Impossible is an invitation.

Chasing light as far as it will go.

Every major shift in connectivity has expanded what’s possible—reshaping how people live, work, and relate to one another. From copper to fiber. From wired to wireless.

Light is the next shift.

At Taara, we use light to extend and strengthen global connectivity—helping networks grow faster, reach farther, and adapt more easily to their environments. Our technology is designed to complement existing infrastructure, filling critical gaps when distance, terrain, or time stand in the way.

“As demand for data soars, existing connectivity solutions are reaching their limits. What if we could harness the power of light to deliver a better, faster, more efficient connection, without the need for cables?”

The future is faster.

Today, Taara delivers light-based connectivity powered by an integrated photonics platform, bringing more speed, adaptability, and scalability into real-world networks. As this technology continues to mature, photonics enables smaller form factors and entirely new ways of moving data through space.

What begins with point-to-point connectivity lays the foundation for broader systems, where the flow of information moves invisibly across increasingly complex, dynamic environments. This is the long arc of the Light Generation. A shift away from mechanical complexity toward more integrated, solid-state control—opening the door to technologies that are lighter, more flexible, and better suited to the world they operate in.

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Born at X.

Google’s Moonshot Factory.

We got our start at X, Google’s Moonshot Factory, where our team combined expertise across disciplines to tackle the world’s toughest connectivity challenges. With the help of groundbreaking partnerships, we're now deploying our technology in over a dozen countries, and expanding access to fast, reliable connectivity.

The road to innovation.

Humans are driven to innovate—to make things smaller, faster, and more efficient. At Taara, we’re inspired to simplify and streamline, reducing complexity to amplify connection and impact.

2013

Project Loon, Taara’s predecessor at the Moonshot Factory, launches to provide internet access to remote areas via high-altitude balloons.

2016

The Loon team beams ‘The Real Genius’ between two stratospheric balloons and the team is inspired to test the technology closer to earth.

2017

The moonshot factory unveils Project Taara, a new project focused on delivering connectivity to unserved and underserved communities.

2017

The first Taara prototype delivers emergency connectivity to people in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

2018

A small town in Andhra Pradesh, India is the first community to pilot Taara’s technology.

2020

Econet Group and Taara begin deploying Taara in subsaharan Africa, starting in Kenya.

2021

Taara’s links start beaming high-speed connectivity from Brazzaville to Kinshasha across the Congo River.

2023

Taara and Airtel partner to bring fast, affordable internet to more people in India.

Partnering with T-Mobile, Taara provides 5G connectivity for hundreds of thousands of attendees at two major U.S. events – Coachella and the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

2024

Taara’s work empowering local entrepreneurs in Africa to deliver affordable connectivity to their communities is recognized by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards.

TIME names Taara one of the Best Inventions of 2024.

2025

Taara introduces the next leap in light-based innovation with a silicon photonic chip that uses light to transmit high-speed data through the air. WIRED's Steven Levy visits the X labs to cover the story.

Leadership Team

Mahesh Krishnaswamy

Founder and CEO

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Mahesh Krishnaswamy

Founder and CEO

Mahesh leads the Taara team in their mission to deliver fast, affordable connectivity to people everywhere using beams of light. He has been passionate about connectivity since he first used a 28.8 kbps dial-up modem at an internet cafe in Chennai to research graduate schools in the United States.

Before founding Taara, Mahesh led the Manufacturing and Supply Chain efforts for Project Loon, which used a network of stratospheric balloons to deliver connectivity to rural and remote areas. Prior to joining Alphabet, Mahesh led product teams at Apple and Motorola.

Mahesh holds a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University, and an MBA from Northwestern Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Thangali Seshadri

SVP, Operations

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Thangali Seshadri

SVP, Operations

Thangali leads Operations for Taara and is responsible for supply chain, manufacturing, field deployment and network monitoring.

Prior to joining Google in 2019, Thangali was at Apple for 10 years where he was responsible for the production of many Apple products, including the MacBook and MacBook Pro, iPhone, and Apple TV.

Prior to Apple, Thangali spent fifteen plus years in the semiconductor equipment industry. Thangali holds a BS Mechanical Engineering degree from Bangalore Institute of Technology, India and an MS Mechanical Engineering degree from Texas Tech University.

Devin Brinkley

SVP, Engineering

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Devin Brinkley

SVP, Engineering

Devin leads Engineering for Taara. Devin has been active in developing advanced optical communication technologies and products for nearly two decades.

He previously led multiple Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) programs, a high production Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement Systems (MILES) program, and the Wireless Optical Communication hardware development on Project Loon.

Sanjay Nagpal

SVP, Sales and Partnerships

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Sanjay Nagpal

SVP, Sales and Partnerships

Sanjay is responsible for leading Sales and Business Development for Taara.

Sanjay has over 30 years of global sales and market development experience in wireless access and backhaul technologies including 2G/3G/4G, microwave & millimeter wave backhaul, and satellite communications.

Prior to joining Taara, Sanjay was Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Business Development at Comtech Telecommunications Corp where he helped capture some of the largest commercial and military satcom programs. Sanjay holds a MSEE degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA in marketing and finance from The University of Chicago.

Sarah Church

VP, Finance

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Sarah Church

VP, Finance

Sarah leads Finance at Taara, bringing extensive experience in Strategic and Operational Finance across diverse industries and growth stages.

Previously, Sarah led Finance at Instrumental, a venture-backed Manufacturing AI company. Before Instrumental, she served as Finance Lead for Taara at Google X.

Sarah holds an MSci in Theoretical Physics from Imperial College London and began her career at Barclays Bank before transitioning to the technology sector in California.

Jan Kang

VP, Legal and People Operations

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Jan Kang

VP, Legal and People Operations

Jan is responsible for leading Legal and People Operations for Taara.

Jan has led these functions at several previous companies, including AOptix, which produced high-capacity laser radio wireless devices. Prior to joining Taara, Jan held leadership roles at 3Degrees, Stairwell, and two Alphabet companies: Chronicle and Makani. Jan received a B.A. in philosophy (logic of formal systems) from Stanford University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan.

Brien Bell

VP, Customer Success

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Brien Bell

VP, Customer Success

Brien leads Customer Success for Taara. 

Brien has spent nearly two decades in the telecommunications space, working to provide faster, more abundant, and better internet service to more people. Most recently, he led wireless operations and strategy at Google Fiber (now GFiber), where he was General Manager of the Webpass wireless business unit. Previously, he advised cable and technology companies on issues related to network deployments, wifi services, spectrum access and regulation, and customer products. 

Brien holds an A.B. from Princeton University and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Chander Chawla

VP, Product

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Chander Chawla

VP, Product

Chander is an accomplished technology executive with a strong track record of commercializing breakthrough hardware, software, and AI technologies into scalable businesses. He has led the successful market introduction of WiFi systems, wearables, computer vision platforms, natural language processing applications, and AI-driven energy management systems — consistently turning complex innovation into customer-centric products with real-world impact.

His experience across semiconductors, consumer devices, networking hardware, SaaS, and AI — combined with his training in Complex Systems — gives him a unique ability to understand deep technological interdependencies and convert them into coherent product and business strategies. He excels at building clarity from complexity, aligning cross-functional teams, and scaling 0→1 product bets into high-growth businesses.

Chander is a frequent writer on technology, decision-making, and product leadership at evercurious.com.

Need to expand your network?
Explore how Taara Beam works alongside Taara Lightbridge—integrating seamlessly into existing networks and infrastructure.