HybridCluster, the Bristol firm described as among the most exciting to come out of the city for years, has secured a $1m (£650,000) investment to fund a new version of its web-clustering software.
The firm’s products help users’ systems automatically recover from hardware or software failures without loss of data and also deal with spikes in traffic that traditionally lead to crashes.
As a result, HybridCluster, despite being just two years old, is seen as having potential to be a major player in the emerging cloud computing market.
The firm has been supported by the Bristol SETsquared incubation centre, which presented it at the SETsquared Partnership Investment Showcase in London last year where it was introduced to DN Capital, which later became an investor.
Bristol SETsquared director Nick Sturge said: “This is one of the most exciting technologies we have seen and positioned superbly for the imminent growth in cloud computing and the revolution that we are seeing in software and services delivered online.
“It is no surprise to us that HybridCluster has secured such a top-flight set of investors in this round. We look forward to supporting the team during the next growth phase.”
Among the investors are established industry figures such as former VP of engineering at Rackspace Cloud Jason Seats, veteran Bristol tech innovator Charles Grimsdale, now partner at Eden Ventures and former CEO and founder of music download pioneers OD2, former head of corporate development at Google EMEA Anil Hansjee, and Toivo Annus, former head of engineering at Skype.
Mr Seats said: “HybridCluster is a rare combination of a disruptive and game-changing technology from a company run by an inspiring and highly-motivated team in a market that has undeniable need for, and clear benefits, from the technology.”
HybridCluster CEO and founder Luke Marsden said: “For too long, web-hosting companies have lived in fear of unforeseen failures, spikes in traffic or user error striking their operations, stopping their business in it tracks.
“With this investment we are now able to launch Hybrid Cluster 2.0 and compete effectively in the hosting market across Europe and North America.”
Liam Eagle an analyst at 451 Research, added: “HybridCluster is a compelling platform in that it targets system failures and spikes in demand.
“Performance and availability are two on-going challenges for shared hosting providers, and two key metrics by which their customers measure their services. Hosting providers are likely to appreciate it as a means of bringing the benefits of cloud technology to their hosting environments.”
