I received well over 150 nominations for my upcoming story “10 Hot Cloud Startups to Watch” for CIO. I figured I’d get a lot of entries, but I was surprised that I actually got more cloud entries than I did for the mobile version of this story a couple months ago.
The two most active sub-sectors are cloud security and cloud storage, followed closely by cloud performance tools. However, cloud computing startups are a varied lot. I evaluated everything from open-source IaaS platforms to videoconferencing integration services to database aggregation to app data translation tools to a unified solution for how-to’s and user guides.
Here are the 25 finalists for my upcoming CIO story. Be sure to vote below to tell me who your final 10 would be.
1. AppZero
What they do: Help companies migrate server applications to the cloud.
Founded: September 2010
What they do: Provides cloud-based WAN optimization and application acceleration services.
Founded: November 2008
What they do: Develop cloud-based videoconferencing tools that bridge various available services.
Founded: November 2009
4. BrightTag
What they do: Develop cloud-based data integration tools.
Founded: 2009
5. Cedexis
What they do: Develops tools that provide visibility into cloud and CDN performance, and then help users act on that information.
Founded: Q4 2009
6. CipherCloud
What they do: Develop security tools for cloud-based applications.
Founded: 2010
7. Cloudant
What they do: They’re a Database-as-a-Service provider.
Founded: 2008
8. CPUsage
What they do: Provides on-demand access to massive amounts of compute power for high-throughput tasks.
Founded: October 2010
9. dinCloud
What they do: Help small to mid-sized businesses migrate and/or provision desktops, servers, storage, networking and applications to a Virtual Private Data Center.
Founded: January 2011
What they do: Develop IaaS platforms.
Founded: 2007
11. HyTrust
What they do: Develop virtualization security tools.
Founded: April, 2009
12. Nasuni
What they do: Offers a cloud storage service.
Founded: 2009
13. NetCitadel
What they do: Develop “Software-Defined Security” solutions for virtual, cloud and mobile environments.
Founded: 2010, but did not officially launch (and release product) until January 2013.
14. OnApp
What they do: Provide cloud services, including IaaS, CDN and storage services.
Founded: July 2010
15. Pertino
What they do: Develop network virtualization technologies.
Founded: 2011
What they do: Helps businesses create their own private clouds.
Founded: 2011
Funding: $5 million from Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, True Ventures, Divergent Ventures.
17. Plivo
What they do: Develop cloud-based telephony hosting apps and services.
Founded: December 2011
18. Ravello Systems
What they do: Provides a service that enables developers to replicate their existing applications, without any changes, and deploy them to any public or private cloud.
Founded: 2011
19. SaaS Markets
What they do: Provides the infrastructure that enterprises can use to launch app stores.
Founded: 2011
20. Transverse
What they do: Develop billing platforms for cloud and SaaS services.
Founded: 2008; however, the company didn’t officially launch until 2011, when they released their first product, TRACT billing.
21. Veeva Systems
What they do: Provides cloud-based CRM and content management services for the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries.
Founded: 2007
22. VirtualSharp
What they do: Provide disaster recovery (DR) services for cloud-based applications and infrastructures.
Founded: 2010
23. VoloMetrix
What they do: Develops cloud-based analytic software to measure “social enterprise intelligence.”
Founded: 2011
24. WatchDox
What they do: Provide cloud-based storage and collaboration tools.
Founded: 2009
25. Zscaler
What they do: Provide cloud security tools.
Founded: 2008
I vote Cedexis
Hoping our LMS provider will adopt them!
Voting for Transverse!
Blue Jeans Network!!
I vote cedexis !
I vote AppZero
dinCloud all the way!
I vote for CipherCloud. Without adequate information security many enterprises will not move to the cloud.
I vote APPZERO. It´s the next step in virtualization technology, after the OS Virtualization, now the Server Application Virtualization dettaching the Application from the underlaying OS.
I vote for Cedexis…
Because Julien is a great person…
Aryaka Networks all the way. Great technology, team and legitimate momentum.
Aryaka Networks!
Very very happy to see us listed here. Thanks for the inclusion and here’s hoping we can make it to the top 10. Disclaimer: I am the CEO of SaaS Markets.
I vote for Veeva Systems
Transverse all the way!
Veeva systems is growing quickly and changing the face of software supporting the life sciences and pharma industries. Having a convenient, yet tightly controlled and secure cloud access allows customers to store their data “out there” without worrying about having a full-blown IT department to do it or that it might slip into the wrong hands. I recently joined them and find their SaaS technology to be first class.
The AppZero is an excellent solution. My vote is for AppZero.
Seriously, no Nebula? Piston but not Nebula?
Thanks, I just had my morning chuckle.
Be sure to recommend Nebula here: http://startup50.com/your-startup. You have to be recommended to get into these lists, and you’re the first person to bring up Nebula, Wu. If you work for them, give your PR team a nudge.
APPZERO for sure! They have an amazing product that changes the industry of Application management efficiency. Proud to represent them as VAD.
I vote AppZero
I vote for VoloMetrix! Cool cloud-based analytics software.
So proud to see Veeva on this list! We’ve worked hard and it is exciting to be included among the game changers!
I vote Veeva.
Thanks to everyone who voted for AppZero. It is a honor to be part of this exciting innovative groups of startups. Jeff Vance you have select a great group of companies for the Hot Cloud Start up vote off.
GregO CEO AppZero
I vote Veeva.
I vote Veeva
Another vote for AppZero!
I vote AppZero. Removing the VM from the equation is fantastic!
As the pharmaceutical industry looks to further streamline and improve quality of its customer and sales support, it will need lightweight (i.e. mobile), agile, compliance-oriented solutions, to address its complex business processes, like clinical trials, FDA submissions, controlled customer communications, etc. Veeva has it all and should be all in !
Happy to see Cedexis on this list — an amazing Multi-cloud/CDN performance monitoring and global load balancing SaaS company.
I vote Ravello.
Vote for Veeva
My vote’s for: VoloMetrix.
I vote for AppZero
HyTrust!
I voted for appzero. http://bit.ly/VFlwLD
I vote Veeva
Thank you Jeff. Aryaka is proud to be on this list.
I vote Cedexis!
I vote for PLIVO !
Thanks Brendan & everyone else who voted for Plivo! We’re happy just to be considered
BrightTag ftw!
Cedexis gets my vote
I vote for AppZero
Very nice article. Of all these, I think Cedexis has by far the most promise, because it is the only one with the probability to universally affect the cloud in a fundamental and material way. It has the potential to help shape the cloud.
I vote for Hytrust.
Strong support for Cedexis.
My vote is for Transverse, all the way!!!
missing…. mytruecloud.com – all about cloud, saas, virtual and above all “security!”
Transverse gets my vote!
Transverse all the way!
Any news on the final 10?
Tentatively, it’ll probably run next week, but that hasn’t been locked down yet. And, no, I can’t reveal the final 10 until it’s published. Editors wouldn’t hire me if I leaked my own stories early.
Okay – Thanks for the heads up Jeff – Understood.
Oh, and I’ll send out a note through my Story Source newsletter and the Startup50 updates once I have an exact publication date.
Hi Jeff – when can we expect to see the results?
I’m waiting to hear back from my editor. When I know, you’ll know, but I expect it to run in the next week to 10 days.
Cancel that – answer is above!
Very interesting list, is it possible to get the complete list of 150 candidates?
Tony, eventually, as Startup50 grows, I’ll put out reports of the 50 top startups in various sectors, cloud being one. But that will be a subscription-based content. As for the 150, I don’t think I’ll ever have time to dig into that many.