Scott Butler

Data Protection & Recovery Veteran | VAST Data

[Natalie Fratto @NatalieFratto]

Today’s episode is on a company that I think is noticeably missing from our “top private tech companies” list - it’s valued at $30B and provides a critical infrastructure layer that ai runs on….

Plus I really enjoyed drawing 🍰&🍓

Here’s @VAST_Data x @chartsncrafts

[Matt Turck @mattturck]

In Jensen's 5 layer cake analogy for AI (energy, chips, infrastructure, models, applications), the middle layer (esp the software infra part) is much less understood - and thats where @VAST_Data became a $30B company few people know about, powering @spacexai, @CoreWeave, @nebiusai, @MistralAI, @nscale etc

My conversation with Renen Hallak, CEO:

00:00 Intro
00:51 The hidden software layer in NVIDIA's AI stack 02:28 What actually makes an "AI factory"?
05:13 Should Walmart and Goldman build their own AI?
06:20 "We infer during the day, fine-tune at night"
13:16 Announcement: frontier models & sensitive data
15:32 From P vs. NP to founding VAST Data
17:32 OpenAI, Navier–Stokes and 10,000 agents
20:25 The pre-transformer insight behind VAST
21:55 DASE: VAST's "shared everything" architecture
25:18 "Storage was where startups go to die"
27:39 Trillions of vectors: why old databases break
29:01 Are S3, Snowflake and Databricks ready for AI
31:29 Data gravity, vendor lock-in and zero churn
33:13 Training vs. inference: why the infrastructure changes
34:46 Model routing, KV caches, RAG & agent memory
36:59 Identity, permissions and security for AI agents 40:27 Can multi-agent systems unlock scientific discovery?
41:55 DataEnclave: how confidential AI protects data and weights
45:16 Who should be AI's trust layer?
46:37 "Sometimes it scares me": 500 petabytes to 2 exabytes
50:08 Is circular AI financing creating systemic risk
51:32 Why VAST is profitable when AI infra isn't
53:24 What separates the winning neoclouds?
55:06 "Their lunch is being eaten": why hyperscalers lag
59:10 Where will the trillions accrue across the AI stack
1:01:18 NVIDIA: "There's no legal document between us"
1:03:59 What VAST learned from xAI and @elonmusk
1:05:36 "Bad things loudly and often": building at AI speed
1:06:53 More change in 10 years than the previous 1,000?
1:08:39 VAST's endgame: all the data in the world

[Scott Butler @ScottBackup]

🇪🇺 Bank facing DORA regs with old HDD based PBBA with @Veeam.
Deploys @VAST_Data powered new VBR. No SOBR, just simplicity.
Customer in Veeam dashboard to check performance over S3:
"That's crazy! Never seen something like that!" ( satisfied customer laughing 😄 )
@robgirard

[VΛST Data @VAST_Data]

VAST Data has been named to @Inc's 2024 #BestinBusiness List in the AI and Data category!

This recognition highlights VAST’s ongoing impact as the new standard for enterprise AI #infrastructure, empowering organizations to unlock the full potential of their data with the VAST Data Platform.

Over the past year, VAST has:
🚀 Grown partnerships with hyperscalers and emerging #cloud providers.
🚀 Expanded its customer base to include some of the most data-intensive organizations.
🚀 Launched game-changing innovations like the VAST Data InsightEngine with #NVIDIA and Cosmos #AI community.
🚀 Reached $1 billion in cumulative software sales and $200 million in ARR—while remaining cash flow positive.

This honor reflects VAST’s commitment to driving innovation and delivering transformative solutions in AI and data infrastructure.

[VΛST Data @VAST_Data]

We’d like to share the story of VAST and @xai.

VAST Data is honored to be the data platform behind xAI's Colossus cluster in Memphis, fueling the data processing and model training that powers this groundbreaking initiative. Colossus, featuring over 100,000 @nvidia GPUs, is a testament to what’s possible when #AI innovators collaborate.

Since the inception of the Colossus cluster, VAST has been proud and grateful to see xAI run their data and workloads on the VAST Data Platform.

Together, we’re here for every challenge, pushing the boundaries to achieve what has never been done before. Being part of such a monumental achievement is inspiring, and we’re excited to continue on this journey.

[VΛST Data @VAST_Data]

Introducing Cosmos – a groundbreaking community led by VAST Data that’s set to transform the future of AI 🚀🚀

Cosmos brings together innovators, AI practitioners, and industry leaders from every sector to drive collaboration, share knowledge, and accelerate AI adoption. Through labs, showcases, and expert sessions, Cosmos empowers members to navigate the complex AI landscape and unlock the full potential of data.

