Drew D. Perkins

Drew D. Perkins is a serial entrepreneur and is one of the lead authors of the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), an early internet technology that provided for access to the internet via the circuit-switched telephone system.^[1][2]

Perkins has founded or was a key early employee in at least 7 companies.^[3]

Entrepreneurial experience

Companies founded or materially developed by Perkins include:

• Infinera, a public company which was co-founded by Perkins in 2001.^[4]
• Gainspeed, which was sold to Nokia in 2016.^[5] Since it was founded in 2012, Gainspeed had raised $55 million in financing from investors including New Enterprise Associates, Andreessen Horowitz, Shasta Ventures, Technicolor, and Juniper Networks.^[6]
• OnFiber Communications, which was sold to Qwest Communications for $107 million in cash in 2006.^[7] Other owners of Onfiber included Bear Stearns Merchant Banking (11%) and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (30%).^[8]
• Lightera Networks, which was acquired by Ciena in 1999 in exchange for 20.6 million shares in Ciena.^[9]
• FORE Systems, where Perkins was the principal architect from 1993 to 1997.^[10] The company was sold in 1999 for $4.5 billion.^[11]

Investments

Perkins participated in a $5 million seed financing for RevUp Software in March 2016.^[12]

Perkins participated in a $26 million Series B financing for Console Inc. in November 2015.^[13]

Education

Perkins received bachelor of science degrees in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University in 1986.^[10]

References

1. Sun, Andrew (1999). Using and managing PPP. O'Reilly Media. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-56592-321-8. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
2. Bautts, Tony; Terry Dawson; Gregor N. Purdy (2005). Linux network administrator's guide. O'Reilly Media. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-596-00548-1. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
3. "Launching and Getting Funding for Start-up Companies: A Fireside Chat with Drew Perkins". The Optical Networking and Communication Conference & Exhibition. March 23, 2016.
4. "Infinera Announces Drew Perkins to Step Down as CTO and Remain as Technical Advisor" (Press release). Infinera. December 21, 2011.
5. "Gainspeed to Be Acquired by Nokia" (Press release). Business Wire. June 9, 2016.
6. "Nokia Nabs Gainspeed". Multichannel. August 1, 2016.
7. "Qwest Completes Acquisition Of OnFiber Communications, Inc." (Press release). CenturyLink. September 5, 2006.
8. "DOMESTIC SECTION 214 APPLICATION FILED FOR TRANSFER OF CONTROL OF ONFIBER, INC. TO QWEST COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission . June 19, 2006.
9. "Ciena to Acquire Lightera and Omnia" (Press release). Los Angeles Times. March 16, 1999.
10. "The Drew Perkins Hot Seat". Carnegie Mellon University. May 25, 2004.
11. "GEC Agrees to Acquire FORE Systems, Inc. for $35 Per Share In Cash Transaction Valued in Excess of $4 Billion" (Press release). Business Wire. April 26, 1999.
12. "RevUp Announces Major Financing Update" (Press release). Business Wire. March 24, 2016.
13. "IIX Receives $26 Million in Series B Funding to Accelerate Global Growth" (Press release). Console Inc. November 17, 2015.

See also

Carnegie Mellon University