Building the Intelligence Layer for Physical Space
Founded in 2014, Cognitive is a deep-tech company turning ambient wireless signals into spatial intelligence.
We care about privacy-first sensing, scalable AI, and infrastructure that already exists in every connected home and building. Cognitive makes the physical world understandable to software by transforming wireless signals into real-time intelligence about motion, presence, patterns, and change.
The Minds Behind Cognitive
Taj Manku
Dr. Tajinder (Taj) Manku is a serial entrepreneur, physicist, and wireless technology inventor with deep expertise in semiconductors, full-chip design, and electromagnetics. Before co-founding Cognitive Systems, he was a tenured professor at the University of Waterloo.
He has founded multiple successful technology companies, including Sirific Wireless, whose multi-antenna cellular chip helped redefine mobile connectivity and ultimately led to its acquisition by NVIDIA in a ~$500M transaction. In 2014, he co-founded Cognitive Systems, where he serves as CEO.
At Cognitive, Taj leads the company’s vision and direction, driving innovation in sensing and intelligence. He holds over 150 granted patents, has authored more than 100 technical papers, and has received numerous industry awards, including the Canadian Award for Research Excellence in Radio Technology.
Oleksiy Kravets
Oleksiy Kravets is an experienced technology leader with deep expertise across wireless communications, including RF design, digital silicon, and signal processing. Before co-founding Cognitive Systems, he founded the Advanced Radio Systems Group at BlackBerry, where he led the development of high-performance cellular RFIC technology.
He also served as VP of Engineering and Business Development at Adamant, helping scale the company into a leading telecommunications provider in Ukraine. In 2014, he co-founded Cognitive Systems, where he serves as Chief Technology Officer.
At Cognitive, Oleksiy has been instrumental in building and scaling the sensing platform, leading the transition from custom hardware to commodity Wi-Fi chipsets - enabling deployment at ISP scale. He continues to lead the platform’s technical direction and works closely with partners across the wireless ecosystem.