Loading organizations...
Key people at Edgewise Networks.
Based in Burlington, Massachusetts, Edgewise Networks develops enterprise network security solutions that protect critical business applications operating across modern cloud environments and traditional data centers. The company provides a specialized cybersecurity platform that utilizes automatic microsegmentation to establish zero-trust environments, which reportedly eliminates up to 98 percent of a system's visible network attack surface. By transcending conventional address-centric controls, the software continuously measures infrastructure vulnerabilities, quantifies overall risk exposure, and recommends specific security policies to maximize operational protection. The venture-backed startup has secured $7 million in initial capital to fund its product development and commercial rollout. This financial backing was provided by a syndicate of institutional investors that includes .406 Ventures, Accomplice, and Pillar VC, alongside individual industry executives from Carbon Black and Veracode. Edgewise Networks was officially founded in 2016 by technology executives Peter Smith and Harry Sverdlove.
Key people at Edgewise Networks.
Edgewise Networks was a cybersecurity startup based in Burlington, Massachusetts, specializing in zero trust auto-segmentation for securing east-west application-to-application communications in public clouds, multi-cloud environments, data centers, and containers.[1][3][4] It built software that fingerprints and verifies the identity of applications, services, and processes using techniques like executable signing, PE header values, CPU serial numbers, and machine learning to automatically generate and enforce policies, reducing the network attack surface by up to 98% without relying on traditional network segmentation or firewalls.[1][2][3][4] Edgewise served enterprises facing lateral movement threats from compromised servers, simplifying operations across Linux distributions, Windows, Kubernetes, Docker, and AWS ECS while delivering provable security outcomes with low latency.[2][3]
The company achieved strong growth momentum through innovative recognition and was acquired by Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZS) in 2020 for an undisclosed amount, integrating its technology into Zscaler's cloud-native platform to enhance application segmentation and zero trust security.[1][3][4]
Edgewise Networks emerged as a pioneer in application identity verification for network security, with CEO Peter Smith leading the company during its key growth phase and acquisition.[1][3] While exact founding details are not specified in available sources, it operated from Burlington, Massachusetts, and developed cybersecurity software focused on protecting data centers and clouds where traditional firewalls fail.[4] The idea stemmed from addressing east-west traffic vulnerabilities—where attackers move laterally post-compromise—using AI/ML-driven discovery of application communication patterns to automate zero trust policies.[1][2]
Early traction built on its "zero trust auto-segmentation" approach, demonstrated in demos segmenting environments in 30 seconds, earning industry accolades as an "all-star" innovator before the pivotal 2020 acquisition by Zscaler, which welcomed the team to broaden its platform.[1][2][3]
Edgewise rode the zero trust security trend amid rising cloud adoption and lateral attack risks, where traditional firewalls fail against east-west threats in multi-cloud/data center setups.[1][3][6] Timing was ideal in the late 2010s/early 2020s, as enterprises shifted to cloud-native architectures needing automated segmentation without performance hits—market forces like increasing breaches and regulatory demands favored identity-based controls over perimeter defenses.[1][2]
Its acquisition by Zscaler amplified influence, embedding ZTID into a leading cloud security platform to disrupt legacy networking, consolidate point products, and secure app-to-app traffic globally, influencing the ecosystem toward provable, automated zero trust.[1][3][6]
Post-2020 acquisition, Edgewise's tech is fully integrated into Zscaler's portfolio, powering enhanced application segmentation for its vast customer base amid ongoing cloud security evolution.[1][3] Next steps likely involve scaling ZTID across Zscaler's Zero Trust Exchange, adapting to AI-driven threats and edge/container growth. Trends like hybrid/multi-cloud expansion and ransomware lateral movement will shape its trajectory, potentially evolving Zscaler's dominance in consolidating security stacks—reinforcing Edgewise's legacy from innovative startup to foundational cloud security pillar.[1][6]
