# Chris Klein

> Chris Klein is the Denver-based co-founder and CEO of Rachio. A software and business builder with an MBA from the University of Denver, he helped turn frustration with sprinklers watering in the rain into a connected-irrigation business. Rain Bird acquired Rachio in October 2025, announcing that Klein would continue to lead it.

- **Role:** Co-founder & CEO at Rachio
- **Organizations:** Rachio, Slinggit, IntelliReal
- **Education:** MBA, University of Denver - Daniels College of Business, The Ohio State University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Rachio, bringing weather-responsive connected irrigation control to homeowners., Recognized alongside Franz Garsombke in Builder’s 2016 co-founder profile., Led Rachio as CEO at the time of its 2025 acquisition by Rain Bird.

## Career timeline

- **2012** — Worked on Slinggit, a classified-advertisements app, and pitched the water-waste problem at Denver Startup Weekend.
- **2013** — Co-founded Rachio with Franz Garsombke.
- **2014** — Rachio’s Iro controller reached the market; the company returned to Denver Startup Weekend as a sponsor.
- **2016** — Rachio launched its second-generation controller with Amazon Alexa integration.
- **2018** — Rachio introduced its third-generation controller and announced a $10 million Series B.
- **2021** — Moved from CEO to chief product officer when Kim Sentovich became CEO in June.
- **2023** — Identified as Rachio co-founder and chief product officer in a February irrigation trade feature.
- **2025** — Rain Bird acquired Rachio; its October 1 announcement identified Klein as CEO and co-founder and said he would continue leading the subsidiary.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Rachio, bringing weather-responsive connected irrigation control to homeowners.
- Recognized alongside Franz Garsombke in Builder’s 2016 co-founder profile.
- Led Rachio as CEO at the time of its 2025 acquisition by Rain Bird.

## Latest updates

- **2025-10** — Rain Bird announced the acquisition of Rachio on October 1, with Klein continuing as CEO and co-founder.
- **2024-04** — Rachio reported cumulative community water savings of more than 200 billion gallons by Earth Day 2024; this is a company-reported metric.
- **2023-04** — Appeared on The Grass Guys podcast to discuss Rachio’s smart irrigation technology.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophermklein
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/_chrisklein

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/chris-klein
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21