From Engineer to Entrepreneur

Sometimes, entrepreneurship finds people in unique and unexpected ways. For Sumedh Beknalkar, a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering with a minor in electrical engineering, that is exactly how he got…

Sometimes, entrepreneurship finds people in unique and unexpected ways. For Sumedh Beknalkar, a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering with a minor in electrical engineering, that is exactly how he got his start.

Beknalkar was always passionate about robotics, specifically using robots to solve important problems of our time, such as climate change and making humans a multi-planetary species. This passion is what drove him to pursue a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at NC State.

While looking for a Ph.D. research project, a lightbulb went off when he read an article released by the National Science Foundation on the ten big ideas of the decade. Researchers were trying to navigate the Arctic, a region with unique challenges due to its diverse terrain, to study the effects of climate change.

No single robot could navigate them all until Beknalkar and his lab decided to tackle the problem. Ultimately, this NC State-based lab developed the first-ever submersible screw-propelled robot capable of navigating both land and sea.

After participating in the 2024 NSF iCorps Mid-Atlantic regional program, Beknalkar realized that the robot had commercialization potential beyond Arctic exploration, specifically related to monitoring and surveying surf zones, wetlands, coastal areas and the seabed, at which point the team formed SLA Robotics.

Accelerating forward

Beknalkar recognized the growing traction of SLA Robotics and the need to commercialize. Luckily, he found a program at NC State that provided formal training for entrepreneurs — the Andrews Launch Accelerator (ALA)

In March 2025, Beknalkar submitted the application for the accelerator only to later learn they were thirteenth on a list of twelve. One day, he got a call that a team had dropped out, leaving a slot for SLA Robotics. Without hesitation, Beknalkar jumped on the opportunity. This would make SLA Robotics one of the first hardware robotic companies to go through the ALA program.

Over the course of twelve weeks, Beknalkar received formal training in entrepreneurship with a diverse cohort spanning technical, retail/fashion, social innovation and more. The accelerator, run by Haley Huie and Josh Guter, provided him with modules on customer discovery, value proposition, market research, product development and more that helped take SLA Robotics to the next level.

“For a startup team of engineers and scientists, entrepreneurship is a different way of thinking,” said Beknalkar. He also noted Huie and Guter were both amazing throughout the process and have become lifelong mentors.

Aside from teaching scientists to think like entrepreneurs. Beknalkar mentioned the amazing network that the cohort was introduced to across the Raleigh startup community. “These were not just mentors in terms of entrepreneurship, but also life coaches,” he said.

As the summer wrapped up, the accelerator prepared Beknalkar for what was next. With many great ideas from all the modules, he knew he had to prioritize, and the accelerator helped by guiding a pivot towards Department of Defense (DoD) applications after initially focusing on an environmental model.

“I highly encourage people who are just starting out to look into ALA. It only takes one summer, but it goes a long, long way. Without ALA, it would have taken us over a year to get to where we are.”

Becoming a better entrepreneur

Programs at NC State, such as the ALA, and serving as a case study team for the Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization classes, helped Beknalkar transition his decade of experience as a scientist into an engineering-based entrepreneurial mindset.

These experiences helped Beknalkar realize he is a natural leader and further hone his skills in leading diverse teams. The program also gave him structure as he navigated the changing relationship on the team that includes individuals who were once his Ph.D. advisors — moving from a mentor/mentee relationship to co-founders.

Learning new skills outside of science-based classrooms helped Beknalkar get out of his comfort zone. During this time, he was really pushed to improve his public speaking skills to become a better leader and communicator.

Looking ahead

SLA Robotics is looking ahead to an exciting future. On a technical front, Beknalkar and the team are working to improve their Technology Readiness Level (TRL). They hope to build the next version to TRL 5, with the goal of continuing to TRL 6 — the final proof of concept for technology like this.

On the business side, Beknalkar is networking with DoD personnel. He is also working to build a network in the Fort Bragg area to connect people to the Navy and Marines. They are also applying for non-dilutive funding to further develop the technology and business.