Virtru

Virtru is a privately held data-security and digital-privacy company founded in 2012 by brothers John Ackerly and Will Ackerly. The company develops technology intended to let organizations encrypt, control, and share sensitive information across organizational and technical boundaries. Its origins are closely connected to the founders’ experience in national security and government information systems, where they encountered the difficulty of collaborating when data was divided among institutional silos. John Ackerly previously worked as a White House policy adviser during the period surrounding the September 11 attacks. That experience informed his view that secure information sharing could improve coordination and decision-making. Will Ackerly spent eight years at the National Security Agency, specializing in cloud analytics and security architecture. During his NSA tenure, he created the Trusted Data Format, or TDF, to support controlled sharing of protected data among analysts and operators. TDF became an important technical foundation associated with Virtru’s approach to data protection. Virtru positions its products around the idea that security should remain attached to data as that data moves between people, systems, and organizations. Rather than relying only on perimeter defenses or the security controls of a particular cloud provider, its technology is designed to provide encryption and usage controls that travel with protected content. This orientation addresses use cases involving confidential email, files, collaboration, regulated information, and communication between organizations that do not share the same infrastructure. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and describes itself as operating globally. Its customer proposition is particularly relevant to government, national-security, regulated-industry, enterprise, and other environments where data confidentiality, access governance, and controlled collaboration are important. The available reference material identifies Virtru as an online privacy and data-encryption provider, but does not provide a complete current product catalog, customer list, revenue history, or detailed geographic breakdown. Virtru has remained privately funded. Its disclosed investors include ICONIQ Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Soros Fund Management, Haystack Partners, Quadrant Capital Advisors, Blue Delta Capital, and Samsung. The company announced a $29 million Series A financing in August 2016 and a $37 million Series B financing in May 2018. These rounds supported the company’s development and expansion as an enterprise data-protection provider. Virtru’s board has included investors and technology executives such as Will Griffith, David Cowan, Wayne Jackson, and Scott Petry, according to the cited reference material. Virtru’s identity therefore combines a national-security-derived technical foundation with a commercial privacy mission. Its core distinction is the attempt to give organizations direct control over encrypted information and its permitted use, even when content is shared through cloud services or across institutional boundaries. The company remains active, but detailed information about its current leadership, latest offerings, ownership, and financial performance is not established by the supplied sources.

Virtru was established in 2012 by brothers John Ackerly and Will Ackerly. The company grew out of the founders’ experiences with information-sharing problems in national-security and government environments. John Ackerly had served as a White House policy adviser during the period surrounding the September 11 attacks and concluded that secure collaboration could help organizations connect important information without exposing it unnecessarily. Will Ackerly spent eight years at the National Security Agency, where he worked on cloud analytics and security architecture and encountered similar difficulties caused by data silos. While at the NSA, Will Ackerly created the Trusted Data Format, a framework for protecting information while allowing authorized users and organizations to work with it. TDF provided a technical basis for the company’s subsequent focus on persistent data protection. Virtru adapted this security concept for commercial and institutional use, developing encryption and privacy tools intended to protect content as it is shared through digital communications and cloud-based workflows. The company’s business proposition centers on moving protection closer to the data itself. In this model, encryption, authorization, and control can remain associated with a file or message after it leaves the original system. This approach is intended to help organizations share sensitive information with partners, contractors, customers, and other external parties without surrendering all control to the receiving environment or the underlying cloud service. Virtru is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and operates as a privately funded company. Its disclosed investor base includes ICONIQ Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Soros Fund Management, Haystack Partners, Quadrant Capital Advisors, Blue Delta Capital, and Samsung. On August 22, 2016, Virtru announced a $29 million Series A financing led by Bessemer Venture Partners. On May 31, 2018, it announced a $37 million Series B led by ICONIQ Capital, with several earlier investors returning to participate. The company’s board has included venture investors and technology-industry executives. The cited material identifies Will Griffith of ICONIQ Capital and David Cowan of Bessemer Venture Partners as directors, along with Wayne Jackson and Scott Petry. Virtru’s publicly described scope includes data encryption, secure sharing, and digital privacy services for organizations with demanding confidentiality and compliance needs. The supplied sources do not establish a complete chronology of product releases, a current detailed leadership roster, revenue, employee count, customer metrics, or subsequent financing activity. Virtru is nevertheless identified as an active global privacy and encryption provider.

• 2018

  Series B financing announced

  [1]Virtruen.wikipedia.org

  Virtru announced a $37 million Series B led by ICONIQ Capital, with participation from returning and new investors.

• 2016

  Series A financing announced

  [1]Virtruen.wikipedia.org

  Virtru announced a $29 million Series A round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, joined by several institutional investors.

• 2012

  Virtru founded

  [1]Virtruen.wikipedia.org

  John Ackerly and Will Ackerly co-founded Virtru as a company focused on secure data sharing, encryption, and digital privacy.

Enterprise-grade encryption and privacy technology for controlling sensitive data during storage, transmission, and collaboration across organizational boundaries.

• Data protection format

  Trusted Data Format

  Trusted Data Format, or TDF, is a technology for attaching protection and access controls to data so that information can be shared among authorized users and organizations. Will Ackerly created TDF during his NSA tenure, and it became associated with Virtru’s approach to protecting information beyond the boundaries of a single network or cloud environment.

• Enterprise cybersecurity software

  Virtru encryption and secure-sharing platform

  Virtru’s core commercial offering comprises encryption, secure sharing, and digital privacy capabilities for sensitive messages, files, and organizational data. The platform is positioned to help customers retain control over protected information while collaborating internally and with external parties. The supplied sources do not specify the current package structure or complete list of supported applications.

• 2018

  Raised Series B to support continued growthStrategy

  Background

  Virtru continued positioning itself as a provider of encryption and privacy tools for organizations sharing sensitive information.

  Action taken

  The company announced a $37 million Series B led by ICONIQ Capital, with participation from existing and additional investors.

  Aftermath

  The round provided additional private capital for the company’s ongoing expansion and product development.

  Series B financing. $37 million raised (May 31, 2018)

  Source

• 2016

  Raised Series A to expand secure data-sharing businessStrategy

  Background

  Virtru was developing commercial encryption and privacy technology based on a security approach rooted in national-security information sharing.

  Action taken

  The company announced a $29 million Series A financing led by Bessemer Venture Partners.

  Aftermath

  The financing increased the company’s institutional funding base and supported its development as an enterprise data-protection provider.

  Series A financing. $29 million raised (August 22, 2016)

  Source

• 2022.01.20

  Reported2022.01.20

  Virtru announces $60 million growth financing[3]Virtru宣布获得6000万美元成长融资finanznachrichten.de

  Virtru announced that it raised $60 million in growth financing, co-led by existing investor ICONIQ Growth and new investor Foundry Capital, with other investors also participating.

• 2020.12.14

  Reported2020.12.14

  Virtru expands partnership with Google Cloud[4]Virtru扩大与Google Cloud的合作prweb.com

  Virtru announced an expansion of its partnership with Google Cloud, incorporating Virtru's Trusted Data Platform into additional Google Workspace and Google Cloud applications and services.

Read more

1. 1Virtruen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Virtru official websitevirtru.com
3. 3Virtru宣布获得6000万美元成长融资finanznachrichten.de
4. 4Virtru扩大与Google Cloud的合作prweb.com