Joseph Hinrichs. Photo credit: Ford

WaveSense, a Massachusetts-based startup that develops radar technology for cars, has announced that it’s appointed Joseph Hinrichs, a veteran of automaker Ford, to its board. Hinrichs, who served most recently as Ford’s Automotive President before departing earlier this year, has joined WaveSense’s board effective immediately. Alongside his appointment also comes the addition of Charles K. Stevens, a former CFO of General Motors, and Kurt Lehmann, former CTO of automotive parts giant Continental, to WaveSense’s advisory board.

Hinrichs left Ford earlier this year after 19 years at the automaker. He’s joining the board of a startup that develops radar technology to help cars navigate safely. WaveSense, which traces its origins to research at the famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), currently has just 13 employees. The company has raised $3 million in known funding from investors including Rhapsody Venture Partners, Vas Ventures, and NOMO Ventures.

According to a statement from Hinrichs, he accepted WaveSense’s board offer because it seemed like a chance to work with ventures similar to Rivian Automotive, an electric car upstart that Ford has sizeably invested in. Hinrichs was actually a board member at Rivian but gave up his seat in May of this year.

“I got to be involved early with Rivian and I really enjoyed that,” Hinrichs said in an interview. “I wanted to get involved with something that was early stage and WaveSense just fit the bill.”