Tiger Technology, a Sofia, Bulgaria-based provider of on-premises-first hybrid cloud data management software, has raised €8.8M ($10M) in Series A funding led by 3TS Capital Partners. Its Tiger Bridge platform extends existing local storage to the cloud for cost savings and AI processing without altering workflows. The capital will support expansion across the US, Europe, and Middle East along with product development and partner ecosystem growth.
Hybrid Cloud Funding Follows AI Data Surge
The timing aligns with rising demand for hybrid architectures that keep data accessible for AI without full migration. Nasuni raised hundreds of millions across multiple rounds including Vista Equity backing at a $1.2B valuation. CTERA secured $80M from PSG Equity in July 2024. Tiger Technology's software-only approach addresses organizations reluctant to rip-and-replace infrastructure.
Enterprises Face Persistent On-Prem Data Challenges
Over 40% of enterprise data remains on-premises while 80% is unstructured and more than half qualifies as "dark" data never analyzed, according to coverage of the round. This creates bottlenecks for AI initiatives that require seamless access across environments. Traditional solutions often force disruptive migrations or hardware dependencies that increase costs and compliance risks.
Software-Only Bridge Keeps Data in Place
Tiger Bridge installs in minutes as a kernel-level layer on existing storage, providing a single namespace with intelligent tiering to cloud, tape, or disk. It differs from competitors like Nasuni and CTERA by remaining infrastructure-agnostic and on-premises-first rather than requiring proprietary appliances or cloud migration. The platform claims up to 90% reduction in on-premises storage needs and 10x faster file restores.
"Many years ago, we made a bet that felt contrarian at the time. The industry was drawing a hard line between 'cloud' and 'on-premises' — as if enterprises would eventually have to pick one and abandon the other. We didn't believe that." — Alexander Lefterov, Founder & CTO
European Investors Back Data Sovereignty Play
3TS Capital Partners led via its TCEE Fund IV, joined by TDJ Growth, Endeavor Catalyst, Impetus Capital, and prior backers. The group brings expertise in data infrastructure and CEE scaling, plus global networks from Endeavor Catalyst. The round signals conviction that hybrid approaches will dominate regulated sectors needing sovereignty alongside cloud elasticity.
Hybrid Storage Market Expands Rapidly
The hybrid cloud market is projected to grow from $194.14B to $347.82B by 2031 at 12.37% CAGR, while the broader cloud storage market moves from $172.97B to $380.15B by 2031. Tiger Technology's estimated hybrid storage TAM reaches $29.3B by 2030. Capital continues flowing into the space as AI workloads and data sovereignty regulations push enterprises toward flexible architectures.
Leadership Signals Global Ambition
CEO Iravan Hira, with prior experience at HP and HPE, joined in 2024 to drive international growth. Co-founder Alexander Lefterov previously exited companies to Autodesk and CallWave. The 20-plus-year-old bootstrapped firm now manages over 100 petabytes across 11,000 customers and reported 115% YoY revenue growth in Q2 2025.
Channel Expansion and Hiring Underway
The company recently launched a tiered channel partner program and posted multiple roles in demand generation and QA. With deployments already handling mission-critical workloads in healthcare, media, and government, Tiger Technology is positioned to scale through partners while maintaining its Sofia engineering base.