Suggestions
Som Sikdar
Infrastructure for AI/ML/HPC, Confidential Computing, and AI for Data
Som Sikdar is a seasoned CTO/Architect known for his work on high-performance enterprise and cloud infrastructure projects, focusing on performance, analytics, and decentralization. Over the past three years, he has been instrumental in launching several successful startups.
With a rich background in business executive roles, Som has effectively managed and introduced new data center technologies to the market. He boasts a remarkable track record of founding four startups and serving on startup boards and management teams for two decades.
Som Sikdar's expertise extends to building over a dozen product delivery teams from the ground up, consistently achieving high success rates in first-time and on-time product deliveries. He has overseen the development of groundbreaking high-performance Ethernet switch and routing solutions for data centers and carriers, setting industry standards.
With over 15 years of active participation in technology standard-setting bodies like IEEE-802 LAN/MAN Ethernet and Token-ring committees, as well as ANSI T1, Som brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. His innovative contributions are reflected in holding 30 patents across various tech domains including data center switching, routing, flash memory, and databases.
His professional journey includes managing the development of more than 20 silicon designs and leading significant software development projects in areas such as routing, storage, and fiber channel.
Som Sikdar pursued his academic interests by earning a B.Tech in Electronics & Electrical Communications Engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and furthered his studies with an MS in Electrical Engineering from Washington State University.
Throughout his career, Som has been associated with several notable organizations, showcasing his diverse expertise. He has served as an Advisor at Treva AI, a Member of the Technical Steering Committee at Magma, and Coordinator at the Linux Foundation Connectivity at both The Linux Foundation and Meta.
His professional journey also includes roles as a Principal at NorcalBarnstormersLLC, Co-founder, Board Member, and Architect at Karousels, Investor at TangoSim, Co-Founder and advisor at Kaleidoscope, Managing Partner and founder at Barnstormers Group, Founder and CEO at Kodiak Data, CTO at Violin Memory, and Founder, CTO, and board member at GridIron Systems (later acquired by Violin Memory). Som has also contributed as a Consultant at Mohr Davidow Ventures, Founder, CEO, and Chairman of the Board at Mistletoe Technologies (Gigafin Networks), and an Entrepreneur in Residence at US Venture Partners. His foundational role as Founder, CTO, Head of R&D, and board member at Force10 Networks further underscores his deep-rooted involvement in shaping technological advancements.
