Fast-growing Silicon Valley ‘unicorn’ Rubrik expanding to Lawrence

Rubrik — a rapidly-growing, cloud data company based in Palo Alto, Calif. — is launching a new office in Lawrence and plans to hire up to 20 area engineers.

The firm partnered with the Bioscience & Technology Business Center at the University of Kansas to create the Rubrik Center for Excellence. The center will house a data lab and technical support facility with locally-recruited staff. Rubrik creates data backup and recovery software.

Founded in 2014 and already with nearly 400 employees, Rubrik reported that its annual run-rate is approaching $100 million in three years. In May, the firm raised $180 million in a Series D investment round at a valuation of $1.3 billion, qualifying it as a “unicorn,” or firm valued at more than $1 billion.

Gerry Garwood, Rubrik regional sales manager for Kansas and Missouri, said that the new office on the KU campus will afford the company access to high-caliber talent.

“We are thrilled to establish the Rubrik Center for Excellence, which will serve the greater Kansas City metropolitan area and provide support to our global customer base that spans more than 25 countries across five continents,” Garwood said in a release. “Inspired by the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, we expect the Rubrik Center for Excellence adjacent to the University of Kansas in Lawrence to become a hub for research, innovation and training in the Midwest.”

The Bioscience & Technology Business Center is a partnership among the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, University of Kansas, and the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce to support bioscience and tech firms. To foster growth, it provides bioscience and tech firms modern labs, office space, business counseling and connections to key partners.