Employee Induction · 2026

Welcome to

Sequoia Applied Technologies

We build the future better than imagination

2016

Founded

135+

Sequoians

3

India dev centres

Figures as on

www.sequoiaat.com · Oct 2026 · Handbook V2.1

Santa Clara · Chennai · Kochi · Trivandrum

CEO talk

Welcome to the Sequoia family!

Press play for a personal welcome from our CEO

“

We build the future better than imagination.

Aju Kuriakose

Co-Founder & CEO

Our way forward

Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, and working together is success.

Our company

About Sequoia

A California-born engineering company with deep roots in India

2016

Founded in California

135+

Sequoians and growing
as on

3

Countries: US, India and Portugal

HQ

Santa Clara, California

3

India dev centres: Chennai, Kochi, Trivandrum

AI · IoT

Plus bio-informatics and cutting-edge software

Built to last, like the giant Sequoia trees

UPDATED

Our company

Vision, Mission & Core Values

Refreshed in Handbook V2.1 — the principles that guide how we work

Our Vision

To build lasting partnerships by delivering engineering excellence and responsible innovation that empower organizations with intelligent, scalable technology solutions.

Our Mission

To collaborate closely with product companies and deliver high-quality software engineering across embedded, cloud, mobile, AI/ML and data analytics — quality-first, customer-centric, on time and on budget.

Customer Delight

Build trust. Create lasting relationships.

Transparency

Be open, honest and accountable.

Innovation

Think smart. Improve continuously.

Reliability

Deliver what we promise. Every time.

Make a Difference

Create meaningful impact.

Quality & Agility

High standards. Fast execution.

Our company

The Founders

Two journeys, one company

Aju Kuriakose

Co-Founder & CEO

San Francisco

COO

Ex COO of Accel Frontline North America; grew it to multi-million-dollar revenue

Fortune 100

Worked with Intel, HP and GE

VAS

Made Trinity Mobile the most recognized VAS solution provider

2016

Sequoia founded

Gopinath KR

Co-Founder, COO & Head of India Operations

Chennai

40 yrs

In the product engineering services industry

10 MUSD

Led Accel Frontline’s Technology Solutions Group

22 yrs

At HCL, plus several roles at IBM

Our company

Supported by a Core Team

Seasoned leaders across engineering, data, cloud and IoT

LN

Lakshmi Narayanan N

Director, Enterprise Solutions

Chennai

25+ years in service and product industry; focus on healthcare, renewable energy and e-commerce

RB

Ravikumar Balan

Director, Data Science

Trivandrum

25+ years in IT and consulting in India and abroad; insurance, retail, communication and media

KR

Kartik Ramakrishnan

VP, Engineering

Dallas

20+ years as chief architect and solution architect across diverse industries

PS

Padmakumar S K

VP, Cloud & DevOps

Trivandrum

20+ years in technology and profit-centre management

RR

Raghu Rangarajan

Head, IoT

Portugal

Seasoned technocrat with research and service experience; a good mentor

One team across 3 countries

Reach out to any of them — they love a good tech conversation.

Our company

Locations

Presence in 3 countries
with major development centres in India

Headcount as on

United States

Headquarters

Santa Clara9 people

Dallas2 people

India

Development Centres

Trivandrum47 people

Chennai41 people

Kochi37 people

Portugal

Development Centre

Porto3 people

Our company

India Development Centres

Three home bases — and a co-sharing space in Bengaluru

Technopark, Trivandrum

Guindy, Chennai

Edapally, Kochi

Also in Bengaluru: a co-sharing office space in Phase 2, Electronic City

What we do

Portfolio of Services

What we engineer for product companies

01

Embedded Solutions

Firmware development
Communication protocols
Device drivers
Board bring-up
OS customisation

02

Cloud Services

DevOps
Cloud application development
Site reliability
SecOps

03

AI & ML

AI and ML strategy and consulting
Machine learning development
AI-driven custom software
AI integration
Computer vision

04

Software Testing

Functional and regression
Non-functional testing
Black-box and white-box
Smoke testing
User acceptance (UAT)

