Cranite

About Cranite

Cranite Systems, Inc. was a Silicon Valley-based startup specializing in security software for wireless local area networks (WLANs). The company was co-founded around 2000 by Dr. Dennis Volpano, who served as Chief Technology Officer, and Sunil Agrawal, a former Qualcomm engineer. The technology originated from Dr. Volpano's work at the US Naval Postgraduate School.

The company's core product, known as "WirelessWall," was based on a "Zero Identity" cybersecurity paradigm. This software provided a robust security solution by encrypting all transmitted information, including network addresses, applications, ports, and the data itself. This approach effectively made a user's device electronically undetectable and untraceable, allowing users to roam securely across different sub-nets without needing to re-authenticate. Cranite's primary clients were organizations with high-security needs, such as U.S. government agencies and major aerospace companies like Lockheed Martin and Rockwell International.

Cranite Systems successfully raised more than $30 million from investors. Initial funding came from angel investors, followed by institutional rounds from prominent venture capital firms including Kleiner Perkins, Warburg Pincus, Diamondhead Ventures, and JK&B Capital. In 2004, security industry veteran John Vigouroux was appointed Chairman and CEO. Despite its technology and client base, the company was severely impacted by the 2008 financial crisis. Its venture capital backers withdrew funding, which led to a lack of cash flow that forced Cranite Systems to cease operations and dissolve. The core technology was later revived in 2017 by members of the original team under a new company, Intelligent Net Protection, Inc.