ankrd stows your secrets
Legacy security solutions expose credentials, certificates, and secrets across infrastructure creating risk. ankrd eliminates this attack surface by consolidating secrets into a secure control point, transforming infrastructure from a liability into active defense. This prevents outages, stops lateral movement, and provides real-time visibility, all while automating security enforcement at scale.
Get ankrd and stow your secrets.
The ankrdConnection:
Redefining Workload Security
Trusted infrastructure, simplified
ankrd provides a seamless, all-in-one solution for building trusted infrastructure installing their credentials or secrets - with ankrd they get to install them once, in the ankrdLocker. Our patented technology ensures a provable, tamper-evident server identity with real-time attestation of hardware and software. Built on industry-standard cryptography, ankrd continuously validates trust while simplifying security for any TLS/SSL-enabled application.
Unifying security with a single, powerful solution
Why ankrd?
Security Without Compromise
About ankrd
We uncover groundbreaking innovations in information security, bring them to market, and empower organizations to harness their full potential. Through our co-innovation with the Georgia Tech community, we stay at the forefront of cybersecurity advancements.
ankrdConnection streamlines your security ecosystem—consolidating tools, simplifying workflows, enhancing visibility, and accelerating response. With a unified approach, you can strengthen your security posture and deliver trusted, seamless experiences to your clients.
Our Team
Before founding ankrd, Darren spent seven years as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Norfolk Southern Corporation, where he led cybersecurity efforts for one of the nation’s largest transportation networks. His career also includes advisory roles at Accenture, PwC, UtiliSec, and EnerNex, where he helped Fortune 500 companies and critical infrastructure providers strengthen their security posture in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.
Darren is a recognized expert in cybersecurity governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance, particularly in Operational Technology (OT), rail transportation, and electric power transmission and distribution. His deep understanding of national and international cybersecurity standards makes him a trusted leader in the field.
A strategic thinker and natural facilitator, Darren excels at building and leading high-performing teams, bridging the gap between technical execution and executive priorities, and guiding organizations through complex security challenges. Under his leadership, ankrd is redefining cybersecurity with a bold, future-ready approach.
Before founding ankrd, Darren spent seven years as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Norfolk Southern Corporation, where he led cybersecurity efforts for one of the nation’s largest transportation networks. His career also includes advisory roles at Accenture, PwC, UtiliSec, and EnerNex, where he helped Fortune 500 companies and critical infrastructure providers strengthen their security posture in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.
Darren is a recognized expert in cybersecurity governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance, particularly in Operational Technology (OT), rail transportation, and electric power transmission and distribution. His deep understanding of national and international cybersecurity standards makes him a trusted leader in the field.
A strategic thinker and natural facilitator, Darren excels at building and leading high-performing teams, bridging the gap between technical execution and executive priorities, and guiding organizations through complex security challenges. Under his leadership, ankrd is redefining cybersecurity with a bold, future-ready approach.
Ketan Bhardwaj is a pioneering software engineer and researcher with deep expertise in edge computing, high-performance computing, and system software development. As a founding member of the Software Scientific Engineering Center at Georgia Tech, Ketan has played a pivotal role in accelerating scientific discovery, driving breakthrough advancements such as 2x faster metadynamics and hydrological simulations, and an 8x acceleration for AI foundation models for interatomic potential.
With over 13 years of experience at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Ketan has led cutting-edge research bridging theoretical advancements with practical, secure solutions. His work extends to innovative security solutions for low Earth orbit satellite systems, enhancing the security and functionality of off-planet technology.
At Ankrd, Ketan applies his expertise to advancing the company’s mission: developing innovative cybersecurity solutions that secure critical infrastructure and emerging technologies. Passionate about system software development and deeply rooted in Linux, his ability to develop and optimize software for high-performance environments positions him at the forefront of next-generation computing and cybersecurity.
