Michael Dirla

Based In:

Knoxville, TN

Michael Dirla is a Principal at GSV, partnering with founders to build durable businesses with strong advantages in large, growing markets.

About

Michael Dirla is a Principal investor at Greater Sum Ventures, where he focuses on evaluating investment opportunities and partnering with founders to build durable, high-performing businesses. He brings experience across growth equity and financial services investing, with a strong appreciation for operator-led platforms and repeatable value creation.

Prior to joining GSV in 2025, Michael worked at Edison Partners and Lightyear Capital, where he gained exposure to a wide range of investments across financial and technology-enabled services. During his time at Lightyear, he saw GSV’s playbook in action firsthand—an experience that, combined with the firm’s reputation and performance, made joining GSV a natural next step.

Michael is motivated by the opportunity to work closely with exceptional founders, helping turn strong ideas into enduring companies. His investment ethos is straightforward and disciplined: back great people operating in large markets, with a clear and defensible advantage that compounds over time.

Q&A

What do you wish more founders knew before taking on capital?

Taking on capital is all about alignment. Focus on investors that focus on that more than just getting the best deal or return—there’s more to a deal than just the headline price.