About us
About us
A team of mobility, technology, and design leaders shaping the future of human-centered autonomous travel.
A team of mobility, technology, and design leaders shaping the future of human-centered autonomous travel.
We're Not Just Engineers. We're Urban Optimists.
Pliyt is built by a cross-functional team of engineers, designers, technologists, and urban thinkers who believe that the future of mobility should make cities more humane not more mechanical.
We bring together expertise across autonomous vehicle systems, safety critical engineering, privacy-first software platforms, urban mobility planning, and human-centered design. This diversity allows us to approach mobility as a holistic system one that balances technology, infrastructure, environment, and lived human experience.
At Pliyt, we don't see autonomy as an end goal. We see it as an enabler one that, when thoughtfully designed, can reduce friction, reclaim public space, lower environmental impact, and restore calm to everyday movement through cities.
Our work is grounded in optimism, but guided by rigor. We build deliberately, test exhaustively, and design responsibly placing safety, trust, and consistency at the core of every decision.
Privacy is not an afterthought in our systems; it is foundational to how our technology is architected and deployed.
Based in California, we are developing a purpose-built autonomous mobility platform, with plans to launch our first pilot deployment in 2028.
Every step forward is taken with long-term impact in mind on riders, cities, and the urban fabric we all share. We are not just building vehicles. We are shaping a quieter, safer, and more human future for cities.
We're Not Just Engineers. We're Urban Optimists.
Pliyt is built by a cross-functional team of engineers, designers, technologists, and urban thinkers who believe that the future of mobility should make cities more humane not more mechanical.
We bring together expertise across autonomous vehicle systems, safety critical engineering, privacy-first software platforms, urban mobility planning, and human-centered design. This diversity allows us to approach mobility as a holistic system one that balances technology, infrastructure, environment, and lived human experience.
At Pliyt, we don't see autonomy as an end goal. We see it as an enabler one that, when thoughtfully designed, can reduce friction, reclaim public space, lower environmental impact, and restore calm to everyday movement through cities.
Our work is grounded in optimism, but guided by rigor. We build deliberately, test exhaustively, and design responsibly placing safety, trust, and consistency at the core of every decision.
Privacy is not an afterthought in our systems; it is foundational to how our technology is architected and deployed.
Based in California, we are developing a purpose-built autonomous mobility platform, with plans to launch our first pilot deployment in 2028.
Every step forward is taken with long-term impact in mind on riders, cities, and the urban fabric we all share. We are not just building vehicles. We are shaping a quieter, safer, and more human future for cities.
We're based in California, and committed to deploying our first pilot in 2028.
We're based in California, and committed to deploying our first pilot in 2028.
Our team combines expertise from autonomous vehicle engineering, privacy-first software development, and human-centered design.
Our team combines expertise from autonomous vehicle engineering, privacy-first software development, and human-centered design.
Our Team
The people behind Pliyt’s human-first vision.
Shalin James Anto
Founder & CEO
Shalin James Anto is an automotive technologist and mobility innovator with over sixteen years of experience in vehicle systems, autonomy, and advanced R&D. He introduced and formalized the Passenger-Defined Vehicle (PDV) framework through its foundational publication, establishing a passenger-first architectural approach for the post-driver era. His background includes key technical roles at Honda and Byton, and leading autonomous systems work for Waymo through TCS engagements. At PLIYT, Shalin leads the company’s vision and strategy, advancing Passenger-Defined Vehicle development from architectural concept toward scalable, real-world mobility.
Prashant Tiwari
CTO
Dr. Prashant Tiwari is a global engineering executive and CTO with over two decades of leadership at Toyota, Volkswagen, and GE. A prolific innovator with 60+ patents and recipient of SAE and IEEE awards, he has scaled high-performance teams to deliver flagship products like VW/Porsche’s next-gen vehicle OS and Toyota’s connected car platform. Driven by a passion for innovation and technology, he holds an MBA from Chicago Booth, a PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and a Masters from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
Jason Waterman
Advisor
Automotive industry leader with three decades of experience. Jason Waterman brings extensive leadership experience across automotive technology, vehicle electronics, software, electric vehicles, and next-generation mobility. His career includes senior leadership roles at Continental, HELLA, Porsche Consulting, Fisker, and Scout Motors, spanning engineering, technology strategy, corporate development, and commercialization. He also founded HELLA Ventures, bringing a valuable perspective at the intersection of automotive innovation, investment, and company growth. At PLIYT, Jason serves as Advisor, providing guidance on automotive strategy, industry partnerships, commercialization, investment, and company growth as PLIYT advances its next-generation mobility platform.
