Founder of CoolIT Systems
About Brydon
Brydon Gierl is the Co-Founder of CoolIT Systems and has spent more than 20 years helping shape the future of liquid cooling technology. From startup uncertainty to global growth, he helped build CoolIT from a bold idea into a company that sold in 2026 for US$4.75 billion, proving that some of the biggest success stories begin with the biggest risks.
Before CoolIT, Brydon worked across construction and fabrication industries, where he developed the hands-on mindset that continues to define his approach to business and innovation.
In 2026, CoolIT became one of Calgary’s most celebrated tech success stories with its acquisition by Ecolab. Behind the headline, however, is a story of risk, resilience, hard lessons, and the realities of building something from the ground up.
FAILURE IS A CERTAIN PATH TO THE TRUTH, TO IGNORE ITS GIFT IS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY
What Brydon says about FAILURE
Failure is inevitable for each new enterprise, how the people experiencing it perceive and react to it is what makes the difference.
As a musician, playing live it is the most thrilling and precarious thing you can do, as you walk a thin line between control, improvisation, and inspiration. I think we used those same principles in this business endeavour, probably unconsciously.
In the beginning we relied on intuition, iteration, and determination to make
