Proximal Data Secures $2 Million in B Round

Proximal Data, Inc., provider of server-side caching solutions designed for virtualized environments, has secured a $2 million series B round of funding, bringing its total funding to $5 million.

Current investor Avalon Ventures is participating, with new investor Divergent Ventures leading the round. This latter invests in early-stage companies with a focus on virtualization and storage and partners with them to help overcome market challenges. 
 
Proximal Data will use the funds to increase its sales distribution channels and extend its current market to include more global markets, as well as further advance the storage I/O caching capabilities of AutoCache, its virtual cache software.
 
"Proximal Data is leading the market with a server-side caching solution specifically designed to enable higher levels of server consolidation in virtualized environments by addressing limitations caused by I/O bottlenecks," said Rory Bolt, CEO of Proximal Data. "Only AutoCache offers the ability to employ multiple caching algorithms to determine which performs best at any given time to address the dynamic and changing nature of workloads in virtualized environments. This helps data center managers create a more efficient and productive virtualized environment without impacting IT operations."
 
Introduced in 2012, AutoCache eliminates I/O bottlenecks in virtualized servers with its adaptive I/O caching to increase VM density up to three times with no impact on IT operations. It plugs into hypervisors such as VMware’s ESXi, and transparently works on all I/O without requiring agents in guest OSs. By placing hot I/O onto a PCIe flash card or SSD, AutoCache intelligently supplies priority data traffic to VMs.
 
"Proximal Data is in the sweet spot of virtualization and I/O throughput with strong technological leadership and an innovative approach to speeding up applications," said Kevin Ober, MD, Divergent Ventures. "We look for leaders like Rory Bolt who identify ways to disrupt fast-growing markets and can lead talented engineering and sales teams to meet market demand."
 
"Proximal Data’s technology is both groundbreaking and proven, given its significant market traction where customers have enjoyed performance gains with no change to their operational procedures or investments," said Steve Tomlin, MD, Avalon Ventures. "We are confident that Proximal Data will continue to be the thought leader in the virtualized server-side caching market moving forward."
 
George Crump, president and founder of Storage Switzerland, an industry analyst firm, stated: "Proximal Data’s AutoCache offers a simple implementation and precise coordination at the hypervisor level, allowing customers to see benefits immediately. By continuing to provide a fast, efficient caching solution that boosts VM efficiency without draining critical system resources or requiring additional hardware, Proximal Data stands to become an important player in this market."