Boston startup ClearSky Data has announced that it has received $27 million in Series B funding to not only resolve problems in the company but to also expand its reach and fulfill its goals to become a global storage network.
ClearSky Data acquired a total of $39 million in funding, as it raised $12 million in Series A funding earlier last year. With a sufficient capital, the startup will offer a multi-tiered storage network in the foreseeable future.
The content delivery network Akamai Technologies and venture capital firm Polaris Partners aided in the fundraising to help in ClearSky Data's efforts. Also, General Catalyst and Highland Capital Partners invested again.
Unlike other cloud storage service providers such as Microsoft and Google, ClearSky Data focuses on storing data for enterprises, which means that its real competitors are NetApp and EMC.
As it stands, enterprises' software can't connect fast enough to data stored across the country, which is one of the major issues that ClearSky Data faces. To resolve this, the firm plans to set up data centers that are closer to customers, which will ensure quick access.
In terms of its coverage, the Boston-based startup provides its services in three U.S. locations: Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Boston. With plans to set up more facilities in mind, the firm intends to expand to Europe.
Ellen Rubin, ClearSky Data's CEO and cofounder, declined to divulge how many customers the company has but said that some of the beta customers are going to become paid customers soon. She will announce a specific number then.
Right from the start, it seems that the company has plenty of supporters to push through with its ambitious goals.
"[W]e are excited to launch our global storage network, the result of all those early discussions. We're proud of the team that built the first version of our service, and deeply grateful to the early customers and partners who worked with us through many iterations and bug fixes," Rubin posted on ClearSky Data's blog in August.
ClearSky Data was founded in 2014. It has about 40 employees working on the Boston-based startup's ambition.
