Kishore Kondragunta
About Kishore Kondragunta
Independent director of Cartica Acquisition Corp (CRTAF) since May 23, 2023. Age 49. Seasoned IT executive with leadership roles at Woven by Toyota (Head of IT since Jan 2022), Intel (IT Senior Director, 2019–2022), Oracle (IT Senior Director, 2012–2019), and Apple (Tech Program Manager, 2008–2012). Chief Investment Officer of Namaste World Acquisition Corporation since July 2021. Holds a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and a master’s in Telecommunications Management from Oklahoma State University; board cites technology/digital transformation experience as core credentials .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woven by Toyota | Head of IT | Jan 2022–present | — |
| Intel Corporation | IT Senior Director | Mar 2019–Jan 2022 | — |
| Oracle | IT Senior Director | 2012–2019 | — |
| Apple, Inc. | Tech Program Manager | 2008–2012 | — |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Namaste World Acquisition Corporation | Chief Investment Officer | Jul 2021–present | SPAC-related role; separate from CRTAF |
| Bayshore Investments LLC | Member/Founder | 2020–present | Private equity firm |
| Bay Realty Investments LLC | Owner/Member | 2016–present | Real estate investments |
| LobStar Venture LLC | Member | Nov 2018–present | Restaurant venture |
Board Governance
- Independence: Board determined Kishore Kondragunta is an “independent director” under Nasdaq and SEC rules .
- Committee assignments: Current standing committees are Audit (members: John F. Levy [chair], Rana Gujral) and Compensation, Nominating & Corporate Governance (members: John F. Levy, Rana Gujral; chair: Rana Gujral). Kondragunta is not listed as a member of either committee .
- Board structure: Classified board with three classes; Kondragunta designated a Class II director at appointment in May 2023 (terms set at staggered AGMs) .
- Control and voting dynamics: Sponsor and insiders collectively beneficially own ~76.78% of outstanding ordinary shares, enabling approval of charter extensions without public shareholder support (material governance risk) .
- Listing and audit compliance context: Nasdaq delisted CRTAF on June 4, 2025; trading moved to OTCID Basic Market. Prior to delisting, the company disclosed non-compliance with Nasdaq Audit Committee Listing Rule 5605 after a committee vacancy in Nov 2024 .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual retainer (cash) | None prior to completion of initial business combination | Company states no compensation of any kind to sponsor, officers, or directors pre-business combination (other than reimbursements) |
| Meeting fees | Not disclosed | No director meeting fees disclosed pre-business combination |
| Committee membership fees | Not disclosed | No committee fees disclosed pre-business combination |
| Reimbursements | Allowed for out-of-pocket expenses | Quarterly audit committee review of reimbursements |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director performance equity/bonus | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
- The company does not pay performance-based compensation to directors prior to completing an initial business combination; any potential consulting/finder’s fees to independent directors tied to deal activities would be separately approved and disclosed, if applicable .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Interlock/Conflict Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Namaste World Acquisition Corporation | Likely public SPAC | Chief Investment Officer | Role at another acquisition vehicle while CRTAF’s Sponsor majority owner is Namaste Universe Sponsor LLC; no related-party transaction involving Kondragunta disclosed, but perceived overlap warrants monitoring . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology and digital transformation leadership across automotive, semiconductor, enterprise software, and consumer tech; cited by the board as qualification to serve .
- Academic credentials: BS Mechanical Engineering; MS Telecommunications Management (Oklahoma State University) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Class A Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class A | Class B Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class B | % of Total Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kishore Kondragunta | — | — | — | — | — |
- Beneficial ownership table shows Kondragunta with no reported holdings as of record date (both Class A and Class B “—”), while the Sponsor and CEO collectively control ~76.78% of total outstanding shares via Sponsor holdings .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; deep IT and transformation expertise across Tier-1 technology companies; board cites his qualifications explicitly .
- Alignment risks: No reported share ownership → limited “skin in the game” relative to sponsor-controlled board; potential misalignment for public investors .
- RED FLAGS:
- Sponsor control enables unilateral approval of critical charter extensions (e.g., Fourth Charter Extension) without public shareholder votes, diluting minority influence .
- Company policy permits paying independent directors finder’s/consulting fees tied to identifying/investigating/completing the de-SPAC; this can introduce deal-completion bias and potential conflicts if applied (monitor for any awards to Kondragunta) .
- Delisting from Nasdaq and prior audit committee non-compliance elevate governance risk and market-liquidity constraints, impacting investor confidence .
- Process oversight: Audit and Compensation/Nominating committees exclude Kondragunta; while independence is affirmed, his direct role in governance oversight (audit/compensation) is limited relative to committee members .