Krishna Kumar

Co-Founder

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India19 yrs 9 mos experience

AI Enabled

Key Highlights

Expert in kernel and driver engineering for AI infrastructure.
Proven track record in architecting high-performance computing solutions.
Strong leadership in cross-functional hardware-software collaborations.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a highly skilled Infrastructure Engineer specializing in AI and high-performance computing.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Kernel & Driver EngineeringArchitecting Ai Infrastructure

Other Skills

BootloaderPCIeCxlUalinkUecVirtualizationDevice DriversHardware Bring-upQEMULinux KernelEmbedded SystemsARM ArchitectureKernelNetworkingRDMA

About

At Upscale AI, I lead kernel and system software engineering efforts to build the foundation for next-generation AI/ML infrastructure. My role focuses on designing and enabling low-latency, high-bandwidth, and coherent system architectures that seamlessly connect CPUs, GPUs, accelerators, and memory subsystems. Key areas where l work and my expertise belongs : • Architecting AI Infrastructure – Driving innovations in CXL, PCIe, and high-performance interconnects to scale AI workloads efficiently. • Kernel & Driver Engineering – Building and optimizing Linux kernel subsystems for memory management, IOMMU, device drivers, and accelerator enablement. • Performance & Debugging – Applying advanced kernel instrumentation and profiling to ensure low-latency, high-throughput data movement. • Cross-Functional Leadership – Collaborating with hardware, firmware, and software teams to deliver robust, production-grade AI platforms. • Open-Source & Community Engagement – Contributing to and leveraging Linux kernel and system software ecosystems, while mentoring peers and sharing insights with the community. In this role, I am committed to bridging cutting-edge hardware with robust software, enabling Upscale AI to power the future of AI-driven computing at scale.

Experience

19 yrs 9 mos

Total Experience

1 yr 8 mos

Average Tenure

10 mos

Current Experience

Upscale ai

Principal Software Development Engineer, Founding team

Aug 2025 – Present · 10 mos · Bangalore Urban, Karnataka, India

https://upscaleai.com/
My area of work at Upscale Ai are as follows :
Spearheading efforts of hardware bring-up for CPUs and peripherals, enhancing overall system performance.
Development of bootloaders/BSP/Yocto and drivers - Pcie/Serial/USB for Ualink and UEC switches, ensuring seamless integration.
Collaborating with cross-functional teams to troubleshoot hardware-software interactions, reducing time-to-market as much as possible.

BootloaderPCIeCxlUalinkUecKernel & Driver Engineering+1

Ibm

Senior Kernel Engineer

Nov 2023 – Aug 2025 · 1 yr 9 mos · Bengaluru, Karnataka, India · On-site

Developed kernel and driver solutions for PCIe, CXL, and virtualization, enhancing Linux stability on Power architecture.
Contributed to the CXL bring-up in QEMU, firmware, and kernel for next-generation CPUs, driving innovation in high-performance computing.
Made significant upstream contributions to the PCIe hotplug driver, improving system reliability and performance.

PCIeCxlVirtualizationDevice DriversHardware Bring-upQEMU+2

Boeing

Lead Virtualization Engineer

Aug 2023 – Nov 2023 · 3 mos · Greater Bengaluru Area

Worked as a tech lead for Type-2 Hypervisor and Linux kernel on Arm/X86 architecture.

BootloaderDevice DriversLinux KernelEmbedded SystemsARM ArchitectureKernel & Driver Engineering+1

Xcom labs

Founding Engineer

Apr 2022 – Aug 2023 · 1 yr 4 mos · Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Developed kernel and driver solutions for 5G and O-RAN systems, enhancing platform performance.
Established the build process for RRU applications, U-Boot, and kernel on OpenWRT.
Successfully cross-compiled images for deployment on Xilinx’s Zynq board, ensuring compatibility and efficiency.

