Primary Data

About Primary Data

Primary Data was a data virtualization startup established in 2013 by David Flynn and Rick White, the entrepreneurs behind the successful flash storage company Fusion-io. Their experience at Fusion-io, where they witnessed the proliferation of storage silos created by new technologies like flash and cloud, inspired the creation of Primary Data. The company's mission was to simplify enterprise data management by creating a unified data environment. The founding team was later joined by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak as Chief Scientist, reuniting key figures from Fusion-io.

The core of Primary Data's offering was DataSphere, a software platform designed to abstract and manage data across various storage systems, from on-premises hardware to the cloud. This data virtualization technology aimed to create a global namespace, allowing enterprises to manage and access petabytes of data and billions of files as if they resided in a single location. By using a metadata engine and machine learning, DataSphere could automatically place data in the most appropriate storage tier based on performance, cost, and other policies, without disrupting applications. This provided clients, primarily large enterprises, with a way to manage complex, heterogeneous storage environments, automate data migration, and seamlessly integrate cloud storage.

The company's business model was centered on selling this enterprise software. Primary Data secured significant venture capital, raising approximately $60 million in its initial funding rounds from investors including Accel Partners and Battery Ventures. The company initially acquired Tonian Systems, an Israeli startup with virtualization storage software, which formed a basis for their technology. However, despite its high-profile team and substantial funding, Primary Data faced significant challenges. The company struggled with an unsustainable burn rate and pivoted its strategy multiple times between a software and hardware focus. Ultimately, the technology was not compelling enough to gain widespread adoption among Fortune 500 companies, leading to a lack of revenue and the eventual suspension of operations in early 2018 after burning through nearly $100 million.