What we do

Our Work: Where It Started

Early partnerships that shaped our device, mobile and cloud DNA

Firmware and mobile development for wearable devices across various use cases

High-quality mobile and device software

Cloud software, analytics and firmware for the Boomerang device

Mobile apps that control and configure Orison’s smart devices

What we do

Our Work Today

Ongoing engagements in life sciences, retail tech and industrial IoT

Software services for medical devices

Development, testing and support for products in sequencing, genotyping, gene expression and proteomics

End-to-end testing of Elo Android devices: touch screens, POS, handheld payment and cloud

Software to monitor machine health and predict machine failures

Our Patrons

The companies that trust us with their products

10partners and counting

What we build

Our Products

The genes of a services company, the DNA of a product company

01

Queued →

05

Nexgenflow

01

Product 01 / 05

Offrd

offrd.co

02

Product 02 / 05

Chatena

03

Product 03 / 05

ContinuumAR

Critical field information for front-line workers, delivered on head-mounted AR devices for situational awareness and safety.

04

Product 04 / 05

Queued

Recognition

Our Achievements

Recognition for innovation and IoT excellence

2023

Top 50 Innovative Companies

Recognized by CEO Views

2019

Life at Sequoia

How we work, grow and look after each other — the essentials from Handbook V2.1

Handbook V2.1

What's New in Handbook V2.1

Effective July 24, 2026 — the eight changes every Sequoian should know

1

Atndnz Attendance

QR check-in and check-out, plus Break and Remote modes

SEE DETAILS → 2

Leave & Holidays

13 holidays, comp-off, PL encashable at exit

SEE DETAILS → 3

Service Rewards

Paid vacation and allowance at 3 and 5 years

SEE DETAILS → 4

Confirmation & Appraisal

Salary revision on your work anniversary

SEE DETAILS → 5

Exit Process

No leave during notice; structured F&F

SEE DETAILS → 6

Conduct & Discipline

Progressive discipline, zero-tolerance list

SEE DETAILS → 7

POSH & Confidentiality

Mandatory POSH assessment; pay is private

SEE DETAILS → 8

IT & AI Systems

Approved AI tools only; mandatory training

SEE DETAILS →

UPDATED

How we work

Work Hours & Remote Work

A flat, flexible culture — with clear rules on time, place and presence

Mon – Fri

Five-day work week

9:30 – 6:30

Official hours, incl. 1 hr for lunch and tea

12:30 – 2:30

Lunch break window

≤ 48 hrs

Weekly cap when extra hours are needed

Remote Work

Needs your Lead’s approval
Inform your Lead 2 working days ahead
Stable internet and a quiet workspace
No public Wi-Fi; lock unattended systems

Dress Code

Business formal or smart casuals
Jeans and T-shirts are fine if presentable
Strict formals for client meetings and visits
No rubber slippers at the workplace

Office Access

Carry your ID and access card daily
No tailgating at the entrance
Visitors need a pass and an escort
Report a lost card to HR immediately

NEW

How we work

Attendance on Atndnz

The official system for attendance, working hours, remote work and leave — download it from the App Store or Play Store

In Office

1

Scan in

Scan the QR code at the entrance on arrival

2

Break

Select Break mode when stepping out

3

Resume

Resume working hours in the app on return

4

Scan out

Scan the QR code at the exit when leaving

Remote

1

Get approval

Lead’s prior approval is mandatory

2

Go remote

Select Remote Work in the app

3

End the day

End the Remote Work status when done

Do

Keep location (Precise Location on iOS) and data on
Let the app bypass power-saving restrictions
Respond to app notifications promptly

Don’t

Force-close the app after logging in
Leave without Exit or Break — it triggers Auto Break
Turn off location or mobile data while logged in

App issues? Email [email protected] with your Lead in CC. Attendance in Atndnz is final for payroll.

How we work

Communication

The right channel, the right response time

Our channels

Microsoft Teams

Our official channel of communication

Microsoft Outlook

Our official tool for email

Skype, Slack and others

Only when a client mandates it, for client communication

Email etiquette

1

Acknowledge, always

Based on criticality, respond with the right action or commitment — client mails come first.

2

Reply in reasonable time

Email is centrally managed and allocated; keep your inbox moving.

