The Modern Data Company is a company that is redefining data management with DataOS, the world’s first data operating system. DataOS accelerates AI adoption and scaling by delivering an AI-ready data layer within weeks, no matter where the enterprise is with its data maturity. Pulse 2.0 interviewed The Modern Data Company co-founder and CEO Srujan Akula to learn more about the company.
Srujan Akula’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Akula said:
“I started out with a technical foundation, a BS and MS in Computer Science, before jumping into software engineering at Motorola where I worked on core network infrastructure. By working directly with customers at Motorola, I discovered that I really love product management. This led me to take on a product leadership role in Motorola Mobile Devices. With a background in mobile, I made the leap to Silicon Valley to work with some of the leading tech innovators in the space.”
“I had the chance to lead product initiatives at several market-leading, consumer-facing startups–including PixSense, TeleNav, and GreenRoad–and then founded Doot, an award-winning technology company that we successfully exited. One of the things I’m most proud of is that we were always trying to push boundaries. For instance, we created a voice assistant for drive time called Evie before Siri was even a thing.”
“In recent years, I’ve focused on building large-scale data platforms in the AdTech and MarTech verticals. This experience, plus my long-time collaboration with Modern’s cofounder, Animesh Kumar, really set the stage for founding Modern Data. Throughout my career, I’ve found my sweet spot is anticipating what the market needs and creating experiences that really resonate with customers–and that’s exactly what we’re doing now.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Akula shared:
“We started the Modern Data Company in 2021 to solve a systemic flaw in enterprise data management: companies are approaching data transformation backward– investing heavily in complex infrastructure before defining clear business outcomes. Modern pioneered the revolutionary “data as product” approach, treating data as a strategic asset that should directly drive business value.”
“This philosophy led to the development of DataOS, the first operating system for data that abstracts away technical complexity while maintaining enterprise-grade security, governance, and scalability. By reimagining how organizations activate their data, Modern empowers companies to finally bridge the gap between massive data investments and actual business impact.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Akula reflected:
“Our values–humility, empathy, transparency, and accountability–drive our team’s resilience and customer success. The most meaningful moments are working with customers–when skepticism transforms into amazement–seeing business teams build data applications in minutes instead of months, watching users become value drivers rather than support roles, and witnessing the agility with which businesses can now iterate on solutions in hours rather than weeks.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Akula explained:
“Our flagship platform, DataOS, transforms how organizations extract value from their data. Unlike traditional data management tools, it brings software engineering best practices to data work through Git integration, declarative programming, and reusable components. The platform seamlessly integrates with existing infrastructure while providing built-in governance, complete observability, and an open standards architecture that prevents vendor lock-in. Built for enterprise scale, DataOS delivers bank-grade security, automated workflows, and comprehensive monitoring—all while allowing organizations to adopt at their own pace without disrupting existing operations.
The recent launch of the Data Product Hub as part of DataOS represents the next evolution in operationalizing the “data as product” approach, providing a consumption layer for data and data products that includes:
- DComplete data product lifecycle management
- Automated quality monitoring
- Built-in data contracts and SLOs
- Semantic discovery and cataloging
- Self-service access through multiple API options
- ROI tracking and analytics”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your work sector recently? Akula acknowledged:
“The role of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) is evolving fast. They must ensure robust governance and compliance while democratizing data access across their organizations. They’re tasked with demonstrating tangible ROI on data investments and accelerating time-to-value for data initiatives, all while managing ever-growing data complexity. DataOS solves many of these challenges by embedding governance into data products, enabling self-service capabilities while maintaining compliance by design, and providing clear ROI tracking mechanisms.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since its launch? Akula noted:
Our journey began with pioneering the MML (Model, Map, and Load) paradigm, evolving into a comprehensive data product approach. By treating data truly as software, we’ve brought software engineering best practices to the data world. The development of DataOS represents our most significant leap, providing a programmable modern data stack out of the box.
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Akula cited:
- Building and deploying the world’s first operating system for data
- Launching an industry-first Data Product Hub
- Securing major enterprise (Fortune 500) customers as early adopters
- Gaining recognition in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant
- Featured in multiple Gartner hype cycle reports
- Pioneering the “data as product” movement
- Selection as a top 10 finalist at MIT CIO Symposium
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? Akula highlighted:
“One success story is how, in just eight weeks after implementing DataOS, Lobos 1707 Tequila transformed their data operations and saw a 45% increase in sales to new accounts, a 19% increase in sales volume per order, and cut their order cycle time by 50%. DataOS allowed them to rapidly transform their strategic decision-making capabilities and achieve immediate business impact.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Akula assessed:
The target market comprises over 2,500 global enterprises with revenues exceeding $5 billion. This represents a multi-billion-dollar opportunity. The market continues to expand through:
- Growing number of companies reaching the $5 billion threshold
- Expansion potential within existing accounts
- Additional use cases driven by AI and advanced analytics adoption
- Geographic expansion opportunities
- Industry-specific solutions development
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Akula affirmed:
“Our unique approach starts with being the only major player not charging based on data processing volume or source connections. Instead, we align our success with customer outcomes, charging based on actual value creation through use cases.
Key differentiators:
- Outcome-first philosophy
- Infrastructure-agnostic architecture
- True platform independence (no lock-in)
- Value-based pricing model
- Enterprise-grade data product lifecycle management”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the future company goals? Akula concluded:
“Transforming how data is consumed across the enterprise. While others extract crude oil (raw data), we turn it into gold (immediate business value).”
