Cache IQ
Network computing startup that developed an inline caching appliance for network-attached storage.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | investor | €0.0 | round |
| N/A | €0.0 | round | |
| N/A | €0.0 | round | |
N/A | Acquisition | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Cache IQ, Inc. operated in the computer data storage industry, specifically focusing on network-attached storage (NAS) solutions. The company was co-founded by Joel Trammell, who took on the role of CEO. Trammell's journey with Cache IQ began by acquiring the assets of a previously failed startup and re-engineering its product for the market. This strategic pivot led to the development of an intelligent storage acceleration product.
Cache IQ's primary offering was an inline caching appliance designed to accelerate NAS performance. The product, known as the RapidCache appliance, positioned itself in the data path between NAS arrays and the servers accessing them. Its software would analyze data flow to identify active application data and cache it, significantly speeding up access. The appliance utilized a combination of DRAM and flash storage, with specifications including 144GB of DRAM and up to 3.2TB of flash. The system was designed to be scalable, allowing nodes to be clustered, and managed through its IQ OS and RapidView software, which provided visibility and troubleshooting capabilities.
The company's business model revolved around selling this hardware and software solution to enterprises looking to enhance their existing storage infrastructure without undertaking a complete overhaul. By caching the most critical data, Cache IQ's product aimed to maximize the performance of existing storage investments. In its early stages, the company secured significant initial funding, reportedly raising $5 million from angel investors, including the Central Texas Angel Network. Over its lifetime, it raised a total of $9.9M. A major milestone for the company was its acquisition by NetApp in November 2012, approximately two years after its founding. This acquisition provided a notable 7X return to its investors over an 18-month period, marking a successful exit for the startup.
Keywords: NAS acceleration, inline caching, data storage, storage appliance, Joel Trammell, NetApp acquisition, RapidCache, storage acceleration, file storage caching, network computing, Central Texas Angel Network, IT hardware, data access acceleration, enterprise storage, data flow analysis, intelligent caching, DRAM and flash cache, storage performance, IT infrastructure, network-attached storage solutions