Citrix Systems today announced an investment in Primadesk, marking the first funding commitment for the Citrix Startup Accelerator, its Silicon Valley-based seed investment initiative launched in December 2010. Primadesk, based in Novato, Calif., helps users search, manage and backup their personal cloud data with one simple interface no matter what device they use. A beta version of the Primadesk technology will be demonstrated on stage today at DEMO 2011 in Palm Desert, Calif.

“Primadesk and Citrix share a synergistic vision,” said Srinivasa Venkataraman, CEO & Founder, Primadesk. “Primadesk gives users a simple way to manage their personal and professional information from any browser at any time, which fits right into the Citrix vision of enabling anyone to work and play anywhere on any device. The global presence Citrix has, as well as its entrepreneur-friendly environment, large customer base and seasoned go-to-market strategies, will be prime assets for us as we join the Citrix Startup Accelerator program.”

The Citrix Startup Accelerator is focused on entrepreneur-led innovation, providing participating companies with seed funding, mentoring, office space in an open innovation center and access to the global Citrix ecosystem. By fostering technologies and business models that align with the long term Citrix strategy, the Citrix Startup Accelerator is differentiated from funds that focus solely on fund maximization. “Our goal is to equip our portfolio entrepreneurs with the key resources that will help them achieve the rapid market and customer validation that will ensure them a timely transition into successful businesses,” said Martin Duursma, Vice President, Citrix Labs and Chair of the Citrix CTO Office. “By providing access to our deep technical resources, business mentoring and global network, we believe we can greatly increase the chances that Primadesk and our future portfolio companies will succeed.”