Jake Stauch
Co-founder & CEO of Serval.
Background
- Summerville, SC native; Class of 2009 valedictorian (perfect 2400 SAT).
- Duke ^[ambiguous]; some secondary sources suggest Duke dropout.
- Ex-NeuroPlus founder ^[inferred].
- Forbes 30 Under 30.
- 5 years at Verkada as Director of Product before founding Serval with Alex McLeod in 2024.
- Met McLeod at Verkada; was mentored by Verkada CEO Filip Kaliszan and Chairman Hans Robertson.
Why He Matters
- Drove Serval from founding to $1B Sequoia-led valuation in 20 months.
- Initially declined Sequoia’s preempt term sheet at dinner (“we just raised Series A, can’t deploy capital”), reversed after calling references from other Sequoia founders.
- Married to Tatiana Birgisson (Serval COO, ex-Rippling VP Growth). One child (Q2 2025).
- Founders’ relationship with First Round’s Bill Trenchard predates Serval — Verkada was a Trenchard portfolio company.