Drew Perkins
About Drew Perkins
Drew Perkins is co-founder and CEO of Eridu, an AI networking company that came out of stealth in March 2026. Crunchbase lists his location as the San Francisco Bay Area, and other profiles place him in Los Gatos or Saratoga, California. He earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering and mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University in 1986. While at CMU he worked on early internet software, including the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP).
He has founded or co-founded a series of networking and hardware companies. He was a co-founder and CTO of Lightera Networks, which Ciena acquired in 1999. He did the same at OnFiber Communications, which Qwest acquired, and then co-founded Infinera, which went public in 2007. He later co-founded Gainspeed, which Nokia acquired in 2016. Network World reports that Nokia acquired Infinera for $2.3 billion. Before these companies he held senior engineering roles at FORE Systems from 1993 to 1997.
He co-founded Mojo Vision, which develops micro-LED display technology and a smart contact lens. His X profile lists him as Chairman of the Board there. In 2024 he and chip designer Omar Hassen founded Eridu. Crunchbase counts 6 companies founded by Perkins.
Crunchbase lists 5 personal investments by Perkins in 4 portfolio companies, with no lead investments. PitchBook classes him as an individual angel investor and dates his deals from November 2015 to October 2023. Neither source publishes check sizes. Public sources disagree on exact deal dates, so the years below are approximate.
His recorded investments are Console Connect (Series B, November 2015), AgMonitor (January 2016), RevUp (a seed round in March 2016 and a Series A in October 2018) and Mojo Vision (2023). Wikipedia says he took part in a $26 million Series B for Console in November 2015. It also says he took part in a $5 million seed round for RevUp in March 2016. Crunchbase and PitchBook show him as a participant, not a lead investor.
In a LinkedIn post, Perkins said he had pitched investor Pierre Lamond since 1998 and that Lamond became one of Eridu's first investors. That post describes his experience as a founder raising money. It does not describe his own angel strategy.
No public record shows Perkins making angel investments in AI startups. His AI work is as an operator. Eridu builds networking hardware and silicon for AI data centers. It announced a $200 million Series A in March 2026 led by Socratic Partners, with John Doerr and Matter Venture Partners among the investors. TechCrunch reports the company has raised $230 million in total.
Perkins frames Eridu's work as a response to the network limiting how well GPUs are used in AI data centers. Founders building AI infrastructure, networking or photonics may find his operating experience relevant. His public investing record does not show that he backs that area.
Perkins has not published an investment thesis, a target stage, a geography or a check size. His recorded deals were early-stage rounds, mostly in U.S. software and hardware companies. They include the seed and Series A at RevUp, a Series B at Console and the later Mojo Vision rounds. PitchBook files RevUp, AgMonitor and Console Connect under business and productivity software, and Mojo Vision under semiconductors.
He is also running Eridu as CEO and is Chairman of Mojo Vision, so his angel investing may be limited. Founders should treat his interests as inferred from his deals and not as stated preferences.
- Mojo Vision: micro-LED display and smart contact lens company that Perkins co-founded; he invested in 2023 and chairs its board.
- RevUp: sales and fundraising software startup, now listed as out of business; he took part in the seed round in 2016 and the Series A in 2018.
- Console Connect: network connectivity platform; he took part in its Series B in November 2015.
- AgMonitor: agriculture monitoring software startup; PitchBook records an investment in January 2016.
- crunchbase.com/person/drew-perkins
- pitchbook.com/profiles/investor/129300-04
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drew_D._Perkins
- techcrunch.com/2026/03/10/ai-network-startup-eridu-emerges-from-stealt
- networkworld.com/article/4143119/eridu-exits-stealth-with-200m-to-rebu
- nextplatform.com/connect/2026/03/11/eridu-cuts-to-the-ai-networking-ch
- sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001138639/000119312507131232/d424b4.htm
- linkedin.com/in/drewdperkins
Investing activity
Drew Perkins has made 5 investments according to Crunchbase across 4 portfolio companies, and has seen 1 exit and founded 6 companies.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Drew Perkins
Does Drew Perkins invest in AI startups as an angel?
No public record shows an angel investment in an AI startup. He is the CEO of Eridu, which builds AI networking infrastructure. His recorded angel deals are in software and hardware companies.
What is Drew Perkins' angel check size?
He has not published a check size and the databases that track him do not list one. Ask him directly instead of relying on estimates.
What stage does Drew Perkins invest in?
His recorded deals are early-stage rounds: a seed, a Series A and a Series B, plus later Mojo Vision rounds. He has not stated a preferred stage. Crunchbase shows 0 lead investments.
What companies has Drew Perkins founded?
He co-founded Lightera Networks, OnFiber Communications, Infinera, Gainspeed, Mojo Vision and Eridu. Lightera, OnFiber and Gainspeed were acquired, and Infinera went public in 2007.
How can founders contact Drew Perkins?
He is active on LinkedIn and on X as @DrewDPerkins. A warm introduction from a mutual investor or founder is probably the best route, since he has published no pitch process.
Is Drew Perkins an angel investor?
Yes. Drew Perkins invests personally as an angel and is CEO and Co-Founder at Eridu. Crunchbase counts 5 investments and 1 exit.
Where is Drew Perkins based?
Drew Perkins is based in San Francisco, California, United States.
How can founders reach Drew Perkins?
Founders on Lounge can see Drew Perkins's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with them under Warm Paths, and add Drew Perkins to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.