About us
We are GRID
GRID was founded in 2018 by software and data veterans. We’re united by our shared passion for the versatility and power of spreadsheets.

Building the future of spreadsheets
GRID builds the spreadsheet technology that lets software teams bring spreadsheet capabilities natively into their products, with the performance, compatibility, and AI readiness that modern applications demand.
The technology powers products like Calculator Studio, a tool for building real-time interactive calculators on top of spreadsheets, and underpins the spreadsheet capabilities of a leading AI assistant. Through our own Spreadsheet LLM we’ve developed deep expertise in what it takes to make AI and spreadsheets work together reliably.
Founded in 2018, GRID is a team of software and data veterans based in Reykjavík, Iceland. With deep expertise in data analytics, business intelligence, and software, we’re united by a shared belief in the versatility and untapped power of spreadsheets.
Our team
Management

Hjalmar Gislason
Founder & CEO
Hjalmar Gislason is the founder and CEO of GRID. Hjalmar previously served as VP of Product Management at Qlik in Boston. He was the founder and CEO of DataMarket, founded in 2008 and sold to Qlik in 2014. A career data nerd and entrepreneur, GRID is Hjalmar’s fifth software startup as a founder.

Thorsteinn Yngvi Gudmundsson
VP of Operations & Co Founder
Thorsteinn Yngvi Gudmundsson, co-founder and VP of Operations & Finance at GRID. Thorsteinn has served in managerial positions in the tech industry primarily focused on building new ventures internationally. Thorsteinn worked with Hjalmar as VP of Operations at DataMarket. Prior to that he held positions as a CEO, GTM lead, VP Operations, Finance lead, Product manager & Board Director. Thorsteinn holds an undergraduate and MBA degree from Reykjavik University.

Eva Dogg Steingrimsdottir
VP of Software Development
Eva Dögg Steingrímsdóttir is VP of Software Development at GRID. Eva is an experienced frontend developer and software team leader and has worked in such roles for early startups and international airlines alike. Eva holds undergraduate degrees in both computer science and psychology. An avid & competitive cyclist, Eva enjoys few things more than speeding around Iceland in the midnight sun.
Our team
Staff

Borgar Þorsteinsson
Co-Founder, Engineering

Steinn Eldjárn Sigurðarson
Co-Founder, Engineering

Atli Páll Hafsteinsson
Engineering

Birkir Pálmason
Engineering

Gunnlaugur Þór Briem
Engineering

Hörður Ragnarsson
Product Design

Kristen Martel
Director, Calculator Studio

Matt Riggott
Engineering
Our Team
Board of Directors
News
Updates and announcements
02.12.2024
Bringing spreadsheets into the AI-first era
Introducing GRID's new mission The current wave of AI is arguably the biggest shift in user interfaces since the advent of the GUI. Meanwhile, spreadsheets remain a cornerstone of the business world — resilient, ubiquitous, and indispensable despite repeated predictions of their demise. The fusion of AI and spreadsheets is poised to be big, but it requires a fundamental rethinking — not bringing AI to traditional spreadsheets, but reimagining spreadsheets and their workflows for the AI-first era. With a unique set of cutting-edge spreadsheet technologies, GRID is uniquely positioned — and determined — to lead this transformation. AI-First The AI-first paradigm is defined by three key characteristics: Language-oriented: We interact with computers in our language, not theirs. Task-centric: Work starts with the task at hand, not the hunt for the right software. Agentic: Computers will act on our behalf, even when we’re not there. Spreadsheets Spreadsheets are not just tools; they are foundational to modern business: Ubiquitous: Over 1 billion users worldwide rely on them. Empowering: As the original low-code solution, they enable business users to solve problems independently. The fabric of business: Spreadsheets likely hold more business logic and data than any formal IT system. Bringing them together With the world’s most advanced independent spreadsheet engine — designed for lightning-fast performance and seamless compatibility with Excel and Google Sheets — and a suite of other powerful spreadsheet technologies, GRID is uniquely positioned to redefine the future of spreadsheets in an AI-first world. We’re bridging the gap between AI and spreadsheets, delivering the reliable and verifiable calculations that AI solutions currently lack. Bringing spreadsheets to ChatGPT Today, we’re taking a major step forward by expanding the Alpha testing of our ChatGPT solution and opening registrations for early access. Sign up now to secure your spot in the Alpha and see GRID’s solution in action!
26.08.2020
GRID closes $12M in Series A funding round led by NEA
We’re thrilled to announce that we have closed a $12M Series A funding round led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), with participation from our existing investors BlueYard Capital, Slack Fund, Acequia Capital and other strategic partners! This funding will enable us to bring GRID to market and power accelerated product development. For more information see our press release. Additional coverage: Tech Crunch: GRID raises $12M Series A to turn spreadsheets into 'visual narratives' SiliconANGLE: Iceland's Grid lands $12M to help workers make their spreadsheets more visual Tech Target: Analytics startup Grid raises $12 million in funding
27.03.2019
GRID closes $3.5M seed funding
We are thrilled to share some great news with you: We just closed $3.5M in seed funding! The investment is led by BlueYard Capital, with participation from strategic investors such as Slack Fund, Acequia Capital and angel investor Charlie Songhurst. We are happy to work with this group, as they add a lot of value to our mission other than their funding. Needless to say, they deeply believe in our mission to empower people to turn any spreadsheet into a beautiful web report, dashboard or interactive application. After our private Alpha launch a few weeks ago, we are now all heads-down again working on product, strategy, network expansion and go-to-market planning. This investment - on top of our $1M angel round in October - fuels current plans well into 2021. It gives us breathing room to focus on building the initial version of our product, take it to market and grow it from there - by delighting our users. We will be adding a few people to our team in the coming weeks and months. This is a fantastic opportunity to join an exciting startup at an inflection point. Take a look at our open positions, and keep an eye on our tweets.
blog
08.07.2025
The way we interact with spreadsheets is changing
Imagining the future of AI-ready spreadsheets - and exploring the technology GRID has built to help shape it
Alexandra Dilja Bjargardottir
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