Virtru, a data security company based in Washington D.C., has raised $50 million in a Series D funding round led by ICONIQ, which has doubled its valuation to $500 million. This funding reflects a growing demand for solutions that protect sensitive information in a context of increasing adoption of artificial intelligence.
The Future of Microsecurity
Virtru’s technology is based on an open standard known as Trusted Data Format (TDF), which allows security controls to be integrated directly into data files. This strategy, which the company describes as “microsecurity,” ensures that information travels with additional protection, regardless of its destination. This approach has become crucial as they face security challenges arising from artificial intelligence systems that process and analyze large volumes of data.
More than 6,000 organizations are using the Virtru platform, including prominent players in the financial sector such as JPMorgan Chase and Capital One, as well as the U.S. Department of Defense. The TDF, which was developed by Virtru co-founder Will Ackerly during his time at the National Security Agency, has been adopted as the standard for data protection in defense and intelligence missions both in the United States and allied nations.
Virtru’s goal with this new funding is to accelerate the global adoption of the TDF standard, strengthen the protection of workflows related to artificial intelligence, and scale solutions for clients in defense and critical infrastructure. “This is a crucial moment not only for Virtru but for the global security architecture,” said John Ackerly, the company’s CEO. The company aims to ensure that data maintains its control at every stage of its transfer, emphasizing that artificial intelligence represents a seismic shift that amplifies the need for precise data security focused on the continuous movement of information.
