Valarian Technologies Names Darktrace’s Nick Trim Chairman

London, November 5, 2024 – Pioneering UK technology startup Valarian Technologies today announced that Nick Trim has been appointed as Chairman. Most recently, Trim was co-founder & COO of the British cybersecurity leader Darktrace (DARK.L).

Trim brings over 20 years of extensive experience in the Government and Technology sectors to Valarian Technologies. As a founding team member of Darktrace, he initially led the commercial team as CRO, establishing and growing the global sales team before becoming COO in 2020. Prior to founding Darktrace, Nick had a 15-year career in the UK Intelligence Services, where he led operational teams and created innovative technology-based strategies to protect London during the 2012 Summer Olympics. 

Following the $5.32 billion acquisition of Darktrace by private equity firm Thoma Bravo in April 2024, Trim is excited to embark on the next chapter by joining Valarian Technologies as their first Chairman. Trim will be supporting the company in its mission to safeguard sensitive data
for commercial enterprises and government institutions.

"I am thrilled to be joining Valarian at such a pivotal time in their journey," said Nick Trim. "Valarian's mission is to empower customers in the enterprise, government and defence space with full data ownership and control, and I look forward to adding my experience to their ambitious growth plans. Now more than ever, companies need the tools to operate with confidence in an uncertain world, and I truly believe that Valarian is set to become an important part of this landscape."

“When I founded Valarian, I was inspired by Darktrace's remarkable success as a leading British and global cyber AI company. It is, therefore, incredibly exciting to announce that Nick Trim is now joining our team,” said Max Buchan, Founder and CEO of Valarian Technologies. “Nick’s deep understanding of the security sector and his leadership experience at Darktrace will be instrumental as we scale our operations and enhance our product offerings.”

Molten Ventures Board Director, Leonora Ross-Skinner, who joined the fund from Darktrace said: “Nick Trim's deep experience in cybersecurity and leadership at Darktrace make him a great fit for Valarian. Having made several investments in the cyber and privacy space at Molten, we look forward to working with Nick—his insights and dedication will undoubtedly lead Valarian to new heights of success and innovation.”

The Valarian Technologies Board unanimously supported Trim’s selection as Chairman. With the recent appointment of George Salakirov, formerly of Uber, as CTO and Palantir’s Josh McLaughlin as COO, Trim is poised to drive the global go-to-market strategy as the company enters a new phase of expansive growth.

About Nick Trim

Nick Trim was a co-founder of Darktrace, and as COO (and formerly CRO) was instrumental in building it into a global business with a market cap of $5 billion. Responsible for building the GTM model which was key to Darktrace's success, Nick has a decade of experience in designing and optimising sales motion, product vision, market fit, and messaging creation. From negotiating the very first contract, Nick built a sales team in 42 countries and a customer base of over 10,000 companies, and led revenue through the IPO in 2021.

Prior to founding Darktrace, Nick had a 15-year career in the UK Intelligence Services, where he led operational teams, and created innovative technology-based strategies to protect London during the Olympic games of 2012. 

With a passion for high growth and the energy of the startup, Nick is now involved with a range of early-stage tech companies looking to create or evolve their GTM strategies, and coaches a number of founders and entrepreneurs.

About Valarian Technologies

Valarian delivers advanced data sovereignty infrastructure engineered to empower commercial enterprises and government institutions with full data ownership.

Our solution is built to give customers complete control over their data, leveraging strategic localisation, granular access controls, and thorough auditability.

Amid rising geopolitical and cyber threats, Valarian fortifies critical operations, enhancing resilience, securing privileged communications, and protecting IP and trade secrets. In this way, we enable corporate and government entities to innovate and compete globally with unwavering confidence.