PeopleofSuperintelligence

Builder

Ash Ashutosh

Ash Ashutosh leads Pinecone, whose vector database provides infrastructure for AI applications. He founded Serano Systems, co-founded AppIQ, and led Actifio, building storage and data management companies. After Google acquired Actifio in 2020, he led solution sales at Google and joined Pinecone as CEO in 2025. As of October 2026, he leads Pinecone as it develops Nexus, a knowledge engine that grounds agents in company data.

Now at
Pinecone

Timeline

  1. 1997

    Building Serano Systems

    He founds Serano Systems in 1997, his first of three storage and data infrastructure companies.

  2. 2001–2011

    AppIQ and HP StorageWorks

    He co-founds AppIQ in 2001, and HP acquires the storage management company in 2005. He becomes chief technologist for HP StorageWorks and works as a Greylock partner before 2011.

  3. 2009–2020

    Building Actifio

    He founds Actifio in 2009 to develop enterprise data management software. Google agrees to acquire Actifio in December 2020 while he is its CEO, and Actifio becomes part of Google Cloud by December 2020.

  4. September 2023–July 2024

    Google Cloud solution sales

    In September 2023, he is Google's Global Director of Solution Sales and holds a master's degree in computer science from Penn State. In July 2024, he coauthors a Google Cloud update on lower prices and migration incentives for VMware Cloud Foundation.

  5. Since 2025

    Growing Pinecone's AI platform

    Pinecone appoints him CEO in September 2025 to grow its vector database business for AI applications. In August 2026, he describes Nexus as a knowledge engine that gives agents grounded company data; as of October 2026, he leads Pinecone as CEO.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Ash Ashutosh yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Vector database vendor Pinecone eyes future under new CEO techtarget.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  2. Harvard Business School Names Thirteen Entrepreneurs-in-Residence hbs.edu. Checked 15 October 2026.
  3. HP vows storage goods will stay just as 'open' as open source theregister.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  4. Google enters agreement to acquire Actifio | Google Cloud Blog cloud.google.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  5. Dare to Disrupt Episode 21: Anticipating the Waves of Change with Google’s Global Director of Solution Sales Ash Ashutosh invent.psu.edu. Checked 15 October 2026.
  6. Lower costs, incentives for Google Cloud VMware Engine | Google Cloud Blog cloud.google.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  7. Pinecone Founder Edo Liberty to Spearhead Pinecone’s Growing AI Ambitions; Appoints Ash Ashutosh as CEO to Expand Vector Database Market Leadership | Pinecone pinecone.io. Checked 15 October 2026.
  8. One Year In, and Just Getting Started | Pinecone pinecone.io. Checked 15 October 2026.
  9. Company | Pinecone pinecone.io. Checked 15 October 2026.