Since raising $20m in January, NAS supplier OpenDrives has increased its headcount by 70 per cent and now expects to grow its 2021 revenues 200 per cent year on year as it expands into new markets.
Its business involves selling scale-out and high-performance NAS systems to media and entertainment companies. OpenDrives has hundreds of customers — including HBO, CBS Sports, Spotify and Sony Interactive Entertainment. It’s also into healthcare diagnostics, for customers including Steadman Clinic, and advertising with Deutsch.
CEO David Buss, a retired Vice-Admiral and not your usual tech startup boss, blew OpenDrives’ trumpet in a statement: ”OpenDrives’s continued momentum would not be possible without adding talent to our already strong team. Our new and existing team members are the heart and soul of our business. As the company has grown, so has the number of industries we’re able to serve. I’m thrilled to bring on so many talented people to our team this year.”
There’s a fair number of sales people being hired, with two new channel account managers — Mike Novoselac (formerly Dell) and Eric Zappia (formerly Quantum) — plus four regional territory managers — Daniel Hatch and Jason Matousek (both formerly Quantum), Craig Alger (formerly Dell EMC) and Chesed Patt (formerly Qumulo). These people will be working with more than 65 channel partners.
Buss has also appointed Ethan Cole (formerly AT&T) as Director of Product Management and Tim Chunn (formerly NetApp) as Director of Business Development.
He wants the company to expand into supplying video management software and enter the high-performance computing, AI and general enterprise markets. New hire Tim Chunn will oversee the company’s expansion strategy and help expand market reach.
Existing NAS suppliers should prepare to say hello to this hot new kid on block.