Dean Drako
Dean Drako | |
---|---|
Alma mater | University of Michigan (BS,EE 1987) UC Berkeley (MS,EE 1988) |
Occupation(s) | Founder, CEO, Eagle Eye Networks |
Board member of | Barracuda Networks, Brivo |
Website | Linked in |
Dean Drako is an American businessman and serial entrepreneur who has started more than five companies. Drako is best known as a co-founder, president and CEO of Barracuda Networks (NYSE Ticker CUDA)[1] from 2003 to July 2012. Drako is currently President and CEO of Eagle Eye Networks.[2] He is also an active angel investor.[3]
He graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MS in Electrical Engineering from UC Berkeley.[4] As of 2013, Drako is a holder of 27 patents, including patents in network security, network protocols, digital circuits, software, biochemical processes, and sporting equipment.[5]
Career history
In 1982, Drako founded his first company, which sold a bulletin board system software package called T-net, used to share messages via modems. Drako used the profits to fund his college education.[6][7]
In 1992, Drako founded Design Acceleration, Inc, served as its CEO,[8] and sold it to Cadence Design Systems in 1999.[9] Drako was also founder and CEO of Boldfish and Velosel;[10] Boldfish was acquired by Siebel Systems in 2003.[11] In 2003 Drako founded IC Manage,[12] where he continues to be president and CEO.[13]
Drako has written a number of articles on open source, big data, and system on chip design.[14][15][16][17]
Drako is a frequently invited speaker and contributor on the topic of entrepreneurship, including by UC Berkeley,[18][19][20] University of Michigan,[21] ISPD,[22] and Forbes.[23][24]
Barracuda Networks
Also in 2003, Drako founded Barracuda Networks and introduced their email spam and virus appliance product line.[25][26] Other Barracuda product lines launched during Drako's tenure were: web filters,[27] load balancers,[28] email archiving,[29] and digital PBXs.[30]
Drako executed six acquisitions by Barracuda Networks: In 2007, NetContinuum, an application controller company;[31] in 2008, BitLeap, a provider of cloud-based backup services,[32] and 3SP, an SSL and VPN company;[33] in 2009, Yosemite Technologies, for incremental backup of applications;[34] a controlling interest in phion AG, an Austria-based public enterprise-class firewalls company,[35] and Purewire Inc, a software as a service (SaaS) cloud-based web filtering and security company.[36]
Drako contributed to or supported 16 different open source projects while running Barracuda including Valgrind, Apache, and the Free Software Foundation.[37]
Drako resigned from Barracuda Networks in July 2012 to pursue other ventures, remaining on its board of directors. At the time of Drako’s resignation, Barracuda stated it was profitable, generating hundreds of millions in annual revenue, close to 30% year-over-year growth since inception, and had surpassed 150,000 customers.[38][39]
As of January 2016, Drako’s reported holdings of Barracuda stock is estimated to be worth $82 Million on the open market.[40]
Eagle Eye Networks
In July 2012, Drako founded Eagle Eye Networks, a cloud-based video security company, and serves as its President and CEO.[41][42]
In January 2014, Drako formally launched Eagle Eye Networks and introduced its cloud-managed video surveillance system. Eagle Eye’s goal was “to do for video surveillance what Dropbox did for file sharing by making video more available and far easier to use.”[43][44]
Brivo
Drako acquired Brivo,[45] a provider of cloud-based physical access control systems, in June 2015 for a reported $50 million. Brivo will sell its cloud-based access control systems along with Eagle Eye’s cloud-based security camera system, although the companies will continue to operate as separate entities.[46]
Drako Motors
Drako is co-founder and CEO of Drako Motors, an electric sports car software platform provider, which on August 6, 2015 announced its first product, the Drako DriveOS, a single VCU (vehicle control unit) operating system which controls all four wheels independently. [47]
Awards and Recognition
In 1984, Drako won finalist in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search for his solar energy research.[48]
In 2007, Drako was named Entrepreneur of the Year for Northern California for Networking and Communications by Ernst & Young.[49]