ARM ArchitectureBootloaderDevice DriversKernelNetworkingKernel & Driver Engineering+1

Nutanix

Engineer (SME)

Jul 2019 – Apr 2022 · 2 yrs 9 mos · Bengaluru Area, India

Architected the next generation HCI product line at Nutanix, focusing on kernel and driver development.
Served as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for kernel block and network layers, enhancing storage and networking capabilities.
Enabled new device integrations for SCSI, NVMe, and RDMA drivers, significantly improving NTNX stack performance.
Collaborated with leading vendors like Mellanox, Intel, and Broadcom to optimize distributed systems across KVM, ESX, and HyperV environments.

RDMADistributed SystemsNVM Express (NVMe)SpdkData Plane Development Kit (DPDK)Kernel & Driver Engineering+1

Pavilion data

Senior Principal Engineer

Mar 2018 – Jul 2019 · 1 yr 4 mos · India

Developed and optimized kernel and driver solutions for next-gen storage and networking products.
Implemented Broadcom KNET driver and advanced technologies like RoCe and NVMe-over-Fabrics.
Enhanced system reliability through high availability (HA) and fail-over mechanisms, ensuring seamless operations.

NVMe Over Fabrics (NVMeOF)PCIeRAIDFile SystemsNtbKernel & Driver Engineering+1

Cisco

Software Engineer IV

May 2015 – Feb 2018 · 2 yrs 9 mos · Bangalore

Developed bootloaders for Linux, RTOS, and PL for Zynq MPSOC - ZCU 102 Board, enhancing system performance.
Contributed as a Kernel & Driver Developer for Cisco’s ASR903 and ASR9K router product lines, optimizing network efficiency.
Collaborated on IoT technologies, including IE 3000 Ethernet switches, driving innovation in connected devices.

ARM ArchitectureBootloaderDevice DriversEmbedded SystemsLinux KernelKernel & Driver Engineering+1

Radisys corporation

Lead Developer

May 2014 – May 2015 · 1 yr · Bangalore Area, India

R&D Engineer. Worked on OAMP, SNMP and Platform side for MRF and Trillium Products.

SNMPOampLinux KernelServersSystems Programming

Indieon technologies

Staff Engineer

Sep 2013 – May 2014 · 8 mos · Pune Area, India

Kernel and Driver Developer. Worked on Real Time OS ECOS and Driver development for MSTAR STB.

Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS)

Ust global

System Analyst

Nov 2011 – Aug 2013 · 1 yr 9 mos · Bangalore , Malaysia

Collaborated with cross-functional teams at Intel in Malaysia and Bangalore to enhance BIOS, BMC, and UEFI systems.
Developed and implemented cryptographic solutions, improving data security across platforms.
Contributed to the advancement of Android applications, optimizing performance and user experience.

BiosBmcIPMIUEFILinux Kernel

Oracle

Software Engineer

Jun 2010 – Nov 2011 · 1 yr 5 mos · Bangalore Area, India

Contributed to the development of Oracle Linux, enhancing the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel for improved performance in OLTP and SSD access.
Engaged in kernel hacking and virtualization projects, focusing on cluster-aware file systems and NUMA optimizations.
Played a key role in the Oracle Virtual Machine project, ensuring compatibility with multiple operating systems and streamlining management through a web-based console.

Linux KernelVirtualizationStorage VirtualizationLinux ServerComputer Networking

Nec technologies india ltd.

Module Lead

Jun 2006 – May 2010 · 3 yrs 11 mos · Noida Area, India

Led the development and enhancement of NEC's Hydrastore, a grid storage backup solution, improving data retrieval efficiency by 30%.
Spearheaded the configuration and setup of Thinclient solutions, optimizing resource management for enterprise clients.
Conducted in-depth research on Hadoop and Ndiswrapper, contributing to innovative solutions that streamlined data processing.

Linux KernelEmbedded LinuxLinux ServerStorage Area NetworksFile Systems