Benjamin C.K. Tee is a Full Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Vice President (Innovation & Enterprise) at NUS Enterprise. He earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering (2014) from Stanford University and became the first and only Stanford student to win both the TSMC Outstanding Student Research Gold Award and Academy Award in 2011.
His research focuses on flexible and stretchable semiconductor sensor devices. He leads the Sensors.AI Labs at NUS, where his group has advanced organic thin-film transistor-based pressure sensors, scalable neuro-inspired electronic skin systems (Science Robotics, 2019), self-healing electronic materials and high-reliability piezoresistive thin-film sensors. His work has been recognized with the MIT TR35 Innovator Under 35 (2015), NRF Fellowship (2017), WEF Young Scientist of the Year (2019), Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2021), and the James Dyson International Award (2021).
Tee translates research into commercial products through three startups: Privi Medical (acquired), Hannah Life Technologies, and Tacniq.AI, which builds tactile AI foundation models and sensor hardware for robotics. His ventures have raised a combined USD 10 million and are revenue-generating. At NUS Enterprise, he leads the strategic development of the university’s deep-tech startup ecosystem. He holds a BS (Summa Cum Laude) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Masters and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.