Why We Exist
As companies explore AI, many face the same roadblock: the tools are powerful, but they demand unacceptable tradeoffs.
Cloud-based AI services often retain user data, analyze inputs, and expose organizations to:
- Breach liability
- IP leakage
- Regulatory non-compliance
- Loss of control over model behavior
We built Retkan to remove those risks at the root.
No user accounts. No logs. No backend data retention.
Just encrypted, verifiable, enterprise-ready AI—without surveillance.
Our Story
Retkan was founded by Ryan Stellar, an engineer and commercial operator with experience across life sciences and tech. While building his last startup, Ryan saw firsthand how traditional AI infrastructure undermined privacy and introduced asymmetries that penalized users—especially in industries with strict regulatory requirements.
Retkan represents an alternative: a zero-trust, audit-friendly foundation for companies who want to move fast without putting their data or users at risk.
Enterprise-Ready, Open by Default
Retkan is available as open-source software with self-hosted deployment options. Your engineering and security teams get full visibility into data flow and system behavior, along with the ability to accelerate internal innovation while maintaining air-gapped control. For teams that need the benefits of SaaS with the control of on-prem, our licensed enterprise features provide hardened upgrade, telemetry, and identity tooling.
BACKED BY REAL-WORLD OPERATORS
Retkan is emerging from stealth and launching in late 2025, with support from experienced leaders in life sciences, cryptocurrency, and data infrastructure.
OUR VALUES
We operate with urgency, but not recklessly. Our core values:
Customer Focus
Prioritize customer needs and relentlessly improve based on feedback.
Pragmatism
Pursue effective, grounded solutions. Ignore noise.
Pluralism
Seek strength through a diversity of ideas and perspectives.
High Agency
Act with ownership, initiative, and leverage.
Transparency & Trust
Enforce verifiability. Make actions auditable by design.