Sridhar is an exceptional engineer focused on translating data into revolutionary tech businesses. He is currently the CEO and co-founder of Neeva, an ad-free and deeply personal consumer-focused search service built with privacy at the foundation.
As the former head of Google’s advertising business, Sridhar has unparalleled experience leveraging data insights into game-changing infrastructure and is eager to work with entrepreneurs using data at scale to deliver the next generation of consumer and enterprise software.
“We’re at a time when, for many people, trust in the internet has been broken. So how do we go about rebuilding that? I believe the time is now to rethink the ways we use data to create value for all the people who use it.”
Sridhar joined Greylock in 2018, following an extraordinary 15 years at the helm of what is arguably Google’s most important business. As the company’s SVP of Advertising and Commerce, Sridhar oversaw all of Google’s advertising and commerce products, including search, display and video advertising, analytics, shopping, payments, and travel. When he joined the company in 2003, Google Ads was a $1.5 billion business. By the time he left, its annual revenue run rate was $100 billion.
Even from within one of the world’s most monumental companies, Sridhar has always focused on building and scaling new businesses. He is drawn to ideas at their earliest stages, is passionate about helping people develop and expand their skills, and is an accomplished team builder who has scaled teams from the first dozen employees to thousands.
“I’ve learned how important it is for a leader to see potential in people. I’ve gotten a lot of jobs I initially did not think myself capable of doing. It was other people who saw potential in me and gave me the opportunity.”
He also isn’t afraid to make bold bets. Sridhar was the driving force in the company’s development of new businesses and helped lead several significant company pivots, including the transition from desktop to mobile. His team also pioneered early infrastructure work in machine learning, storage, and analytics. Prior to Google, Sridhar spent four years as the director of engineering at the startup E.piphany, where he oversaw marketing automation product development. He also held research positions at Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies, and Bell Communications Research (Bellcore), focusing on databases and query processing on large scale data.
Sridhar may have an illustrious command of data — he has published several papers on database systems and theory, and holds several patents — but he also has an insatiable curiosity about its future applications. He looks for entrepreneurs who share this passion.
“Relentless drive and a willingness to learn are the primary qualities a person needs to have. To me, all other problems can be solved with time.”
Sridhar grew up in India and holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. He earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in CS from Brown University. When he’s not online or thinking about the online world, he is devoted to health and fitness and enjoys swimming, running, and strength training.