Join the Cosmos community today and be part of the next wave of #AI innovation 👉 https://t.co/4xrkAKeJpc

[VΛST Data @VAST_Data]

Thrilled to announce that Jensen Huang, Founder & CEO of @nvidia , will be joining Renen Hallak, Founder & CEO of VAST Data, to discuss the transformative power of #AI in the enterprise and share an exciting announcement of a groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind solution!

You won't want to miss it. Register now: https://t.co/Qbus1CnHt2

[Scott Butler @ScottBackup]

See that top right cluster?… @VAST_Data is the fastest, most scalable #backup, archive AND recovery target for them all! Increasing #cyberresilience & addressing the most stringent of regulations e.g. #DORA
#allflash #dataprotection #gartner #recovery #magicquadrant #cleanroom

[VΛST Data @VAST_Data]

Enter the Cosmos as VAST unveils groundbreaking products that are setting new standards in data speed, security, and accuracy—positioning data at the very heart of the AI ecosystem.

This isn’t just another event. It’s your chance to hear from industry leaders who are actively reshaping the future of #AI. Hear from @ServiceNow as they share how they’re applying AI and automation to streamline large-scale enterprise workflows and enhance the overall capabilities of the ServiceNow platform.

From new product launches to insights from AI pioneers, this event is packed with the knowledge and innovation you need to stay ahead in the AI era. Register now and be part of the conversation that’s driving the future: https://t.co/Qbus1Cn9Du

[Scott Butler @ScottBackup]

🚀

[Howard Marks @[email protected] @DeepStorageNet]

It's a big day for us at VAST. We're not part of "Other" anymore. 6% market share and rising fast.

https://t.co/grg2fwD3Ue

[Scott Butler @ScottBackup]

@VAST_Data + @Veeam = 🚀 Recovery with no penalties

[Veeam® Software @Veeam]

ICYMI - During today's #IndustryInsights livestream, @BackupDave was joined by @VAST_Data's @mikezolla to discuss how recovery has changed in light of #ransomware and #cyberattacks. Watch the replay >> https://t.co/6b4sQfNouq

[Scott Butler @ScottBackup]

Add to that how @VAST_Data
eliminates the storage inefficiencies experienced with S3 Object and Commvault Dedupe... https://t.co/YgiPJBGlJm
@robgirard @Chris_Mellor

[Chris_Mellor @Chris_Mellor]

Commvault and VAST team up for faster restores - https://t.co/24x76PKfNA

[Scott Butler @ScottBackup]

Fab content with #buildbeyond today! I'm incredibly proud to work for a company that will have a positive impact on humanity if you believe that the machines aren't taking over completely! 🤖 🚀 #VASTData #AI #DL #ML @VAST_Data

[theCUBE @theCUBE]

🎉 It's finally here! Live coverage of @VAST_Data's big #AI news, unveiled at #BuildBeyond.

Kicking off with VAST CEO Renen Hallak and famed author and AI expert @tegmark.

Watch now at https://t.co/SVWJTyv6St

https://t.co/mIb5zPhm50

#VASTData #theCUBE #BuildBeyond

[Michael Wing @MichaelWing23]

The last few months have been a whirlwind at VAST Data as we've made the following announcements:

1. Strategic partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced April 4, 2023. Customers can now choose the best end to end AI solution in the industry…https://t.co/BW53jQqlEo

[Scott Butler @ScottBackup]

Thanks for the webinar @BackupDave and @Jbuff. 44% using an isolated sandbox prior to prod recovery is encouraging. The others, well…

[Jason Buffington @Jbuff]

Did #ransomware attacks target backup repositories? As a lesson learned, how are offline, air-gapped or immutable backups used to protect repositories by those who suffered attacks last year? Read my latest blog to learn more >>  https://t.co/YvQxeiClmE

[Scott Butler @ScottBackup]

#allflash #data #recovery

[Commvault @Commvault]

We're thrilled to announce a new milestone in our partnership with @VAST_Data

Together, we'll provide customers and partners with a co-engineered solution to combat the ransomware era and maximize data recovery.

https://t.co/1SJpxVh9me

[Scott Butler @ScottBackup]

Today, VAST Data and Commvault jointly announced their commitment to deliver more tightly integrated data protection and security solutions to their customers. Customers like Expedient are working with VAST and Commvault to improve performance, reliabilit…https://t.co/xhImRNmNji

[Scott Butler @ScottBackup]

@VAST_Katy Thank you @VAST_Katy 🚀

[Scott Butler @ScottBackup]

Ok I've been on the 🚀 six weeks already but now I'm officially #VASTronaut certified!

The #DataPlatform for the #AI Era
VAST Data #RocketShip https://t.co/yHouNuzGRL

[Scott Butler @ScottBackup]

My kids (almost) think I'm cool now that I've joined a company that has helped @Pixar ‘build beyond’ for Elemental... the most technically challenging animated movie they’ve ever made.

One of the most telling lines from this announcement: "VAST Data del…https://t.co/4OSOwoKwDL