Ketan Bhardwaj is a pioneering software engineer and researcher with deep expertise in edge computing, high-performance computing, and system software development. As a founding member of the Software Scientific Engineering Center at Georgia Tech, Ketan has played a pivotal role in accelerating scientific discovery, driving breakthrough advancements such as 2x faster metadynamics and hydrological simulations, and an 8x acceleration for AI foundation models for interatomic potential.
With over 13 years of experience at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Ketan has led cutting-edge research bridging theoretical advancements with practical, secure solutions. His work extends to innovative security solutions for low Earth orbit satellite systems, enhancing the security and functionality of off-planet technology.
At Ankrd, Ketan applies his expertise to advancing the company’s mission: developing innovative cybersecurity solutions that secure critical infrastructure and emerging technologies. Passionate about system software development and deeply rooted in Linux, his ability to develop and optimize software for high-performance environments positions him at the forefront of next-generation computing and cybersecurity.
Ada Gavrilovska is the Chief Science Officer at Ankrd, where she leads the company’s research efforts in designing cutting-edge systems software solutions for emerging technologies. She is also a Professor in the School of Computer Science at Georgia Tech, with a distinguished career focused on developing innovative systems in response to advances in hardware, applications, and use cases.
Ada’s research spans a broad range of high-impact areas, including programmable network processors, high-performance interconnects, multi/manycore architectures, virtualization, and cloud computing. Recently, her work has been driven by two major trends: the rapid evolution of memory system designs and the shift toward edge computing to meet the increasing demand for real-time data insights.
She has played a leadership role in the research community, serving as program or general chair for OSDI’24, SOCC’22, HPDC’22, and USENIX ATC’20, as well as an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Cloud Computing and ACM Transactions on Computer Systems. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Semiconductor Research Corporation, and major industry partners, including Cisco, HPE, IBM, Intel, Intercontinental Exchange, LexisNexis, VMware, and others. She is also a Principal Investigator and Systems Software co-lead in the SRC/DARPA PRISM center.
At Ankrd, Ada applies her expertise to drive innovation in cybersecurity, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of securing critical infrastructure and emerging technologies.
Ada Gavrilovska is the Chief Science Officer at Ankrd, where she leads the company’s research efforts in designing cutting-edge systems software solutions for emerging technologies. She is also a Professor in the School of Computer Science at Georgia Tech, with a distinguished career focused on developing innovative systems in response to advances in hardware, applications, and use cases.
Ada’s research spans a broad range of high-impact areas, including programmable network processors, high-performance interconnects, multi/manycore architectures, virtualization, and cloud computing. Recently, her work has been driven by two major trends: the rapid evolution of memory system designs and the shift toward edge computing to meet the increasing demand for real-time data insights.
She has played a leadership role in the research community, serving as program or general chair for OSDI’24, SOCC’22, HPDC’22, and USENIX ATC’20, as well as an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Cloud Computing and ACM Transactions on Computer Systems. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Semiconductor Research Corporation, and major industry partners, including Cisco, HPE, IBM, Intel, Intercontinental Exchange, LexisNexis, VMware, and others. She is also a Principal Investigator and Systems Software co-lead in the SRC/DARPA PRISM center.
At Ankrd, Ada applies her expertise to drive innovation in cybersecurity, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of securing critical infrastructure and emerging technologies.
Invest in the future of cybersecurity
ankrd is an early-stage startup pioneering a fundamentally new approach to securing servers, workloads, and technology intermediaries—bridging the gap between an organization’s root of trust and its clients. Our patented technology unlocks security solutions for an exceptionally broad range of use cases, and this is just the beginning. ankrd is committed to developing a suite of innovative tools that redefine how security is built, managed, and trusted.
With functional prototypes already in place, we are actively seeking design partners, investors, and advisors to help shape the future of cybersecurity.
Join Us
If you’re interested in partnering, investing, or contributing to our success, we’d love to connect. Reach out to us directly and be part of a team that’s transforming security from the ground up.