3

Respect after-hours

Avoid sending mail late after working hours unless it’s unavoidable.

UPDATED

Time off

Leave & Holidays

Plan leave around project commitments — every request is applied and approved in Atndnz

13

Holidays a year

Incl. Jan 26, May 1, Aug 15 and Oct 2; festival list shared each December

15

Privilege leave days

Per year, for confirmed employees

30

Max PL carry-forward

Unused PL is encashed when you exit

Leave type	Who	Days / year	Carry forward	Notes
Privilege (PL)	Confirmed employees	15	Up to 30 days	Encashed on exit
Maternity	Female employees	As per statute	—	Maternity Benefit Act
Comp Off	All employees	As earned	Use within 3 months	6 hrs on holiday/weekend, pre-approved by Lead
Leave w/o Pay	All employees	—	—	Deducted from salary

Discuss leave with your Lead before applying; unapproved leave is treated as LOP
No leave during the notice period — any leave taken is LOP (medical exceptions)
Hartals and bandhs aren’t holidays unless the government declares one — apply leave or WFH

UPDATED

Time off

Leave Policy: Before vs Now

What changed from the 2025 induction to Handbook V2.1

Before (2025)

Now (V2.1)

Public holidays

15 days, incl. 3 national holidays

13 days, incl. 4 national holidays — May Day (May 1) added

Privilege leave

15 days; 18 days after 3 years

15 days a year for confirmed employees; carry forward up to 30

Leave encashment

Not allowed

Unused PL encashed at exit (effective April 1, 2026)

Compensatory off

Not available

Earned for 6 hrs worked on a holiday or weekend; pre-approved; use within 3 months

Notice period

Not addressed

No leave allowed; leave taken is LOP and may extend the notice period

NEW

Rewards

Employee Service Reward Program

Paid vacation as a thank-you for long-term commitment — rest, travel and come back recharged

Rising Contributor

After 3 years of service

2 days

Paid vacation

₹25,000

Allowance

3 months

Validity

40%

Encashable (₹10,000)

Trusted Contributor

After 5 years of service

5 days

Paid vacation

₹1,00,000

Allowance

6 months

Validity

40%

Encashable (₹40,000)

How it works

Separate from your regular leave
Plan it and get your Lead’s pre-approval
Reimbursed against original bills in your name, via payroll (TDS applies)
Weekends or holidays clubbed in count as vacation days
Not available while serving notice
No encashment beyond 40% or after expiry

NEW

Time off

Unplanned Absence & Absconding

Keep your Lead and HR informed — silence has consequences

Same day

Emergency leave

Email your Lead and HR the same day. Uninformed leave is Loss of Pay.

3 days

Formal notice

Three consecutive unreported working days triggers a notice — reply within 5 days or face possible termination.

5+ days

Absconding

Absence beyond 5 consecutive working days without notice may be treated as absconding.

Attendance expectations: be punctual and keep to your hours. Frequent late arrivals or misuse of leave are taken seriously.

NEW

Growth

Probation & Confirmation

Six months of probation, then your first performance review

Try a joining date

The 15th rule

Joined on or before the 15th: review in your 6th month
Joined after the 15th: review in your 7th month, after six full months

Confirmation

Based on conduct, abilities and performance
Probation may be advanced or extended
Confirmed unless your Lead says otherwise in writing

Bonus & notice

Performance bonus starts after confirmation
Bonus and arrears follow your Lead’s rating
One month’s notice on either side during probation

UPDATED

Growth

Appraisals & Rewards

Salary revision now follows your work anniversary

Every year on your work anniversary

Join in February → appraisal every February

Long maternity or medical leave? The appraisal moves out until you complete the pending months of the annual cycle.

The appraisal process on intranet.sequoia.at

1

Monthly Feedback & Evaluation

Rate all relevant departments, including your Lead, with constructive comments

2

Self-appraisal

Answer eight strength-and-weakness questions, backed by data and metrics

3

Lead review

Your Lead evaluates and shares formal feedback

The intranet doesn’t take attachments — email supporting documents to your Lead.

Improvement Plan

Below-expected performance leads to a 60-day PIP with measurable goals.

