Drew Dirksen is a 38-year-old entrepreneur and investor from Seattle, Washington. He is the founder and CEO of Grid Technologies, a software company focused on blockchain and distributed ledger technology. Dirksen has become known as an innovator and thought leader in the blockchain space, advocating for the technology’s potential to transform industries like finance, supply chain management, and cybersecurity.
Early Life and Education
Drew Dirksen was born in 1985 and grew up in the Seattle metro area. From an early age he displayed an aptitude for math, science, and computers. As a teenager, Dirksen taught himself how to code and created a few simple video games. He attended the University of Washington, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a minor in business administration.
After college, Dirksen took a job as a software engineer at Microsoft. He worked on projects related to database systems and business intelligence tools. At Microsoft, Dirksen was able to deepen his technical skills while also learning about product development cycles and working with cross-functional teams.
Entrepreneurial Beginnings
Dirksen left Microsoft after three years to try his hand at entrepreneurship. In 2011, he co-founded a company called Avero that developed scheduling and workforce management software for restaurants and retailers. As CEO, Dirksen guided the company through its early startup phase, built out the core technology, and secured venture capital financing.
Avero gained some traction and was used by dozens of customers across 15 U.S. states. However, the company struggled to scale up effectively. In 2015, Avero was acquired for a modest sum by a firm called Workforce Insight. The experience left Dirksen wanting to pursue more ambitious ideas.
Discovering Blockchain
Later in 2015, Dirksen came across blockchain technology for the first time while reading about Bitcoin. He became fascinated with the potential for blockchain to enable secure, decentralized applications. Dirksen reached out to industry experts to further his education on technical aspects of blockchain. He also researched various startups beginning to leverage blockchain for new platforms and products.
Convinced that blockchain would be transformative across industries, Dirksen decided his next venture would tap into this emerging space. He spent most of 2016 planning, building connections, and seeking co-founders and investors to get a new blockchain startup off the ground.
Founding Grid Technologies
In early 2017, Dirksen incorporated Grid Technologies with two co-founders he met through previous business acquaintances. Dirksen served as CEO and head of product strategy. The company set out to build tools and infrastructure to help businesses adopt blockchain technology.
Grid Technologies was early to market with its core offering called Nexus. Released in 2018, Nexus provided an enterprise-grade platform allowing organizations to develop, test, and deploy blockchain applications. By abstracting away blockchain complexities, Nexus enabled more rapid and flexible development cycles.
The company gained traction with both startups and large enterprises seeking to explore decentralized applications. Initial customers spanned industries like retail, manufacturing, and financial services. Grid Technologies also partnered with major cloud providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud to make its platform easily accessible.
Growth and Funding
As interest in blockchain adoption grew, Grid Technologies saw impressive growth in customers and revenue. The company has raised over $50 million in funding to date. Investors include Revolution Ventures, Acrew Capital, Madera Ventures, and the Pantera Capital ICO fund.
In 2021, Grid Technologies expanded its offerings with a suite of decentralized identity products aimed at enhanced security and privacy. It also launched consulting and managed services to guide enterprises through the strategic options and implementation of blockchain solutions.
Today Grid Technologies employs over 100 people and has helped dozens of customers implement blockchain applications across many use cases. The company has established itself as a leader in enterprise blockchain. Estimated annual recurring revenue exceeds $15 million.
Acquisitions
To accelerate its product roadmap and geographic expansion, Grid Technologies has made several acquisitions:
| Company Acquired | Year | Price | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chainyard | 2019 | $12 million | Gained development team and European customer base |
| IBM Blockchain Services | 2020 | $22 million | Acquired talent and intellectual property |
| CryptoNumerix | 2021 | $6 million | Secured data analytics technology |
These deals have expanded Grid Technologies’ footprint and advanced its offerings. They demonstrate the company’s strategy of smart acquisitions to complement organic growth.
