Jeeva is a telugu[1] word, which is actually pronounced 'jee-vaa' athough Jeev does mean a living thing in Hindi. It's easily to get confused with less popular Indian languages as being Hindi words because it's more popular, although they're similar because they're all derived from Sanskrit.
To add, Jeeva means living thing in Malayalam, another language from the south India. In fact, Jeeva is a common name in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, two states from the south India.
Very interesting, thanks. I know a South African family of Indian descent with that last name. They're the only Muslim family I've met with that name so I've wondered about its roots.
Their best goto-market is probably licensing and embedding in various existing consumer devices: battery-less TV remotes, external temperature sensors, cyclometers, etc. Otherwise, distribution and advertising becomes an uphill climb to typical startup doom.
This guy sounds like a tool. Sure, he's accomplished, but his website and linkedin are dripping with self aggrandization. "Splendid Chap" -- cringe. My hunch is that they didn't hire him because he didn't seem like a cultural fit.