Rewards

Sequoian of the Year, project incentives, and bonuses tied to annual ratings.

Growth

Learn from Peers

Your first weeks come with a structured learning plan

1

Structured Learning Plan

Your personalised “Learn from Peers” planner
One programme per day in your initial days

2

Techtalk Repository

A list of completed Techtalks
Presenter details and links to every session

3

Manager Engagement

Leads receive your learning plan
They support you with progress check-ins

1 / day

One learning programme a day in your first days — pick sessions from the Techtalk repository and talk to Sreeraj RS (Tech Talk) for anything you can’t find.

NEW

Compliance

Gratuity, Bonus & Verification

New statutory and compliance sections added to the handbook

5 yrs

Gratuity & Statutory Bonus

Gratuity after 5 years of continuous service
Statutory bonus per the Payment of Bonus Act
Aligned with India’s new Labour Codes

BGV

Background Verification

Education and past employment
Identity and criminal records, where lawful
Client projects may need extra checks

HR

Keep Your Records Current

Report changes to name, address or phone
Also marital status and dependents
Fill the income tax declaration at joining

Benefits

Employee Welfare Schemes

Looking after you and your family

Health Insurance

Medical cover for you

Staff Welfare

Care beyond the desk

Provident Fund

Saving for your future

Relocation Allowance

Help when you move for us

Fun at Work

Cook-offs, photo contests, celebrations and everything in between

HOVER TO PAUSE · CLICK A PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Team dressed in white at the office celebration

Community

Sequoia Canopy

Moments that grow us together

Handing over an ink dispenser at a school

NEW

Conduct

Conduct & Discipline

Integrity and professionalism, handled fairly and with proper documentation

Zero tolerance

May lead to termination without warning, after due inquiry

Harassment

Theft

Violence

Data breach

Progressive discipline

1

Verbal counselling or warning

2

Written warning

3

Final warning or suspension

4

Termination

Steps may be skipped for serious misconduct.

Have a grievance?

Talk to your Lead first. If it isn’t resolved, approach HR — without fear of reprisal.

NEW

Safety

POSH: A Safe Workplace for All

Zero tolerance for sexual harassment, per the POSH Act, 2013 — completing the POSH assessment is mandatory

“Workplace” includes

Offices & premises

Client locations

Work travel

Work events

Email, chat & calls

Raising a complaint

1

Report

To HR or the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), in writing or with assistance

2

Within 3 months

Of the incident — prompt reporting is encouraged

3

Fair inquiry

Both parties are heard; ICC recommends action to management

Your protection

Strict confidentiality
No retaliation against complainants or witnesses
Ask HR for current ICC members

NEW

Safety

Internal Complaints Committee

Your confidential point of contact for any POSH concern

PRESIDING OFFICER

SM

Subitha M S

Senior Technical Manager

K

Krithika

Senior Technical Manager

Member 1

S

Subathra

Senior Software Engineer

Member 2

SKP

Director, Cloud / DevOps

Member 3

Reach HR or any ICC member

Report within 3 months

Strictly confidential

NEW

Safety

POSH Awareness Video

A one-minute watch before we move on — click the video to play

0:00 / 1:01

Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace · Video: Silver Bazel · 1:01

While you watch, look for

What counts as sexual harassment

Where the “workplace” extends

How to raise a complaint with the ICC

Concern? Speak to HR or any ICC member

NEW

Conduct

Confidentiality & Conflict of Interest

Protecting client trust, our IP and each other

Pay stays private

Don’t share salary, bonus, ratings or appraisal outcomes — with colleagues or outsiders.

No recordings

Don’t record meetings or share internal discussions without written approval.

Client NDAs bind you

NDAs you sign for clients are part of your job; breaches can mean termination and legal action.

IP belongs to Sequoia

Code, designs and documents you create belong to Sequoia or its clients.

No moonlighting

Second jobs, freelancing or consulting need prior written approval.

Return everything

On exit, hand back ID badges, keys, devices, codes and work products.

