BOXABL Inc. appointed Shanmugam "Shan" Palaniappan as chief technology officer as the modular housing company pursues a merger with FG Merger II Corp. (NASDAQ: FGMC), according to a company statement.

Palaniappan brings over 20 years of technology experience, most recently serving as senior vice president of engineering at mortgage fintech company Sagent. His background includes leadership roles at DataRobot, where he served as chief technology officer of the SaaS platform, and nearly a decade at Salesforce, including time at Demandware.

The appointment comes as BOXABL seeks to expand its software, automation and artificial intelligence capabilities. The Las Vegas-based company manufactures modular building systems including the Casita, a 361-square-foot studio unit that unfolds on-site.

"Shan brings the ideal blend of technical expertise and real-world experience to help rewire BOXABL into an AI-native company," said Paolo Tiramani, co-chief executive officer of BOXABL. The company plans to implement real-time data and embedded intelligence across functions including sales forecasting, cost modeling and supply chain optimization.

Palaniappan holds master's degrees from Harvard University and Tennessee State University. He completed undergraduate studies at Annamalai University in India.

BOXABL entered into a definitive merger agreement with blank check company FG Merger II Corp. The transaction is intended to provide strategic flexibility for expanding manufacturing capacity and product lines. Founded in 2017, BOXABL also manufactures the Baby Box, a 120-square-foot unit, and is developing stackable models for larger residential configurations.