Ctrl IQ Makes its Market Debut to Democratize Secure Hybrid Orchestration for Performance-Intensive Workflows


Introduces full technology stack integrating key capabilities of enterprise, hyper-scale, cloud and high-performance computing (HPC)

Launches with $4M in Series A backing from OpenDrives Inc. and IAG Capital Partners

BERKELEY, Calif., Jan. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ctrl IQ, Inc. announced today its official launch unveiling the first full technology stack that merges the key capabilities of enterprises, hyper-scale, cloud and high-performance computing (HPC). Founded to meet the growing global demand for securing and orchestrating computational-intensive workflows, Ctrl IQ’s multi-cloud, multi-site, and performance-focused orchestration solution opens access to artificial intelligence, machine learning, analytics, and scientific workflows everywhere.

Ctrl IQ is formed by Gregory Kurtzer, high performance computing (HPC) veteran and creator of open source projects CentOS and Rocky Linux, and debuts with $4 million in Series A backing from OpenDrives Inc. and IAG Capital Partners.

“Machine learning, artificial intelligence, scientific computing and large-scale data analytics common in research and HPC are becoming a requirement in enterprise,” said Gregory Kurtzer, founder and chief executive officer at Ctrl IQ, Inc. “Ctrl IQ was founded to integrate key capabilities in enterprise, hyper-scale, cloud and HPC technologies necessary for performance-intensive workflows. We’re thrilled to be introducing orchestration that is intelligent, secure and performance-focused and accessible everywhere, from onsite to the cloud to the edge, and across multiple architectures.”

The Center for Data Innovation recently showed a global shortage of HPC for AI research urging Congress to increase funding for supercomputing by $10 billion between now and 2025. The pandemic has also pushed the capacities of HPC, especially cloud-based hybrid offerings, to a new level of prominence. Key breakthroughs in the fight against COVID-19, such as modeling the virus’ spike protein and finding sites on those spikes that could be drug targets, came from HPC-powered simulation.

Ctrl IQ’s fully supported technology stack was created to accelerate speed and efficiency of multi-prem, multi-cloud, multi-architecture orchestration of workflows. The solution fits within existing enterprise architecture and infrastructures, and will include:

  • Rocky Linux: enterprise Linux supported for cloud and enterprise created by Kurtzer, Ctrl IQ CEO and founder of CentOS
  • Warewulf: scalable systems management suite designed to manage clusters of compute resources.
  • Ctrl Computing Stacks: fully supported computational stacks designed for all performance intensive workflows like, HPC, AI, ML and scientific workflows.
  • Fuzzball: provides the intelligent, secure and performant orchestration of workflows and data in a managed or hosted on-premise solution.
  • Ctrl IQ Cloud: provides a secure hybrid platform to execute and orchestrate both performance critical workflows and services.

“Large-scale scientific computing HPC systems require more than just incredible speed and space,” said Andrew Younge, Computer Scientist at Sandia National Laboratories. “Now supercomputers, such as Astra, the world’s first Petascale Arm-based supercomputer as part of the Vanguard program, need to be more dynamic and meet new scientific and engineering challenges. This includes being able to handle the veracity of high performance data analysis tools, advanced machine learning capabilities, and more traditional modelling and simulations tasks.”

“Greg Kurtzer and his team at Ctrl IQ made significant contributions to the success of Astra, and we continue to collaborate with Ctrl IQ on future systems involving multi-computing architectures which can help advance the computational missions within the DOE/NNSA and Sandia,” added Younge.

With experience rooted in performance and security, Kurtzer architected the technology for HPC and scientific computation groups at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and UC Berkeley. He also founded Warewulf and Singularity, in addition to CentOS and Rocky Linux. Kurtzer is joined by former Dell Inc. technologist Robert Adolph as VP of Strategy and Business Development, in addition to a software and architecture team with expertise in HPC and cloud architectures.

“Ctrl IQ is experienced in some of the biggest and most complex labs across oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, aerospace and material sciences. Given our investment in OpenDrives, this was key to our decision to support Ctrl IQ’s impressive early growth,” said Joel Whitley, Partner at IAG Capital Partners. “Their ability to modernize HPC is equally impressive and unmatched. By leveraging traditional HPC with advanced analytics and machine learning for enterprises, Ctrl IQ is the future of computing while meeting fast-growing demands with a more democratized model for HPC.”

Ctrl IQ is currently working with customers and organizations in the military, aerospace, chip manufacturing, national labs, oil and gas, pharmaceutical and enterprise organizations. Demos and early build-outs are available starting today. To learn more about Ctrl IQ visit www.ctrliq.com or email info@ctrliq.com.

About Ctrl IQ
Ctrl IQ was founded to optimize a full technology stack enabling intelligent, secure and performant orchestration of multi-cloud and multi-site workflows and data. Built to integrate the best of enterprise, hyper-scale and HPC while wrapping that platform in security to fill the needs in enterprises, hyper-scale, cloud and research organizations, Ctrl IQ drives rapid advancements for research labs, government, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, media and entertainment, and financial organizations. Its fully supported technology stack accelerates the speed and efficiency of multi-prem, multi-cloud, multi-architecture workflows.

Ctrl IQ was founded in 2020 by industry veteran Gregory Kurtzer, founder of open source projects Rocky Linux, CentOS, Warewulf and Singularity and is headquartered in Berkeley, CA. For more information on Ctrl IQ, visit www.ctrliq.com

About OpenDrives
OpenDrives is a global provider of enterprise-grade, hyper-scalable network-attached-storage (NAS) solutions. Founded in 2011 by media and entertainment post-production professionals, OpenDrives is built for the most demanding workflows, from Hollywood to healthcare, and businesses large and small. OpenDrives delivers the highest performing solutions to match individual performance needs, even for the most robust, complex and mission-critical projects, on-premises and into the cloud. OpenDrives is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. To learn more about OpenDrives, visit www.opendrives.com.

About IAG Capital Partners
IAG Capital Partners is based in Charleston, South Carolina. The firm invests in a variety of companies from early-stage to recapitalization and restructuring. To learn more about IAG Capital Partners, visit www.iagcapitalpartners.com.

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Media Contact
Lindsey Henn
Ctrl IQ PR
lhenn@ctrliq.com