Can you tell us what Platform9 does?

We founded Platform9 back in 2013 with a bold vision: to democratize cloud computing. Our mission is to provide enterprises with an unparalleled private cloud experience, and we work to do this by providing best-in-class open-source technologies that offer the simplicity and agility of public clouds, while retaining the flexibility and control of private infrastructure. Whether hosted in an enterprise's own data center or through a colocation partner, we can enable businesses to take full advantage of their own resources, empowering them to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively.

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What sets your approach apart from your competitors?

When Platform9 was founded nearly a decade ago, private clouds were still quite dominant, but public clouds were rapidly gaining ground. The challenge with private clouds at the time was clear: while they provided greater control, they also demanded constant management of both the infrastructure and the software. Enterprises had to juggle hardware, manage updates, and deal with the headaches of system maintenance—burdening IT and DevOps teams with a significant portion of their time.

We recognized an opportunity to revolutionize this process. Our solution was to build a private cloud management plane that could be self-hosted on-prem or offered as a SaaS solution. With the SaaS model, we take the hassle out of management, ensuring automatic updates and proactive monitoring. Our software is designed to identify and resolve issues before they even surface. For example, if a host in your data center encounters a problem at 2 AM, our software detects it, tries to auto-correct, and if necessary, opens a support ticket, all without any intervention from your IT team.

As the cloud space evolves, especially after VMware’s acquisition by Broadcom, enterprises are reevaluating their virtualization platforms. We’re positioned perfectly to serve VMware customers seeking a reliable and more cost-effective alternative.

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What problems does Platform9 solve for its customers?

VMware has long held a monopoly on the private cloud and virtualization market, but everything has changed since Broadcom acquired them. Customers are facing exorbitant price hikes—sometimes as much as 10x the previous cost—and this shift is pushing businesses to look for new solutions.

Moreover, even those who have been loyal VMware customers are starting to lose trust in Broadcom’s long-term intentions. They are now exploring alternatives that still meet their business needs but come with more predictable pricing and better support.

Platform9 addresses these challenges head-on. We offer a modern, cost-effective alternative, providing enterprises with the same powerful features but without the steep price increases. Our solution is designed to give organizations greater flexibility and control over their infrastructure while reducing costs and mitigating risks.

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Platform9 is focused on building the private cloud of the future. This future isn’t just about virtual machines; it also includes support for GPU workloads, which are becoming essential for modern enterprises, particularly in AI and media industries.

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What’s the long-term vision for Platform9?

We are laser focused on building the private cloud of the future. This future isn’t just about virtual machines; it also includes support for GPU workloads, which are becoming essential for modern enterprises, particularly in AI and media industries.

As GPUs become more critical for workloads such as inference in AI, the cost of using public cloud platforms for GPU-intensive tasks becomes prohibitive. This is where private clouds are regaining their relevance. Businesses now seek the best ROI for their GPU infrastructure, and private clouds are emerging as a compelling solution.

Platform9 is ready to lead the charge. We can offer innovative solutions that optimize GPU and CPU usage and help enterprises to get the most out of their hardware. As AI continues to drive demand for advanced infrastructure, we are well-positioned to meet the growing needs of organizations across industries.

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What exciting developments are on the horizon for Platform9?

One major development is the upcoming release of a community edition of our software, designed for smaller businesses or individuals running virtualization in home labs. We’ll be making some announcements at KubeCon in April, so stay tuned.

We’re also enhancing our industry-leading migration tool, which allows organizations to seamlessly transition from VMware environments to Platform9 without losing IP addresses or downtime. This tool supports live migrations of hundreds of virtual machines in parallel, and exciting updates are on the way in the coming months.

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Can you share your journey to founding Platform9?

Before founding Platform9, my co-founders and I spent many years at VMware, where we played pivotal roles in building VMware’s private cloud stack, including Cloud Director. This experience gave us a direct view into enterprise needs and the virtualization market.

Through our work at VMware, we saw a clear opportunity for innovation in the private cloud space. We envisioned a solution built on open-source technologies that would provide enterprises with the best of both worlds: the simplicity and ease of use of public clouds combined with the control and flexibility of private infrastructure. This vision led to the creation of Platform9.

The name "Platform9" was inspired by the magical “Platform 9 ¾” from the Harry Potter series, where, for those who know the secret, a hidden world of wonder awaits. Similarly, we believe Platform9 represents a gateway to a new era of private cloud computing.

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What motivates you to keep pushing forward despite the challenges of building a startup?

The road to success has certainly been filled with challenges, but two things have helped us stay the course: the strength of our team and our belief in the future of private cloud computing.

Having a reliable, close-knit team that shares the same vision has been invaluable. Over the years, our core team has remained committed to our mission, and the culture we’ve built feels like a family. This camaraderie makes it easier to face challenges head-on.

The second factor is our unwavering belief in the potential of private cloud. While there were moments when it seemed like public cloud would dominate, we’ve always felt that the future of cloud computing is incomplete without a strong private cloud option. With private clouds now back in the spotlight, we’re excited to see our vision validated, and we’re more determined than ever to lead the way.

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How can investors best support an early-stage company like Platform9?

For early-stage companies like ours, having the right investor partnerships is crucial. We came from a technical background and lacked experience in scaling an enterprise business. Investors who can help bridge this gap—whether through introductions to the right enterprise partners, providing strategic guidance on go-to-market strategies, or helping build out a robust team—can make all the difference.

The ideal investor-founder relationship is one that’s collaborative, providing not just financial support but also valuable mentorship and connections to help guide the company to success.

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What are you reading or listening to these days?

Lately, I’ve been diving into podcasts rather than books. As I’ve gotten into road biking, I enjoy listening to shows like Acquired and Hard Fork, which dive deep into business, technology, and industry trends.