At FOSSA, innovation doesn’t happen in isolation, it’s built by people who are passionate about what they do and why they do it.
FOSSA Ambassadors is our way of putting the spotlight on the team behind the technology. In this series, we sit down with the people shaping FOSSA every day to talk about their role, their journey, and what it’s really like to be part of a company redefining satellite IoT. From personal insights to professional growth, these are the stories that power FOSSA.
Today, we meet César Vera, the electronics engineer in charge of the Embedded Software department at FOSSA Systems.
Did you know FOSSA before starting here?
I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t know the company either. I knew a classmate who actually studied with me in my master’s program and that classmate is still here today. What interested me most was the fact that there was a lot of hardware and software, which is what I’ve always liked. In fact, I applied to two different offers. I applied for a hardware offer and a software offer. At that time, since I had little experience, I didn’t really care which way I went.
About a year and a half later, the division between Fullstack Software and Embedded software was created, which is where I stayed: the more digital hardware part.
What about the Space sector caught your attention?
Well, what’s not to like, right? What is it that didn’t catch my attention, you know? That would be a more accurate question, really.
Everything. I mean, I’ve always been interested in how a satellite works, how wireless communications work, that kind of thing. It all seemed so hard to do! I always saw it as something really out there, like: “The people who do this must be really, really amazing people”.
Is there a specific event you remember fondly?
Yes, overall the first event that I would say was the most important would be the first launch. I remember that I caught COVID two days before, so I couldn’t stay with the team: the whole team was in the office, and I was at home watching the launch. I was processing a lot of feelings all at once and i thought “This is what our work, all our effort, is focused on: those little boxes that are going to come out up there trying to communicate with us”.
What has been the biggest challenge in your time at FOSSA?
I wouldn’t know what to tell you about something like that in particular. I can say that it has certainly all been a unique experience and each thing, each moment, has had its challenge to meet.
What would you say to anybody looking to join FOSSA?
I’d say specially if you like technology, if you like tinkering around with electronic boards, if you like programming, well here we have all of that at the same time.
Describe FOSSA in 3 words:
I would say technology, ability, and dedication.