Dr Avishek Kumar is the chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of VFlowTech, a deep-tech company spun out of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in 2018 that develops vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) systems.
Before establishing VFlowTech to commercialise VRFB technology, Kumar founded ventures such as SunKonnect and Datakrew. “The idea for VFlowTech was born from a simple observation during my PhD – solar energy was becoming cheaper, but without reliable long-duration storage, renewables could not truly replace fossil fuels,” he says. Today, VFlowTech has progressed from pilot systems on Pulau Ubin and Jurong Island in Singapore to deployments across seven countries.
He highlights the technical suitability of VRFBs for long-duration storage. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, VRFBs allow power and energy to scale independently, enabling 6-12 hours or more of discharge. Moreover, VRFBs support India’s energy security and industrial self-reliance, with the potential to localise value chains.
Kumar acknowledges the challenges of scaling up the company’s operations in India, noting that deep-tech manufacturing demands significant capital, precision and patience. There also remains a significant knowledge gap in understanding and adopting flow battery technologies. However, he sees opportunities in India’s chemical and materials industry, the “Make in India” initiative, and partnerships with local integrators to develop regional manufacturing hubs, reduce costs, strengthen supply security and unlock export potential.
His leadership emphasises vision alignment, agility, learning, collaboration and transparency. “Every experiment is a feedback loop, so we embrace failure as data and pivot quickly,” he says. Kumar also prioritises talent development through partnerships with NTU and EnterpriseSG.
Looking ahead, Kumar aims to expand manufacturing and joint ventures across Asia, the Middle East and India; launch cloud-based energy management platforms; build a multi-GWh global pipeline supported by local supply chains; and drive the company towards an initial public offering and a strong global presence by 2029.
Kumar holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from RV College of Engineering, a master’s in microelectronics from NTU and the Technical University of Munich, and a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from the National University of Singapore. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, mentoring young researchers and spending time outdoors with his family.
