Phil Castle, The Business Times

Rob Eggebrecht sees in the Grand Valley the scenic vistas and outdoor recreational opportunities of what he considers the genuine Colorado.

Eggebrecht also sees a good location in which to develop a global cybersecurity company that ultimately could employ 200 to 300 people. “There’s tremendous opportunity here,” said Eggebrecht, co-founder and chief executive officer of Cloudrise.

Eggebrecht and his co-founders relocated Cloudrise from Denver to Grand Junction.

The company is located for now in the Maverick Innovation Center on the Colorado Mesa University campus, a building that also houses a cybersecurity center. Eggebrecht said he expects to maintain a presence there as he recruits CMU students as interns and employees.

But as the company grows, other facilities will be needed. Eggebrecht envisions ultimately opening a service delivery center that could employ 200 to 300  people.

Eggebrecht and his co-founders launched Cloudrise in Denver in October 2019. They brought to the venture decades of experience with data protection in working for other companies as well as operating their own firm.

The team since has raised capital investments to fund their efforts, he said. That includes capital from the Greater Colorado Venture Fund, which invests in startups headquartered in areas of Colorado outside the Front Range.

Cloudrise offers a range of services to companies large and small, Eggebrecht said, in assessing their capability to protect data and offering them automated processes and other resources as well management services.

The threat of data theft has increased, he said, along with the use of computers and software technology. And not only from hackers and others on the outside trying to get in, but also employees, contractors and others already on the inside.

Eggebrecht attributed his interest in the Grand Valley in part to his love for mountain biking — which motivated him to consider whether or not he could also operate Cloudrise in the area. He said he was impressed by what he found out from  the Grand Junction Economic Partnership and CMU.

He said he was impressed as well by students at CMU who offer skills and a work ethic, but also want to remain in the Grand Valley because of the quality of life the area offers.

With a location in the Maverick Innovation Center, Cloudrise can help CMU in gearing its curriculum to prepare students for work while also recruiting students for internships and employment, he said.

At the same time, the software and services Cloudrise has developed to protect data has attracted customers across the globe.

Eggebrecht said he prefers the term partnerships because Cloudrise develops relationships with companies.

Those relationships usually start with assessments in which Cloudrise evaluates the technology, processes and people companies use to protect data. Assessments identify not only what’s in place, he said, but also what’s desired.

Technology is implemented or tuned to better protect data and decrease risk, he said.

Cloudrise specializes in automating labor-intensive or repetitive processes as well as routing information to the people who need it, he said.

In addition, Cloudrise offers services to manage data protection for customers.

It’s important to not only detect and stop outside efforts to steal data, but also deal with inside threats.

There’s a lot at stake in protecting financial and medical records as well as intellectual property, he said. But companies also must protect their reputations and the value of their brands in the marketplace.

Robin Brown, executive director of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, welcomed Cloudrise to the Grand Valley. “The founding team at Cloudrise has an esteemed reputation in major tech hubs like Silicon Valley and Boston. Their choice to relocate to Grand Junction will help attract more cutting-edge businesses, encourage skilled talent to move here and grow our reputation as a rising tech hub.”

Eggebrecht said he’s happy to be here not only for the scenery and outdoor recreation, but also the opportunity. “We’ll build a global company from here,” he said.

For more information about Cloudrise, visit the website at https://cloudrise.com.