Sumona Sen
Human Factors Consultant
Dr. Sumona Sen is a Human Factors expert with deep experience in aviation-grade safety, passenger experience, and human-automation interaction. As a certified EASA Human Factors Instructor at Lufthansa Aviation Training, she brings first-class cabin design principles to Pliyt’s luxury autonomous mobility experience. She has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications with Springer Nature, IEEE, and AHFE, focused on trust, usability, and human behavior in safety-critical automated systems.
Shalin James Anto
Founder & CEO
Shalin James Anto is an automotive technologist and mobility innovator with over sixteen years of experience in vehicle systems, autonomy, and advanced R&D. He introduced and formalized the Passenger-Defined Vehicle (PDV) framework through its foundational publication, establishing a passenger-first architectural approach for the post-driver era. His background includes key technical roles at Honda and Byton, and leading autonomous systems work for Waymo through TCS engagements. At PLIYT, Shalin leads the company’s vision and strategy, advancing Passenger-Defined Vehicle development from architectural concept toward scalable, real-world mobility.
Prashant Tiwari
CTO
Dr. Prashant Tiwari is a global engineering executive and CTO with over two decades of leadership at Toyota, Volkswagen, and GE. A prolific innovator with 60+ patents and recipient of SAE and IEEE awards, he has scaled high-performance teams to deliver flagship products like VW/Porsche’s next-gen vehicle OS and Toyota’s connected car platform. Driven by a passion for innovation and technology, he holds an MBA from Chicago Booth, a PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and a Masters from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
Jason Waterman
Advisor
Automotive industry leader with three decades of experience. Jason Waterman brings extensive leadership experience across automotive technology, vehicle electronics, software, electric vehicles, and next-generation mobility. His career includes senior leadership roles at Continental, HELLA, Porsche Consulting, Fisker, and Scout Motors, spanning engineering, technology strategy, corporate development, and commercialization. He also founded HELLA Ventures, bringing a valuable perspective at the intersection of automotive innovation, investment, and company growth. At PLIYT, Jason serves as Advisor, providing guidance on automotive strategy, industry partnerships, commercialization, investment, and company growth as PLIYT advances its next-generation mobility platform.
Sumona Sen
Human Factors Consultant
Dr. Sumona Sen is a Human Factors expert with deep experience in aviation-grade safety, passenger experience, and human-automation interaction. As a certified EASA Human Factors Instructor at Lufthansa Aviation Training, she brings first-class cabin design principles to Pliyt’s luxury autonomous mobility experience. She has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications with Springer Nature, IEEE, and AHFE, focused on trust, usability, and human behavior in safety-critical automated systems.
Shalin James Anto
Founder & CEO
Shalin James Anto is an automotive technologist and mobility innovator with over sixteen years of experience in vehicle systems, autonomy, and advanced R&D. He introduced and formalized the Passenger-Defined Vehicle (PDV) framework through its foundational publication, establishing a passenger-first architectural approach for the post-driver era. His background includes key technical roles at Honda and Byton, and leading autonomous systems work for Waymo through TCS engagements. At PLIYT, Shalin leads the company’s vision and strategy, advancing Passenger-Defined Vehicle development from architectural concept toward scalable, real-world mobility.
