NetApp

NetApp operates the NetApp Excellerator, a programme for enterprise technology startups, alongside its principal business as an intelligent data infrastructure company. Founded in 1992 - originally as Network Appliance, Inc. - NetApp is recognised as a Fortune 500 company in cloud data services and data management, and serves organisations globally. For investors and founders in the enterprise stack, the company represents an established corporate counterpart with a formal mechanism for engaging early-stage technology businesses.

The core business covers data storage, data management and cloud data services spanning on-premises and public cloud environments. Its product portfolio includes ONTAP, a data management and storage software platform; StorageGRID, an object storage platform; and Active IQ, a digital advisor for data infrastructure. NetApp pioneered the concept of a unified data fabric, connecting on-premises infrastructure with public cloud services so that data can be managed and moved where it is most economical or performant. The current offering combines unified storage, integrated data services and CloudOps under an intelligent data infrastructure strategy aimed at hybrid cloud modernisation and AI-ready data environments.

Technical domains of relevance to portfolio companies include network-attached storage, hybrid cloud infrastructure, data protection and AI-ready data infrastructure. NetApp's own deployments span sectors from motorsport - including Formula One - to scientific research at CERN and the Large Hadron Collider, as well as general enterprise cloud. The company's stated mission, dating to its founding vision of making network-attached storage accessible and efficient, is to simplify data management and access in networked environments.