# Mikayel Vardanyan

> Mikayel Vardanyan is the Armenian-American co-founder and COO of Picsart, an engineer turned product and operating executive whose career connects two acquired software companies, a globally used creative platform, angel investing, and a long-running commitment to Armenia's education and technology ecosystem.

- **Role:** Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Picsart
- **Organizations:** Picsart, Monitis, Sourcio, American University of Armenia
- **Nationality:** Armenian-American
- **Education:** MS in Informatics and Applied Mathematics, Yerevan State University, MS in Computer and Information Science, American University of Armenia, PhD in Computer Networks, Yerevan Automated Control Systems Scientific Research Institute, Senior Executive Program, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Co-founded Picsart, launched in Yerevan in 2011 and developed into a creative platform serving users across roughly 150 countries., Co-founded Monitis, an application performance monitoring company acquired by GFI Software in 2011 and later associated with TeamViewer., Co-founded Sourcio, a software consulting company later acquired by HelpSystems.

## Career timeline

- **2004-2005** — Worked as a senior developer at Lycos Europe Armenia.
- **2006** — Co-founded software consulting company Sourcio, later acquired by HelpSystems.
- **2007** — Co-founded application monitoring company Monitis and served in engineering, product, and general management roles.
- **2011** — Monitis was acquired by GFI Software; Picsart was founded in Yerevan by Hovhannes Avoyan, Artavazd Mehrabyan, and Vardanyan.
- **2018-2024** — Served as Picsart's co-founder and Chief Product Officer, following earlier technology and general management leadership.
- **2021** — Became an AUA ChangeMaker supporting education, research, and collaboration in Armenia.
- **2024-present** — Serves as co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Picsart.
- **2026** — Spoke publicly about 'vibe design,' creative AI, and the role of human judgment at DLD Munich and HumanX events.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Picsart, launched in Yerevan in 2011 and developed into a creative platform serving users across roughly 150 countries.
- Co-founded Monitis, an application performance monitoring company acquired by GFI Software in 2011 and later associated with TeamViewer.
- Co-founded Sourcio, a software consulting company later acquired by HelpSystems.
- Helped lead Picsart across engineering, product, monetization, general management, and operations roles.
- Supports the American University of Armenia as an AUA ChangeMaker focused on education, research, and future technology talent.
- Invests in and advises startups, including a disclosed investment in InSpace.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Appeared as a co-founder and COO of Picsart in the HumanX Amsterdam speaker program focused on practical AI adoption.
- **2026-06** — Discussed creative AI, creator monetization, community, and platform responsibility in a Wired Italia interview.
- **2026-03** — Joined the Venture Ahead podcast to discuss AI as a tool for human creativity and the realities of entrepreneurship.
- **2026-01** — Presented the idea of 'vibe design' at DLD Munich, arguing that AI can translate emotion and voice into visual outcomes while people retain creative agency.
- **2025** — At Picsart Ignite, described the company's direction as one creative hub and one workflow designed for speed and broad access.

## Links

- Website: https://picsart.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikayelvardanyan
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/mvardanyan
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikayel.vardanyan

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/mikayel-vardanyan
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-27