Prashant Tiwari
CTO
Dr. Prashant Tiwari is a global engineering executive and CTO with over two decades of leadership at Toyota, Volkswagen, and GE. A prolific innovator with 60+ patents and recipient of SAE and IEEE awards, he has scaled high-performance teams to deliver flagship products like VW/Porsche’s next-gen vehicle OS and Toyota’s connected car platform. Driven by a passion for innovation and technology, he holds an MBA from Chicago Booth, a PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and a Masters from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
Jason Waterman
Advisor
Automotive industry leader with three decades of experience. Jason Waterman brings extensive leadership experience across automotive technology, vehicle electronics, software, electric vehicles, and next-generation mobility. His career includes senior leadership roles at Continental, HELLA, Porsche Consulting, Fisker, and Scout Motors, spanning engineering, technology strategy, corporate development, and commercialization. He also founded HELLA Ventures, bringing a valuable perspective at the intersection of automotive innovation, investment, and company growth. At PLIYT, Jason serves as Advisor, providing guidance on automotive strategy, industry partnerships, commercialization, investment, and company growth as PLIYT advances its next-generation mobility platform.
Sumona Sen
Human Factors Consultant
Dr. Sumona Sen is a Human Factors expert with deep experience in aviation-grade safety, passenger experience, and human-automation interaction. As a certified EASA Human Factors Instructor at Lufthansa Aviation Training, she brings first-class cabin design principles to Pliyt’s luxury autonomous mobility experience. She has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications with Springer Nature, IEEE, and AHFE, focused on trust, usability, and human behavior in safety-critical automated systems.
Shalin James Anto
Founder & CEO
Shalin James Anto is an automotive technologist and mobility innovator with over sixteen years of experience in vehicle systems, autonomy, and advanced R&D. He introduced and formalized the Passenger-Defined Vehicle (PDV) framework through its foundational publication, establishing a passenger-first architectural approach for the post-driver era. His background includes key technical roles at Honda and Byton, and leading autonomous systems work for Waymo through TCS engagements. At PLIYT, Shalin leads the company’s vision and strategy, advancing Passenger-Defined Vehicle development from architectural concept toward scalable, real-world mobility.
Prashant Tiwari
CTO
Dr. Prashant Tiwari is a global engineering executive and CTO with over two decades of leadership at Toyota, Volkswagen, and GE. A prolific innovator with 60+ patents and recipient of SAE and IEEE awards, he has scaled high-performance teams to deliver flagship products like VW/Porsche’s next-gen vehicle OS and Toyota’s connected car platform. Driven by a passion for innovation and technology, he holds an MBA from Chicago Booth, a PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and a Masters from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
Jason Waterman
Advisor
Automotive industry leader with three decades of experience. Jason Waterman brings extensive leadership experience across automotive technology, vehicle electronics, software, electric vehicles, and next-generation mobility. His career includes senior leadership roles at Continental, HELLA, Porsche Consulting, Fisker, and Scout Motors, spanning engineering, technology strategy, corporate development, and commercialization. He also founded HELLA Ventures, bringing a valuable perspective at the intersection of automotive innovation, investment, and company growth. At PLIYT, Jason serves as Advisor, providing guidance on automotive strategy, industry partnerships, commercialization, investment, and company growth as PLIYT advances its next-generation mobility platform.
Sumona Sen
Human Factors Consultant
Dr. Sumona Sen is a Human Factors expert with deep experience in aviation-grade safety, passenger experience, and human-automation interaction. As a certified EASA Human Factors Instructor at Lufthansa Aviation Training, she brings first-class cabin design principles to Pliyt’s luxury autonomous mobility experience. She has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications with Springer Nature, IEEE, and AHFE, focused on trust, usability, and human behavior in safety-critical automated systems.
FAQ
What is Pliyt?
Pliyt is an autonomous mobility platform designed for privacy, comfort, and quiet travel. We build purpose-driven pods for people who want a more personal way to move through cities.
How does Pliyt protect my privacy?
Every pod is built for in-ride anonymity, even during shared trips. No personal identities are visible, ensuring you travel without being tracked or observed.
Is Pliyt safe to use?
Safety is central to our design. Pliyt combines secure vehicle architecture, controlled environments, and intelligent systems to deliver a calm and dependable ride.
Is Pliyt fully autonomous?
Yes. Pliyt vehicles operate without drivers and are guided by advanced autonomous systems. This allows for smoother rides, fewer distractions, and a more relaxed travel experience.