Surajit Datta
About Surajit Datta
Surajit Datta is Chief Financial Officer of Kodiak AI, Inc. (formerly Kodiak Robotics), appointed August 25, 2025 as Kodiak prepared to go public via its business combination with Ares Acquisition Corporation II (AACT). He holds an MBA from Chicago Booth, a PGDM from IIM Calcutta, and a B.Tech from IIT Kharagpur, with over 20 years in strategic finance across AI/cybersecurity, semiconductors, and investment banking . In his first reported quarter as CFO, Kodiak posted Q3 2025 revenue of $0.77M (vs. $0.40M in Q3 2024), ended the quarter with $146.2M in cash and equivalents (post-SPAC closing), and emphasized a capital-efficient, asset-light model under Datta’s financial leadership .
Recent Kodiak financials and cash flow:
| Metric (USD) | Q3 2024 | Q3 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $0.40M | $0.77M |
| GAAP Loss from Operations | $(18.21)M | $(29.97)M |
| Free Cash Flow | $(15.71)M | $(40.00)M |
| Cash & Cash Equivalents (period-end) | — | $146.2M |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| SentinelOne (AI-powered cybersecurity) | VP of Finance | Apr 2022 – Jun 2025 | Scaled finance operations at a public AI-cybersecurity company |
| Arm (semiconductor/AI IP) | VP Finance; VP Corporate Development | Jul 2017 – Apr 2022 | Led finance and corporate development at a leading semiconductor/AI platform |
| Evercore; J.P. Morgan | Investment banking (origination/execution) | ~10+ years (prior) | Led complex advisory, debt and equity transactions |
External Roles
Not disclosed in available filings.
Fixed Compensation
Not disclosed in available filings for Mr. Datta. Kodiak’s 2024 named executive officer (NEO) disclosures (pre-Datta) cover CEO/CTO/COO only .
Performance Compensation
- Specific metrics/targets for Mr. Datta not disclosed.
- Kodiak’s Compensation Committee (post-closing) is tasked with administering incentive plans and adopting any clawback policy; it reviews director pay, advisor independence, and risk in pay practices .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Mr. Datta is expected to serve as CFO post-closing, but he is not individually listed in the post-business-combination beneficial ownership tables as of August 18, 2025 (tables list directors and named executive officers with reportable holdings; Datta does not appear among the individuals enumerated) .
- No pledging/hedging by Mr. Datta is disclosed in available materials.
Employment Terms
- Start date: August 25, 2025 (CFO appointment press release). Contract economics (salary, bonus, equity grants, severance/COC) are not disclosed for Mr. Datta in the S-4/A or 8-Ks reviewed .
- Mr. Datta signed key financing documents as CFO for Kodiak (e.g., Second Lien Loan amendment and related warrant mechanics), evidencing his role over capital structure .
Performance & Track Record (Company Context under Datta)
- Company operational highlights in Q3 2025: doubled driverless truck deployments (10 trucks), 5,200+ cumulative hours of paid driverless operations, >3 million autonomous miles, and expanded Tier 1 partnerships/components; began trading on Nasdaq as “KDK” following the AACT business combination .
- As Kodiak’s Principal Financial Officer, Datta signed the Q3 2025 8-K filing .
- CFO commentary emphasized growing Driver-as-a-Service revenue, disciplined investment, and capital-efficient scaling to profitability and positive FCF over time .
Employment Terms (Change-in-Control / Governance Infrastructure)
- While individual CFO terms are not disclosed, the post-closing compensation/governance framework includes:
- A Compensation Committee overseeing incentive plans and clawback policy .
- Director equity programs (Initial/Annual RSUs) and CIC vesting for directors under the 2025 EIP (context for governance alignment; not executive-specific) .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and selling pressure: Mr. Datta is not listed in the post-combination beneficial ownership tables as an individual holder, and no insider grants or vesting schedules for him are disclosed—reducing immediate visibility into insider selling pressure specifically tied to his equity .
- Capital structure stewardship: Datta’s early actions include executing a Second Lien financing amendment that features delayed draw capacity and warrants (5% warrant coverage on new delayed draws), conversion mechanics tied to PIPE pricing, and a make-whole construct—indicating active balance sheet engineering and potential future dilution/leverage considerations to manage growth runway .
- Operating backdrop: Early public-company metrics show modest revenue, significant investment in R&D/operations, and negative free cash flow, with a bolstered cash position post-SPAC—placing heightened importance on Datta’s capital allocation and financing execution as Kodiak scales deployments and pursues long-haul driverless milestones .