-driven product prioritization. paraxialoptics+1
Technical optical engineering background with a product trajectory. Trained in optical engineering (University of Rochester/Institute of Optics) and transitioned from hands-on optical engineering roles into product management at Zemax and later senior product roles at Amazon before founding startups. rocketreach+2
Researcher and inventor at the intersection of AI and digital engineering. Publishes technical work on hybrid AI tolerancing and is listed as an inventor on an international patent related to alternative tool selection and optimization for digital model platforms. paraxialoptics+1
Practical product execution across organizations of different scales. Experience spans early-stage startups, enterprise product teams, and technical product leadership roles—balancing hands-on technical knowledge with product strategy and go-to-market considerations. rocketreach+2

Work

Education

Projects

Hobbies

Enjoys sports fandom, gaming, and outdoor activities such as hiking and photography nitter+1