NEW

Systems

IT, AI & Social Media

Completing the AI Policy and Security Awareness Training is mandatory

Using AI tools

Use only company-approved AI tools
A human reviews every AI output before use
You own its accuracy and compliance

NEVER PUT INTO AN AI TOOL

Source code Client data Architecture docs Employee records Pricing & plans

Details: Sequoia_AI_Policy-v1.0.pdf

IT systems

Never share passwords or logins; report lost devices at once
No unlicensed software, games or external email for work
No company data on personal devices without written approval
Systems may be monitored; no personal use of company email

Social media

Never post client, project or internal information
Only authorised people speak for Sequoia
No unofficial groups using the company name or logo

Next up

Systems & Support

Who to reach for pay, admin and everyday help

Finance Admin Help Desk

Systems & support

Finance

Getting paid, and what makes up your pay

1

Share bank details

Account number with leading zeroes, plus the IFSC code

2

Get paid

Typically on the last working day of the salary month

3

Confirm receipt

Email [email protected] once you receive the credit

Salary components

BasicHRABroadband AllowanceSpecial AllowancePerformance BonusBYOD Allowance*

Deductions

− EPF− ESI*− Professional Tax− TDS

* if applicable

Doubts or queries?

Drop an email to

Systems & support

Admin

For all your administrative support needs

Office maintenance

Stationery

Pantry needs

Project purchases

Your admin contacts

S

Srinivasan

Chennai

A

Athul

Kochi

S

Sreeraj

Trivandrum

SV

Smrithi Venugopal

Trivandrum

UPDATED

Leaving well

Exit Process

A clear path from resignation to relieving letter

1

Resign by email

Email [email protected] and copy your Lead

2

Serve full notice

No leave; LOP otherwise. Frequent leave may extend notice

3

Hand over

Complete knowledge transfer and responsibilities

4

Return assets

All company assets and work documents

5

F&F settlement

Notice pay, arrears and leave encashment

6

Letters issued

Relieving letter and experience certificate

Do

Leave on positive terms and ask for a reference. Medical leave during notice needs a valid certificate.

Don’t

Tell clients or partners you’re leaving — your Lead handles that communication and the transition.

0 / 8

done

Your first weeks

Your Onboarding Checklist

Mandatory steps from Handbook V2.1 — tick them off in your first weeks

Systems & support

Help Desk

Questions? Here’s exactly who to call

HR

Roni Mathew9747137927

Shilpa Anilkumar9962073819

IT Support

Ranjith Kumar9677166869

Accounts, PF & Insurance

Reema Zachariah9656240872

Tech Talk

Sreeraj RS8157014704

Quick links

Atndnz app issues

Leave balance

Payroll queries

Your turn

Any
questions?

No question is too small — ask now, or reach the Help Desk anytime.

Welcome aboard

Thank you

Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, and working together is success.

Grow tall with us, Sequoian.

www.sequoiaat.com

Sequoia Applied Technologies

Welcome to the Sequoia family!

Our way forward

About Sequoia

Vision, Mission & Core Values

Our Vision

Our Mission

Customer Delight

Transparency

Innovation

Reliability

Make a Difference

Quality & Agility

The Founders

Aju Kuriakose

Gopinath KR

Supported by a Core Team

Lakshmi Narayanan N

Ravikumar Balan

Kartik Ramakrishnan

Padmakumar S K

Raghu Rangarajan

One team across 3 countries

Locations

United States

India

Portugal

India Development Centres

Portfolio of Services

Embedded Solutions

Cloud Services

AI & ML

Software Testing

Our Work: Where It Started

Our Work Today

Our Patrons

Our Products

Offrd →

Chatena →

ContinuumAR →

Queued →

Nexgenflow

Offrd

Chatena

ContinuumAR

Queued

Our Achievements

Top 50 Innovative Companies

Top 10 IoT Solutions Provider

Life at Sequoia

What's New in Handbook V2.1

Atndnz Attendance

Leave & Holidays

Service Rewards

Confirmation & Appraisal

Exit Process

Conduct & Discipline

POSH & Confidentiality

IT & AI Systems

Work Hours & Remote Work

Remote Work

Dress Code

Office Access

Attendance on Atndnz

In Office

Scan in

Break

Resume

Scan out

Remote

Get approval

Go remote

End the day

Do

Don’t

Communication

Our channels

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Outlook

Skype, Slack and others