In 2011, during Drako's tenure as CEO, Barracuda Networks was ranked #2 of the 2011 Best Tech Co's to Work For in 2011 by Business Insider.[50]
In 2012, Drako was elected to be a director of the Electronic Design Automation Consortium (EDAC) board in 2012.[51]
Since 2012 Drako has served on the University of Michigan Advisory council. [52]
In 2014, Drako was selected as Keynote speaker for UC Berkeley Engineering Week.[53]
In 2014, Goldman Sachs named Dean Drako as one of the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs of 2014.[54]
In 2016, Dean was commencement speaker at University of Michigan Engineering School.[55]
References
- ^ SJ Mercury News Biz Break: Barracuda Networks IPO primes pump for Twitter
- ^ Security Info Watch Michael Dell bankrolls Eagle Eye Networks
- ^ Dow Jones Serial Entrepreneur and Ex-Barracuda CEO Launches Eagle Eye Networks to Take Video to the Cloud
- ^ Richard Newton Distinguished Innovator Lecture Series, Dean Drako Sept 2008
- ^ US Patent Collection database search July 2013
- ^ CTAN January 2013
- ^ Apple II Computer Info Page 67
- ^ EETimes: DAI Reorganizes for Next Stage Growth Jul 1997
- ^ EETimes: Cadence acquires verification tool vendor DAI Jan 1999
- ^ Deepchip: How Dean Drako's 1/2 billion dollar "side hobby" might change EDA August 2012
- ^ Bloomberg Businessweek: Boldfish Retrieved March 2013
- ^ Deepchip: How Dean Drako's 1/2 billion dollar "side hobby" might change EDA August 2012
- ^ IC Manage management page: Retrieved April 2013
- ^ DeepChip: Big Data analytics coming for chip design May 2014
- ^ DeepChip: Design and IP management metrics May 2014
- ^ NetworkWorld Open Source Developers Must Chart Clear Defense in the Patent Wars Nov 2007
- ^ EETimes: IP reuse requires both design reuse and verification reuse April 2013
- ^ Berkeley Innovators Fresh off of Barracuda's IPO, Dean Drako MS '88 launches Eagle Eye & talks entrepreneurship with Berkeley Innovators
- ^ UC Berkeley CET 2015 Dean Drako, CEO Eagle Eye Networks
- ^ UC Berkeley Newton Lectures Dean Drako, CEO Barracuda Networks
- ^ University of Michigan Center for Entrepreneurship Dean Drako Entrepreneurship Talk
- ^ ISPD Concept & Research to Revenue: An Entrepreneurial Story
- ^ Forbes 7 CEOs Reveal Lessons Learned as a Chief Executive
- ^ Forbes 7 CEOs Give Advice to First-Timers
- ^ CTAN January 2013
- ^ Deepchip: How Dean Drako's 1/2 billion dollar "side hobby" might change EDA August 2012
- ^ InformationWeek Barracuda Rolls Out Spyware-Blocking Appliance
- ^ IT & Security Portal Barracuda Networks Launches Barracuda Load Balancer
- ^ Reseller News November 2007
- ^ Enterprise Networking Planet: Barracuda Launches CudaTel PBX August 2009
- ^ SCMagazine Barracuda Networks buys NetContinuum
- ^ eweek Barracuda Networks Buys into Data Backup Business
- ^ Eweek Barracuda Networks Breaks into SSL VPN Space
- ^ PCWorld Backup Merger Unites Barracuda, Yosemite
- ^ Silicon Valley Business Journal Barracuda Networks takes controlling interest in Phion
- ^ Atlanta Business Chronicle Barracuda buys Purewire Inc.
- ^ Barracuda Open Source Community Retrieved 2012
- ^ Bloomberg October 2012
- ^ CRN Barracuda CEO Resigns
- ^ NASDAQ insider activity - NYSE CUDA Jan 2014
- ^ Barracuda management page: Retrieved Sept 2013
- ^ Venture Beat Michael Dell is funding this company to move surveillance cameras onto the cloud
- ^ The Wall Street Journal: Barracuda Networks Co-Founder Launches Video Surveillance Startup Jan 2014
- ^ MarketWatch: Startup puts video surveillance in the cloud Jan 2014
- ^ "Brivo acquired by Dean Drako of Eagle Eye Networks". SourceSecurity.com.
- ^ ”Austin’s Dean Drako Buys Maryland-Based Security Manager Brivo for $50M,” Xconomy, June 11, 2015 [1]
- ^ ”Drako Motors Debuts Company and Introduces Drako DriveOS Platform for Electric Sports Cars”[2]
- ^ CTAN January 2013
- ^ Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the year Hall of Fame: July 2007
- ^ Business Insider The 25 Best Tech Companies To Work For In 2011 Sept 2011
- ^ EETimes Kathryn Kranen elected chair of EDA Consortium June 2012
- ^ Michigan EAC Members and Term of Service Retrieved April 2013
- ^ Berkeley Engineering Channel Retrieved May 2014
- ^ Security Systems News: Goldman Sachs names Eagle Eye Networks founder one of '100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs of 2014' Oct 2014
- ^ Commencement Speaker. University of Michigan Engineering. Retrieved 2016-04-30.