1984
In 1984 Adi Shamir asked for a public key encryption scheme in which the public key can be an arbitrary string. Shamir's original motivation for identity-based encryption was to simplify certificate management in e-mail systems.
Reference: A. Shamir, “Identity-based cryptosystems and signature schemes", in Advances in Cryptology, Crypto '84 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 196, Springer-Verlag, pp. 47-53, 1984.
2000
November
Working in collaboration, Dr. Dan Boneh and Dr. Matt Franklin discover
a new way to solve the mathematics behind Identity-Based Encryption.
The research is done as part of a DARPA project. They present their
findings at the Crypto 2001 conference in Santa Barbara, California
in August 2001.
2001
May - September
Matt Pauker and Rishi Kacker, both Stanford University students, meet
with Dr. Boneh to discuss research projects. Dr. Boneh suggests a
study of the practical applications of IBE, and the students embark
upon a summer research project.
October
Guido Appenzeller, a PhD candidate at Stanford also doing research
in the IBE space, joins up with Matt and Rishi to compete in the
Stanford BASES Entrepreneurs Challenge, a highly prestigious competition
in which students design and present innovative business plans. The
judges include top-tier VCs from Silicon Valley.
2002
May
The entry by Matt, Rishi and Guido beats 60 other business plans to
win the 2002 Stanford BASES Entrepreneurs Challenge.
June
The team is entered into the global business plan competition in Singapore,
where it goes onto to win the Stanford Global Entrepreneurs Challenge.
Graduating a year early, Matt and Rishi receive their undergraduate
degrees from Stanford in June 2002. That summer, out of an office in
the basement of the Packard building at Stanford, the company incorporates
under stealth name IdentiCrypt and begins fund-raising.
October
The company receives funding by top tier VC firms Hummer Winblad Venture
Partners and Morgenthaler Ventures and begins to grow.
2003
February
Sathvik Krishnamurthy joins as president and CEO, the company begins operating as Voltage Security. The company's first product is shipped to several pilot customers
in financial services and healthcare, who begin implementing secure
email solutions.
July
Voltage Security makes its public debut at the prestigious Burton Group Catalyst Conference in San Francisco.
