# Somnath "Som" Ray

> Somnath "Som" Ray is the Brooklyn-based co-founder and CEO of CLIP, which makes removable electric propulsion devices for compatible bicycles. An architect educated at Columbia University and MIT, he previously worked in urban mobility, design consulting and data visualization. His work centers on making electric cycling simpler and more affordable through upgrades to existing bicycles.

- **Role:** Co-founder & CEO at CLIP
- **Organizations:** CLIP, Timescape, Dplay, MIT Media Lab Smart Cities group, Midnight Commercial
- **Education:** Master’s degree in architecture, Columbia University, Master’s studies in Design and Computation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** MIT Technology Review TR35 recognition in 2012, documented in his archived LinkedIn biography., Co-founded CLIP and developed its removable, tool-free electric bicycle upgrade., CLIP won the Make It in Brooklyn Future of Transportation pitch contest in 2019.

## Career timeline

- **2002** — First came to the United States for graduate architecture study in New York, according to his Flywheel interview.
- **2007-2009** — Studied at MIT and worked with the Smart Cities group led by William Mitchell.
- **2009** — Returned to India and started an electric auto-rickshaw venture; later described battery technology as too early for the business.
- **Before 2018** — Founded design consultancy Dplay and data visualization company Timescape; also worked as creative director at Midnight Commercial.
- **2018** — Co-founded CLIP with Clément de Alcala in Brooklyn; his archived LinkedIn profile dates the role to March.
- **2019** — CLIP won the $5,000 Make It in Brooklyn Future of Transportation pitch contest.
- **2025** — Received a Global Citizen and PayPal Small Business Impact Award; promoted CLIP and BOLT at design and mobility events.

## Achievements

- MIT Technology Review TR35 recognition in 2012, documented in his archived LinkedIn biography.
- Co-founded CLIP and developed its removable, tool-free electric bicycle upgrade.
- CLIP won the Make It in Brooklyn Future of Transportation pitch contest in 2019.
- Received a 2025 Global Citizen and PayPal Small Business Impact Award carrying a $25,000 grant.
- CLIP was recognized as a 2025 CO-100 Global Stars honoree.

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — A CO- profile described CLIP’s planned 2026 New York lending-library pilot; this was a plan, not a confirmed completed launch.
- **2025-11** — Named a Global Citizen and PayPal Small Business Impact Awards recipient and appeared at Global Citizen NOW in Johannesburg on November 21.
- **2025-10** — Published an argument for bicycle conversion economics on CLIP’s blog.

## Links

- Website: https://clip.bike/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/som-ray

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/somnath-ray
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-11