Introduction

Kimmo Sirén is a Helsinki-based entrepreneur and former academic researcher recognized for his contributions to the Web3 ecosystem. He holds the position of Head of Orb Product at MaskDAO following the acquisition of Orb (Orb.club) by MaskDAO in 2025. Sirén is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Orb, a Web3 social app built on the Lens Protocol. He also served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Copenhagen, where he focused on developing tools and pipelines in the fields of deep and machine learning.

Early Life and Education

Kimmo Sirén pursued his higher education in Germany, where he attained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Chemistry from the University of Kaiserslautern, now known as RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, following a 2023 institutional merger. ^[1] His doctoral research focused on "Multi-omics Methods to Unravel Microbial Diversity in Fermentation of Riesling Wines," showcasing his proficiency in various biochemical analytical techniques. ^[2] Before this, he completed his Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology at Hochschule Geisenheim University, where he also received the Vinifera EuroMaster Erasmus Mundus Scholarship. ^[2]

Career Prior to Orb

Before entering the entrepreneurial arena, Kimmo Sirén worked in the academic field during his tenure as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Copenhagen. From March 2019 to August 2023, he focused on establishing and applying deep learning and machine learning tools in order to generate new hypotheses in biological research. His work involved exploring microbial interactions in diverse production environments and leveraging various next-generation sequencing data (such as metabarcoding and metagenomics) to uncover interactions between microbes and small molecules. ^[2]

Co-Founding of Orb

In June 2022, Kimmo Sirén co-founded Orb alongside Nilesh Rathore and Alireza Mohammadrezabeig. ^[1] Orb is a Web3 social application that leverages the Lens Protocol, aiming to support decentralized social interactions. ^[3] Sirén took on the role of CTO, where he helped shape the technological vision of the company. Under his leadership, the company raised $2.3 million in a pre-seed equity funding round. The round began in March 2023 and closed in May 2023 without a single lead investor, involving participants such as Superscrypt, Founders Inc., Foresight Ventures, Aave Companies, Stani Kulechov, and Sandeep Nailwal. Sirén chose not to comment on the company's valuation during this period. ^[2]

MaskDAO Acquisition and Current Role

In 2025, Orb was acquired by MaskDAO. Following the acquisition, Kimmo Sirén transitioned to his role as Head of Orb Product at MaskDAO. In this position, he oversees the development and enhancement of product offerings related to Orb. ^[1]

Public Presence and Media

Despite his role in the Web3 space, Kimmo Sirén maintains a relatively low public profile. Primarily utilizing platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) — see @KimmoOrb — to communicate his projects and interests, he has shared perspectives on building internet infrastructures. ^[3] His social media presence references platforms like Orb and Mask Network.