Management and Culture
As CEO, Dirksen has built a values-driven culture at Grid Technologies focused on transparency, accountability, and employee empowerment. He sets the vision and gives teams autonomy to execute. Dirksen maintains an open door policy and hosts regular all-hands meetings to facilitate direct communication across the company.
Dirksen has assembled an impressive management team. The CTO and VP of Engineering oversee development of Grid’s portfolio of blockchain products and services. The Chief Product Officer translates market needs into high-level product requirements. Marketing, sales, services, and support executives round out the senior leadership team.
Despite growing to over 100 employees, Grid Technologies retains a startup ethos. Employees praise the collaborative environment. The company emphasizes work/life balance and offers generous perks like remote work options, unlimited vacation, and sabbaticals. Grid has been recognized as a top small/medium workplace by Inc. Magazine, The Bay Area News Group, and The Seattle Times.
Industry Leadership
Dirksen and other executives take an active role in advancing blockchain technology across the business landscape. For example, Grid Technologies has contributed open source code and tools to the Hyperledger Project governed by the Linux Foundation. This enables broader collaboration around blockchain for enterprises.
Dirksen frequently speaks at major industry conferences like Consensus, DCentralCon and SXSW. He co-hosted the 2022 Blockchain Leadership Summit which convened top innovators across startups, big tech firms, academia, and regulatory agencies. Dirksen also works closely with policymakers and regulators to promote responsible rules that foster blockchain innovation.
Within the state of Washington, Dirksen helped establish the Cascadia Blockchain Council. This trade association advocates for regional blockchain companies and works to develop talent and promote education. Dirksen sits on the Board of Advisors alongside leaders from Microsoft, Amazon, and other top regional firms.
Investments and Philanthropy
Leveraging his blockchain expertise and passion for mentoring, Dirksen co-founded Cascadia Ventures in 2019. The venture capital firm backs early stage startups focused on blockchain applications for industries like retail, logistics, healthcare, and government services. Cascadia Ventures has $75 million under management and has invested in 16 startups to date.
Dirksen also founded the Seattle Blockchain Foundation to encourage tech education and opportunities for underserved populations. The non-profit provides scholarships, coding camps, hackathons and other programs to empower diverse future innovators in blockchain technology.
As his personal wealth has grown, Dirksen has become a prominent philanthropist. He has signed The Giving Pledge, committing to give away the majority of his net worth to worthy causes during his lifetime. Dirksen has provided major donations to the United Way, American Red Cross, Seattle Foundation and other community organizations.
Personal Life
Despite his busy schedule, Dirksen remains grounded and active in interests beyond work. He is an avid skier who frequently spends weekends during the winter at nearby mountain resorts. Dirksen also enjoys reading fiction, watching sports, and indulging his passion for classic rock music.
Dirksen met his wife Amanda when their two companies were office neighbors in downtown Seattle. The couple married in 2013 and now have two young children, son Jack and daughter Olivia. Though Dirksen travels frequently for business, he is committed to devoting time to his family and raising his kids in his hometown area.
Legacy and Impact
At just 38 years old, Drew Dirksen has already achieved remarkable success as an entrepreneur, investor, and visionary in the blockchain space. In a decade since co-founding Grid Technologies, he has built it into a leader in enterprise blockchain with over $15 million in revenue.
Dirksen’s passion for decentralized technologies has spurred adoption by companies in retail, manufacturing, financial services and other sectors. This helps drive innovation and enhances security, privacy and operational efficiencies across industries. Dirksen is a sought-after thought leader who speaks at premier conferences and policy forums.
As an angel investor and venture capitalist, Dirksen provides strategic guidance and funding to founders building the next generation of blockchain applications. And his philanthropic efforts support technology education to bring new talent into the industry.
With Grid Technologies prospering and his wealth multiplying, Dirksen is well positioned to maintain his meteoric rise. Given his track record, industry standing and ambition, Dirksen seems destined for even greater accomplishments in the years ahead. No doubt he will continue playing an integral role in mainstreaming blockchain to transform business and society.