Rajesh Asarpota
About Rajesh Asarpota
Independent Class III director of Profusa, Inc. (formerly NorthView Acquisition Corp.). Elected at the June 9, 2025 special meeting, effective upon the July 11, 2025 closing of the business combination; determined by the Board to be independent under Nasdaq and Rule 10A‑3. Serves on the Audit Committee and chairs the Compensation Committee. Also Chief Financial Officer of Maravai LifeSciences (MRVI) since June 2025. Age and education not disclosed in Profusa/NVAC filings.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maravai LifeSciences (MRVI) | Chief Financial Officer | Joined June 2025; active through Nov 2025 | Led restructure and cost actions targeting >$50M annualized savings; strengthened forecasting and BI tools; articulated growth drivers across product lines. |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start Date | Key Activities/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maravai LifeSciences (MRVI) | Chief Financial Officer | June 2025 | Expense savings (> $50M target), organizational simplification, forecasting overhaul; commentary on product growth, regional trends, and capital efficiency. |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Board class/term | Class III director; term expires at the third annual meeting after the Business Combination (elected June 9, 2025, effective July 11, 2025). |
| Independence | Board determined Rajesh Asarpota is independent under Nasdaq and Rule 10A‑3. |
| Committees | Audit Committee (member); Compensation Committee (chair); Nominating Committee (not listed as member). |
| Audit financial expert | Board determined all Audit Committee members (including Asarpota) qualify as “audit committee financial expert.” |
| Attendance | No director-specific attendance disclosed post‑closing; prior SPAC proxy noted full attendance for incumbent 2023 directors (pre‑closing; not applicable to Asarpota). |
Fixed Compensation
- Post‑closing, the Board anticipated approving a non‑employee director compensation program providing cash and equity; specific retainers, committee fees, or equity amounts for directors were not disclosed.
Performance Compensation
- No disclosure of director equity grant sizes, RSU/PSU terms, option awards, or performance metrics tied to director pay post‑closing; program anticipated but details not provided.
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Interlock/Overlap | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maravai LifeSciences (MRVI) | Chief Financial Officer | Executive role at another public life science company | No disclosed supplier/customer interlock with Profusa; Board still determined independence. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and operations leadership as public-company CFO; relevant to Compensation chair duties and Audit membership.
- Board deemed “financially literate” and an Audit Committee financial expert.
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rajesh Asarpota | — (not listed with a number in post‑closing table) | — | Not shown with quantified ownership immediately following closing; others (e.g., Knechtel and Stover via Sponsor) hold significant stakes. |
| Fred Knechtel | 8,985,042 (includes Sponsor warrants) | 24.0% | CFO and Sponsor manager; context for board ownership concentration. |
| Jack Stover | 8,658,652 (via NorthView Sponsor I, LLC) | 23.1% | Sponsor manager. |
| NorthView Sponsor I, LLC | 8,658,652 | 23.1% | Sponsor entity; large ownership post‑closing. |
- Hedging/pledging policy: Prior SPAC proxy prohibited hedging and pledging by directors; post‑closing policy not specifically reiterated in the 8‑K.
Governance Assessment
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Strengths: Board-confirmed independence; chairs the Compensation Committee and serves on Audit with financial expert status—supports robust oversight of pay and controls.
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Alignment concerns: No quantified beneficial ownership disclosed for Asarpota immediately post‑closing, which may limit “skin‑in‑the‑game” alignment versus Sponsor‑affiliated holders with large stakes.
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Compensation transparency: Director pay framework was anticipated but not yet detailed post‑closing—investors lack visibility into cash/equity mix, performance linkage, and ownership guidelines for directors.
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Company capital structure/risk context: Profusa disclosed going‑concern risks, significant convertible/junior/senior notes, and a new $10M senior secured PIPE note with MFN/down‑round protections, mandatory prepayment mechanics, security interests, and lock‑ups—elevating the importance of Compensation/Audit oversight for capital discipline and incentive design.
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External role/time demands: Concurrent CFO responsibilities at MRVI could create time‑commitment pressure; Board nonetheless affirmed independence. Monitoring engagement and attendance will be important in future disclosures.
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RED FLAGS:
- Undisclosed/immaterial personal share ownership post‑closing (no number shown), potentially weak ownership alignment for a Compensation chair.
- Company‑level financing complexity and going‑concern disclosures heighten governance risk; while not director‑specific, this raises the bar for committee effectiveness.
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Related‑party transactions: Company disclosed Tasly‑related convertible debt and plans for an APAC JV; no director‑specific related‑party transactions involving Asarpota were disclosed.
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Say‑on‑pay/shareholder feedback: No historical say‑on‑pay results disclosed for the new entity; director compensation program pending.