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Ben Cherian

Ben Cherian

Entrepreneur, investor, advisor in cloud infrastructure, data, and open source

bencherian
San Francisco Bay Area, California
Atlanta, Georgia
Joined January 2025
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Summary

Ben Cherian is a seasoned entrepreneur who has founded multiple companies and currently co-leads SUPER SECRET DATA STARTUP, a stealth company focused on enterprise data alerting. His entrepreneurial journey is marked by deep involvement in launching and scaling technology ventures from their early stages. firecell+3
Ben is a prolific angel investor and advisor, actively supporting early-stage startups across various sectors, including Business/Productivity Software and Software Development Applications. He has made over 40 investments, with three exits, and mentors at prominent accelerators like Techstars and Alchemist Accelerator, demonstrating a commitment to fostering new talent and innovation in the tech ecosystem. pitchbook+3
With extensive expertise in cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, and software-defined networking/storage, Ben has held leadership roles at key technology companies. He was instrumental in integrating Ceph with OpenStack at DreamHost, played a strategic role in Midokura's network virtualization solutions, and directed global business development for cloud storage at Red Hat, showcasing his deep technical understanding and strategic vision in these areas. about+5
He is a dedicated advocate for open-source technologies, having been involved with projects like Ceph and OpenStack throughout his career. His work at Inktank, which sponsored Ceph, and his contributions at DreamHost and Red Hat in advancing open-source storage and cloud solutions demonstrate his commitment to collaborative development and open standards. youtube+3

Work

Education

Writing

Open Source Lessons for Open Storage

November 1, 2013

A speaking session at the OpenStorage Summit US 2013 where he discussed the future of open source in storage, focusing on the Ceph platform sponsored by Inktank. Covered concepts like software-defined storage/networking, abstraction, scalability, and manageability in commodity hardware.

Making a Case for Network Virtualization

January 1, 2013

An article discussing the shift towards self-service IT and the role of network virtualization in IaaS clouds, drawing parallels with server virtualization. Highlights the challenges of traditional network devices in cloud environments and advocates for overlay-based network virtualization solutions like Midokura's MidoNet.

Notes

RCRachel Chalmerssaid they've seen
BCBen Cherian
provide especially helpful guidance or mentorship to founders they invest in.

Mar 23, 2026

BBBryan Bogensbergersaid
BCBen Cherian
is one of the most respected early-stage investors they know.

Jan 22, 2026

JSJeff Searlessaid
BCBen Cherian
has built or led communities in a way that has made a lasting impact.

Jan 8, 2026