Investee Case Study: On succession and achievement of diversity at LightWare

Nadia Nilsen shares her story and reflections from her journey to captaining Sanari portfolio company, LightWare LiDAR.

Nadia grew up in a household led by a very strong mom. When she was young, her mom decided to open a wholesale nursery and, despite knowing nothing about plants, she actively learned and built a successful business. Nadia said, “That’s always been my mom—the sky’s the limit. She raised me with the belief that there are no limits, that a woman can achieve anything. I think having examples and role models, like my mom, is always a solid starting point for strong women. It’s why I believe we must be visible and vocal, it’s through this visibility that other women can envision themselves in similar positions. We must normalise the concept of women in STEAM leadership roles. We are responsible for uplifting and empowering other women in the tech industry.”

Sanari partnered with LightWare LiDAR in 2020 and supported the company through its succession process from the original founder. LightWare LiDAR is a global leader in microLiDAR sensor technology. LightWare develops innovative laser rangefinder products for machine perception applications, giving ‘eyes to machines’. The company designs and manufactures the world’s smallest and lightest precision LiDAR systems for use in drones, robots, autonomous vehicles, smart cities and other applications.

Read the full case study here.