VDURA
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software-defined storage, Artificial intelligence, High-performance computing |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Garth Gibson |
| Headquarters | San Jose , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Ken Claffey (CEO) |
| Products | VDURA Data Platform, V5000 all-flash appliance |
VDURA—previously known as Panasas—is a United States-based company specializing in software-defined storage solutions tailored for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) data infrastructures. The company’s headquarters are located in San Jose, California, with additional offices situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Boulder, Colorado.
History
Established in 1999 by computer scientist Garth Gibson, notable for co-inventing RAID and designing the PanFS parallel file system, Panasas introduced its inaugural parallel network-attached storage system in 2004.
On May 7, 2024, the company underwent a rebranding to become VDURA, signaling its transition from proprietary hardware appliances toward a subscription-based, software-defined approach. The new brand name is derived from the concepts of "velocity" and "durability."
In 2025, VDURA released Version 11.2 of its Data Platform, which incorporated Kubernetes CSI support, comprehensive end-to-end encryption, and launched an enhanced support program named VDURACare Premier. This update also unveiled V-ScaleFlow, an innovative tiering technology designed to optimize data transfers between QLC flash storage and high-capacity HDDs.
Products and technology
VDURA offers the VDURA Data Platform (VDP), a modular software-defined storage solution engineered specifically for AI and HPC applications. The platform utilizes a microservices framework alongside the VeLO (Velocity Layer Operations) metadata engine to efficiently handle parallel processing at scale and manage key-value operations across billions of files.
Key features of the platform include erasure coding for data protection, automated load balancing, and unified management across both flash and disk storage media. It delivers simultaneous read/write capabilities while enabling policy-driven tiering between high-speed flash memory and large-capacity hard drives.
- VDURA Data Platform v11.2 (2025): Introduced Kubernetes CSI integration, end-to-end encryption features, the "VDURACare Premier" support service, and previewed the V-ScaleFlow tiering mechanism.
- V5000 all-flash appliance (2025): A high-performance all-flash system optimized for AI and machine learning workloads, providing scalable erasure-coded storage with elevated IOPS.
VDURA’s solutions cater to industries with demanding data requirements such as life sciences, energy exploration, financial services, government research institutions, media production companies, and AI training facilities.
Partnerships and recognition
In April 2025, VDURA earned a spot on the CRN Storage 100 list of software-defined storage providers, recognized for its AI-centric architecture and advanced metadata engine.
August 2025 saw VDURA collaborate with New Mexico State University to explore integrating NIST-standard post-quantum cryptographic methods into its GPU-accelerated data platform.
At ISC 2025, Goethe University Frankfurt demonstrated VDURA’s platform working in conjunction with AMD GPU clusters to support AI research and scientific computing workloads, highlighting its scalability and reliability for continuous use.
In September 2024, VDURA entered a strategic alliance with Jeskell Systems aimed at driving IT modernization initiatives within federal agencies, public sector organizations, and commercial enterprises.
Additionally, VDURA partners with leading technology firms across AI development, data security, HPC, and simulation fields—including AMD, ANSYS, Altair, Atempo, Autodesk, Cadence, and Agiga.
Events and Industry Engagement
In March 2025, VDURA took part in NVIDIA GTC, where it showcased applications such as Toyota’s traffic pattern analysis utilizing large language models and Valley Water’s AI-based water flow prediction system.
During June 2025, VDURA organized the VDURA AI Data Challenge @ ISC 2025 in Hamburg (Booth G21), highlighting its advanced data infrastructure designed for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) tasks.
In July 2025, VDURA focused on presenting AI demonstrations and hosting webinars centered on sectors including transportation, environmental stewardship, and scientific research.
August 2025 marked VDURA’s sponsorship of the Monterey Data Conference (MDC), where it introduced enhancements to its V11 platform and revealed a new contract with a U.S. federal systems integrator.
CEO Ken Claffey earned recognition by being featured on Channel Insider’s "AI Leaders in the Channel" roster in mid-2025.
Looking ahead to the latter part of 2025, VDURA is set to participate in several prominent global gatherings, including:
- **Supercomputing 2025 (SC25)** – St. Louis, Missouri (November 16–21, Booth 2033)
- **NVIDIA GTC, Washington, D.C.** – October 27–29
- **CIUK 2025** – Manchester, UK (December 4–5)
- **DiRAC Day 2025** – Stoke-on-Trent, UK (December 11)
Significant Engagements
At Supercomputing 2024 (SC24), VDURA demonstrated its high-capacity SSD technology during a promotional event featuring strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, highlighting its capabilities for managing data at scale.