eFolder

eFolder commenced its journey in 2002, originating from a value-added reseller (VAR) business in Atlanta, Georgia. The founders, Kevin Hoffman, George Welborn, and John Williams, aimed to redefine data protection, launching a cloud backup product around 2005. Hoffman, with a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Purdue University, brought deep technical expertise to the venture. A significant challenge arose in 2007 with the passing of co-founder and CEO John Williams, after which Kevin Hoffman assumed the CEO role.

In a strategic move to broaden its market presence and technological capabilities, eFolder merged with Axcient in July 2017. Axcient, founded in 2006, was a recognized provider of Disaster-Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) solutions. The merger was facilitated by K1 Investment Management, which held a controlling interest in eFolder and funded Axcient to unite the companies. This created a comprehensive data protection platform provider operating under the Axcient brand and catering exclusively to Managed Service Providers (MSPs). The combined entity aimed to serve the full spectrum of businesses, from SMBs to the mid-market.

The company's business model is 100% channel-focused, providing solutions for MSPs to sell to their clients. Revenue is generated through these partnerships, offering a suite of business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) services. Axcient operates primarily in the data protection and business availability market, serving over 3,000 MSP partners globally.

Axcient's core offering is the Axcient x360 Platform, a unified interface that consolidates its product suite. This platform includes three main products: x360Recover for BCDR, x360Cloud for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backup, and x360Sync for secure file synchronization and sharing. x360Recover is a flexible solution, deployable with an Axcient appliance, a partner's own device (BYOD), or direct-to-cloud, ensuring rapid recovery times. A key feature is its proprietary Chain-Free backup technology, which eliminates the need for manual reseeding and consolidation, reducing data bloat and simplifying storage management with a flat-fee, pooled data model. Additionally, features like AirGap and AutoVerify provide enhanced security against data loss and automated backup integrity checks.

Keywords: data protection, business continuity, disaster recovery, managed service providers, BCDR, cloud backup, DRaaS, file sync and share, SaaS backup, channel-focused