Each more advanced than the one before, data breaches used to be the number one peril to healthy and thriving businesses. Alas, the days of ongoing data breaches imposing threat to all-sized enterprises are done.

Facing a problem of this magnitude, the only way enterprises could stay on the safe side was to eradicate the repercussions that sink them to the bottomless sea of catastrophe. When it came to data exposure, one question begged to be asked:

"Is someone out there bold enough to become the hero of failing businesses worldwide - and solve the problem of data breaching?"

The answer is threefold - Gaurav Banga, Simon Crosby, and Ian Pratt.

It was simple as that - three geniuses coming together to invent a whole new approach to protecting worldwide data.

But what did it take to combat global data breaching and deliver?

Read on to learn their story here:

Early Steps towards Success

Born in the 70s, Gaurav Banga graduated in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. First emerging on the map in 1994, Gaurav was already drawn to the world of computing, wittily noticing the rapid rise of the Internet.

He first began pursuing his career while chasing after a PhD degree from Rice University, to ultimately succeed and publish over ten research-based papers on top system conferences.

The young Indian was the right suit for one particular professor role at Rice University, but after realizing that he would teach undergraduates skills to help them work for others instead of themselves, Gaurav took a sabbatical to do his own thing.

Packing his bags, Gaurav landed in the US, where he gained the first industrial experience working for Network Appliance. There, he worked on building mass software to power systems such as Yahoo, Mail, and the ruling banks of New York.

Before crossing paths, two guys took their own shot in the world of success, and on opposite sides of the land of opportunities.

Simon tasted the first drop of triumph when graduating at the University of Cape Town in the field of Mathematics and Computer Science in 1989. The following year, something relevant happened for Ian too - he graduated from the University of Cambridge, mastering the same skill as his soon-to-be partner in 'crime'.

For the promising entrepreneurs, graduating didn't feel remotely close to being prepared to dive into entrepreneurship waters. So, for the first two years, the duo focused on acquiring their PhDs - Simon from Stellenbosch University, and Ian from Cambridge.

Being loyal to his educational roots, Ian resided in Cambridge for more than a decade- working as a leader of the Systems Research Group at Cambridge. In the meantime, Simon went on to lead a strategic research project for Intel AMT Technology.

Unaware of what the future holds still, the two fellows embarked on different pathways which would ultimately bring them together - at the crossroads of a golden opportunity!

Fortune Favors the Bold

Ian and Simon met halfway in early 2003- at a time Ian was working on a research Cambridge project, called Xenoserver- and contacted Simon to help him build XenSource.

Originally, Xen was intended to be a virtual machine providing services to various computer operating systems and enabling them to perform a handful of actions whilst using the same computer hardware- simultaneously.

By upgrading it to XenSource, the young entrepreneurs simplified everything companies needed to integrate, manage and automate data- carried out by a shielded virtual data centre.

For both, elevating a whole new company from the grounds up meant leaving everything else behind, quitting their jobs at Cambridge and Intel, and hoping for the best.

Next thing you know, XenSource skyrocketed to popularity and is today used in millions of servers globally - open source virtualization technology at its finest.

The same year, Gaurav noticed how a growing number of businessmen were using a handheld PC device that worked similarly to a mobile phone and, simultaneously, a personal information manager. The devices were aptly named Personal Digital Assistants, or PDAs. A curious cat at heart, Gaurav bought his first PalmPilot and it amazed him with its practicality of tracking contacts, to-dos, and events.

Best of all? It fit perfectly in his pocket.

Noticing this powerful virtual computer was a mind-altering experience gave him yet another idea - to craft software and throw their platform in the big boy league.

With the ball rolling, Gaurav launched a company called PDAapps- offering users infinite possibilities, tech-wise.

The first PDA, also known as VeriChat, was published immediately after launch and within a few months, it became a globally dominant messaging app. However, so many golden opportunities still lay ahead of the young Indian, and in 2005, he sold the company to Intellisync Corporation to pursue his next great challenge.

Endless Strive for Accomplishments

Early in 2006, science-driven Gaurav accepted an offer he couldn't refuse - a position at Phoenix Technologies.

While working on a 2009 project, a sophisticated cyber-attack took place, only to culminate in a massive theft of intellectual property.

After closely monitoring the system's flaws, Gaurav felt like Phoenix was building a gigantic technology-industrial complex, and all-around insecure, easily breachable software.

While on it, his interest in different industry experiences still grew, now more than ever. Stuck on the idea of reshifting his energy onto other innovations, he left the company without a blink of an eye. From this day forward, he would aid companies in eliminating data breaches of all sorts and invent the system for it, too.

Projects aside, Gaurav faced some issues similar to those at his former company. Fighting off confrontational takeover attempts while acquiring knowledge of what makes an organization tick felt a heavy twister to solve.

Perhaps for that very reason as well as the sense of uncertainty, that same year, Gaurav resorted to Phoenix, while Citrix acquired XenSource for an incredible half-a-billion dollars.

The acquisition itself allowed Citrix to take control of the virtualization business, consequently getting into the data center business. In 2008, XenSource generated over $50 million in annual revenue to Citrix.

Up until 2011, both Ian and Simon led all the strategies for XenSource, at that point called XenServer. During the five years, they worked with the world's biggest clouds to deliver platforms, applications, and infrastructure as part of their service.

Come 2011, Gaurav's desire to end computer threats like malware, adware, and viruses transpired into a full-blown vision.

Finding each other for one last time, the trio dove into their next venture - Bromium.

Reaping the Benefits

For the up-and-coming trio, 2011 was a time when the growth of new devices escalated to numerous data breaches.

Sooner or later, someone had to bring a more reliable computing infrastructure to companies who wanted a place on the cloud.

And who better to do it than three masterminds who shared the vision and experience?

For six months, the trio operated under stealth mode, until the initial funding of a ravishing $9.2 million came in Series A, at the year's close.

In 2012, Bromium raised $26.5 million in Series B funding by Highland Capital Partners, which empowered it to combat an even larger number of computer threats- all through a new technology called micro-virtualization.

One year later, Series C funding came with a total worth of $40 million, by Meritech Capital Partners. With this level of aid, Bromium could hire more computer scientists to create protection against malware- whether from the web or USB devices. As a result of this seed round, the company's sales in APAC, Japan, and North America accelerated like there's no tomorrow.

The most recent funding came in 2016, with Silver Lake Waterman investing $40 million in the company, estimating Bromium's worth at $240 million.

Bromium, Nowadays

These days, Bromium makes an annual revenue of $25 million and holds over 100 employees.

The company's growth continues in Southeast Asia, Japan, and ANZ, while also continuing to attract the interest of prominent businesses worldwide - all in need of the latest data shield trends.

First to the finish line in the race towards sophisticated data protection, Bromium grows more essential by the minute - and shows no intention of stopping!