For the past few years, Grist Labs has been on a singular mission: to give people the power of a relational database with the agility of a spreadsheet, without ever forcing them to surrender ownership of their data. The global landscape for data and software is shifting. From the rise of strict data residency requirements in Europe to a broader corporate “sovereignty movement,” the world is waking up to a reality Grist was built for.
Today, we announce a series of milestones marking the beginning of our next chapter: a refined leadership structure, the appointment of key executive talent, and the successful completion of our seed funding round.
The evolution of leadership
To meet the demands of our growing global user base, we are evolving our internal structure.
Anais Concepcion, who has co-led Grist for five years, will now serve as Chief Executive Officer. This transition allows for a more focused execution of our long-term vision, ensuring that Grist remains the gold standard for principled, open source data management. Grist co-founder Dmitry Sagalovskiy will continue to serve as head of product.
“Grist has always been a product-first company,” says Concepcion. “But as we scale, we must bring the wider vision into focus. By clarifying our leadership roles, we are positioning ourselves to move faster, enter new markets more aggressively, and advocate for our users’ data sovereignty.”
“We want to give users – including non-developers – the tools to organize their data without giving up control of it.” says Sagalovskiy. “As the head of product, I can focus on deepening our security and strengthening our open source foundation – which remain the most robust in the industry – all while making a product that people love. We are building for a future where users don’t just use software, they own it.”
Building the growth engine: New hires
A vision is only as strong as the team executing it. We are thrilled to welcome two seasoned leaders to Grist Labs, specifically chosen to bridge the gap between our technical excellence and the global market.
Stefano Maffulli joins as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). The former executive director of the Open Source Initiative, with a deep background in open source ecosystems and revenue scaling, Maffulli will oversee Grist’s global go-to-market strategy. Their focus is clear: ensuring that Grist isn’t just a tool for individuals, but mission-critical infrastructure for enterprises that value security and independence.
Dipalie Mehta joins as Head of Marketing. To tell Grist’s story on a global stage, we have appointed Mehta to lead our marketing efforts. Their mandate is to articulate the “sovereignty story,” explaining why Grist’s history of security makes it the only viable alternative to the black box SaaS models that currently dominate the industry.
Fueling the mission: Seed funding
We are also pleased to share that earlier this year, Grist Labs closed a seed funding round raised from angel investors with Perry Tam as lead. Rather than rushing to announce the capital in January, we chose to put that capital to work immediately – investing in the leadership talent and infrastructure necessary to support our next phase of growth.
This funding is more than just a financial milestone; it is a validation of the “sovereignty-first” model. Our investors share our belief that the future of software isn’t just about functionality – it’s about trust, transparency, and the enduring value of open source.
The path to Europe and beyond
The centerpiece of our new strategy is a formal expansion into the European market. Europe has long been at the forefront of the data privacy conversation. With GDPR and a growing cultural emphasis on digital autonomy, European enterprises are uniquely sensitive to the risks of data silos.
Perhaps more notable are the many European national governments racing to build sovereign suites, with early leaders being La Suite in France and openDesk in Germany. Grist has been part of La Suite since its launch, and Grist’s usage within the public service continues to grow. The wider network effects are already starting to appear, with Grist’s adoption in the Dutch MijnBureau as an example. Grist’s security pedigree and “host-it-anywhere” flexibility make it the perfect partner for organizations – not just sovereign nations – that must comply with strict residency laws while maintaining the highest levels of productivity.
In the coming months, led by our new CRO and Head of Marketing, Grist will be launching a series of initiatives tailored specifically to the European ecosystem. This includes dedicated support for self-hosted deployments, deeper integrations with sovereign cloud providers, a renewed commitment to our open source community and a new global partners program.
Why it matters: The sovereignty movement
We believe we are at a turning point in the history of the internet. The era of “renting” your data from a handful of giants is ending. The era of sovereignty is beginning.
Whether you are a developer building a custom application or a CTO at a multinational firm, you deserve a platform that respects your logic and your privacy. With a new leadership team in place and the resources to scale, Grist Labs is ready to lead that charge. The spreadsheet was the first great data tool. Grist is the next. We invite you to join us as we build a more sovereign future for everyone.
Learn more & connect
- Read more about Grist’s security features: https://www.getgrist.com/security/
- Press inquiries: press@getgrist.com
- Join the community: Grist Forum / Discord
