BYU graduate who co-founded Lucidchart and built one of Utah's largest private SaaS companies.
Karl Sun
person active confidence: Medium status: Draft updated 2026-08-11
Summary
Karl Sun co-founded and leads Lucid Software, maker of Lucidchart and Lucidspark. Growing a Utah startup into a widely used enterprise collaboration company is substantial, but diagramming and whiteboarding have close global substitutes.
Impact
Sun and Dilts built Lucid into a flagship example that Utah can produce a durable, enterprise-grade SaaS company without leaving the state. A current primary source is still needed for company headcount and the share employed in Utah.
As CEO through growth and stability, Sun provides a live reference point for enterprise SaaS founders building in Utah: the market for visual collaboration exists globally, the talent can be found locally, and enterprise sales does not require Silicon Valley proximity.
What They Offer
- Operator experience scaling a B2B SaaS company from founding to global enterprise adoption
- Deep knowledge of enterprise diagramming, collaboration, and real-time co-editing product challenges
- Utah-rooted founder network spanning BYU alumni, Silicon Slopes community, and early enterprise SaaS
- Evidence that staying in Utah rather than relocating is compatible with institutional venture investment and enterprise customer acquisition
What They're Looking For
No public signals of advisory or investment activity. As a sitting CEO, Sun's primary role is running Lucid. Utah ecosystem and BYU alumni contexts are where he has historically been most visible.
Track Record
- Co-founded Lucid Software (2010); still CEO as of 2026
- Oversaw growth to 10M+ users and Fortune 500 penetration
- Led the company through late-stage private financing; the terms need a captured primary source
- BYU Computer Science; prior Google experience
Good Fits
- Utah enterprise SaaS founders seeking operator mentorship or investor intros
- BYU alumni building in the collaboration or productivity space
- Journalists and researchers covering Silicon Slopes or Utah's SaaS ecosystem
Public Connection Path
LinkedIn; Lucid Software official channels; BYU alumni networks; Silicon Slopes community events.
Evidence
- Profile: Karl Sun — Lucid Software · https://lucid.co/about
- Lucid Software — company he co-founded and leads
See Also
- Lucid Software — venture page
- Josh James — Domo co-founder; another example of Utah enterprise SaaS at scale
Open Questions
- What is Sun's current take on the competitive landscape (Miro, FigJam, Microsoft Visio) and Lucid's long-term positioning?
- Has Lucid updated its valuation or pursued an IPO path since the 2021 Series E?
- What are Karl Sun's and Dave Grow's current executive and board roles?