As an engineer, Martin Slosarik started experimenting with drones in his NYU Abu Dhabi dorm room. By sophomore year, he won the prestigious UAE Drones for Good competition. Today, he’s still soaring as the co-founder, with two other NYUAD alumni, of a fast-growing defense tech startup with millions in seed funding and government contracts.

What inspired your new venture?
Picogrid helps companies and governments use unmanned systems for various missions. 

It’s increasingly clear that governments and private companies are turning to unmanned systems for various tasks. After graduating, I worked with McKinsey in Silicon Valley, where I noticed that most founders were focused on Business-to-Business Software as a Service (B2B SaaS) and blind to the opportunity to build physical systems. 

As a Slovak-American, I’ve closely followed the war in Ukraine, and it reinforced my belief that we are witnessing a fundamental shift. This inspired me to start Picogrid, and we raised over $12 million in seed funding last year. I grew our business from zero to over $15 million in contracts. Along the way, I’ve had the privilege of working with multiple NYUAD alumni, including my co-founders, Zane Mountcastle (NYUAD Class of 2018) and Dan Chirita (NYUAD Class of 2019).

How did you get involved in entrepreneurship at NYUAD?
During my sophomore year, I had the incredible opportunity to compete in the 2015 UAE Drones for Good competition, and won a $270,000 prize. Together with four other students, I spent countless late nights and holidays turning a research project into reality.

Director of the Engineering Design Studio and Senior Lecturer of Engineering Design at NYUAD, Matt Karau, was a key mentor in that journey. Karau understands what it takes to conduct critical, customer-focused research, and he was instrumental in helping us remove blockers to success in Drones for Good. He became a lifelong mentor and friend.

How did NYUAD support your entrepreneurial goals?
First, there was the sheer energy of the place. NYUAD is built on big ambition. It’s a school that itself was an entrepreneurial venture, emerging in the middle of the desert. Being part of that pioneering mindset made a huge impact on me. On a practical level, NYUAD provided a structured, secure environment with great housing and a supportive campus, allowing me to focus on what mattered: growing as an engineer and human being.

Second, there were the people. Senior Lecturer Matt Karau and the Engineering Design Studio gave me hands-on experience building real-world projects. NYU’s former president, John Sexton, was a living example of vision-driven leadership. Professor John Coughlin was another key influence that shaped my leadership style. 

Finally, there was the NYUAD student community. Like in Silicon Valley, it was cool to be a nerd. Having equally ambitious and curious friends created an environment where big ideas could flourish.