“Starting a business just before the COVID-19 pandemic seems unlucky, and reporting a successful first year during it seems improbable. Yet Rob Eggebrecht was able to pull it off with Cloudrise.

Now, the cybersecurity startup company is settling into its third month in Grand Junction after moving here from Denver. It has set up shop at the Maverick Innovation Center, 730 Mesa Ave.

For Eggebrecht, one of the biggest draws to the Grand Valley was the quality of life.

‘I’ve grown up here in Colorado and I’m a serial entrepreneur, and I believe that Grand Junction embraces what I call genuine Colorado,’ Eggebrecht said. ‘You’re so close to so many outdoor activities. And what you can afford out here is better than on the Front Range. It’s just a phenomenal opportunity.’

Cloudrise essentially uses automation to help clients protect sensitive data. Clients will approach them and ask for help securing certain data. Cloudrise’s service monitors user behavior and the quality of their security, then offers solutions to improve.

The company has over 50 clients and has 15 remote employees. Eggebrecht has secured more funding through the Greater Colorado Venture Fund and plans to hire local employees soon.

Those workers will be stationed in the Bonsai building in Las Colonias, Eggebrecht said.

In the first quarter 2021, Cloudrise brought in more revenue than it did all of last year, Eggebrecht said.

Continuing that success means seizing the opportunity in their own backyard. He believes that Cloudrise can join the likes of Kaart, ProStar and other companies in creating a foundation of a thriving tech sector in the valley.

‘Grand Junction has been traditionally married to oil and gas, and that’s not going to go away overnight, but we could start creating a technology hub out here,’ Eggebrecht said. ‘You see companies like Pax8, and there’s several others that are starting to move out here. We can start to create an ecosystem.’

And by setting up shop at the Maverick Innovation Center, Cloudrise can establish a pipeline of young tech workers from Colorado Mesa University, Eggebrecht said.”

The Daily Sentinel, Apr. 4, 2021

Photo credit: McKenzie Lange, The Daily Sentinel