Alkira
Alkira is a cloud-native Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS) provider delivering programmable multi-cloud networking and integrated security to large enterprises across financial services, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and media via globally distributed Cloud Exchange Points requiring no customer-side hardware.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSan Jose, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Alkira does
Alkira, founded in 2018 by Amir Khan and Atif Khan and headquartered in San Jose, California, is a Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS) company that delivers cloud-native, programmable multi-cloud networking and integrated security to large enterprises. Its core platform is delivered entirely as a service via globally distributed Cloud Exchange Points (CXPs), with no hardware or software deployed on the customer side, enabling single-click provisioning of connectivity across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, data centers, branches, and partner environments. The platform unifies north-south (premises-to-cloud) and east-west (cloud-to-cloud, data center-to-data center) connectivity under a single programmable control plane, and embeds integrated network and security services (firewalls from Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Check Point, and Cisco; F5 load balancing; Infoblox DDI) alongside Zero Trust Network Access capabilities added in October 2024.
Alkira monetizes through a subscription-based NIaaS model with quote-based pricing, offering customers a choice between consumption (pay-as-you-go) and commitment (annual or multi-year) billing. The company sells primarily via enterprise field sales and a growing channel through the Connect Partner Program (launched March 2026), targeting verticals such as financial services, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, media, and technology. Named enterprise customers span Michaels, Koch Business Solutions, Fortune 10 healthcare, Fortune 500 insurance, Infor, SITA, S&P Global, Warner Music Group, and Organon, among others, with documented outcomes including 40% cost savings, 96% faster cloud network deployment, and 91% faster partner onboarding. Total funding raised exceeds $184 million across rounds including a $100 million Series C in January 2024 from Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital, and Kleiner Perkins.
On May 5, 2026, Lumen Technologies announced an agreement to acquire Alkira for $475 million in an all-cash transaction expected to close in Q3 2026, pending regulatory approvals. The acquisition pairs Lumen's U.S. fiber network infrastructure with Alkira's cloud-native NaaS control plane, expanding the combined addressable market to approximately $70 billion. Until close, Alkira continues to operate independently, with recent product expansion into Load Balancer-as-a-Service, China Connectivity via CBC Tech, and AI-powered networking tooling through Alkira MCP and Alkira NIA.
Alkira firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alkira
- Legal name
- Alkira, Inc.
- Website
- https://alkira.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Alkira is a cloud-native Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS) provider delivering programmable multi-cloud networking and integrated security to large enterprises across financial services, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and media via globally distributed Cloud Exchange Points requiring no customer-side hardware.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alkira industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cloud Networking / Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- NaaS Connectivity Services (On-Demand VPN, SD-WAN-as-a-Service, Bandwidth-on-Demand) (HDAIAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Virtualized Security & SASE for Telco Networks (vFW, vDDoS, vSEC, Secure Edge) (HDAIAIAK), Edge Networking & SD-WAN Integration (SASE/SD-WAN Edge On-ramps) (HDABAGAJ), Private Cloud Networking & SDN/NFV Management (HDABABAK), Cloud Landing Zone & Architecture (Network, IAM, Governance) (BPAEACAE)
Keywords
Where Alkira is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Jose
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Alkira business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS) Subscription: Alkira generates revenue through a subscription-based Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service model. Pricing is based on the quantity and size of network and security elements offered, including Cloud Exchange Points, cloud and on-premises connectors, next-generation firewalls, and data egress. The company offers flexible consumption and commitment pricing models. As a cloud-delivered service, there is no hardware or software to purchase upfront (CAPEX-free), with customers paying for what they use on an operational expense basis.
- Global Backbone-as-a-Service: Revenue generated from providing global backbone connectivity services, enabling enterprises to replace legacy MPLS and VPNs with on-demand encrypted global networking across Alkira's Cloud Exchange Points.
- Integrated Security Services: Revenue from integrated network security services including next-generation firewalls (Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Check Point, Cisco), load balancing (F5), and DDI (Infoblox), delivered as part of the unified NIaaS platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Consumption-based pricing (Pay-as-you-go) |
| Subscription | Annual | Commitment-based pricing (Annual/Multi-year) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Alkira product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alkira provides a cloud-native Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS) platform that enables enterprises to design, deploy, and operate connectivity and network services across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. The platform is delivered entirely as-a-service via globally distributed Cloud Exchange Points (CXPs), with no hardware or software required on the customer side, and bundles networking, security (firewalls, ZTNA, load balancing, DDI), and AI-driven network operations into a single programmable fabric.
Product overview
Alkira's product portfolio is organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture built around its core Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS) platform. The NIaaS platform — delivered via globally distributed Cloud Exchange Points (CXPs) — serves as the foundational programmable connectivity fabric, providing single-click provisioning, built-in security, and elastic scaling without hardware or software deployment. Customers can extend the core platform with purpose-built modules including: Single/Multicloud and Hybrid Cloud Networking (core connectivity across AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI); Integrated Security and Network Services (integrated firewalls from Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Check Point, and Cisco; F5 load balancers; Infoblox DDI); Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA for user-to-app, app-to-app, and user-to-internet); Global Backbone-as-a-Service (global MPLS replacement via CXPs); Business Partner Connectivity (partner onboarding and M&A integration); China Connectivity (CXP in China via CBC Tech partnership); and AI-powered tools — Alkira MCP and Alkira NIA — enabling natural language and autonomous agent interactions with the network fabric. Alkira also operates the Connect Partner Program as a services-led channel sub-brand for GSIs and MSPs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Alkira Connect: A channel partner program designed to help partners monetize high-value services related to networking and AI infrastructure challenges. The program offers standardized service offerings, better margins with bonus payouts, quarterly rebates, and access to a pipeline fund for marketing.
Products and services
- Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS) Alkira's primary cloud-delivered networking platform that enables enterprises to design, deploy, and operate connectivity and network services across hybrid and multi-cloud environments via globally distributed Cloud Exchange Points, with single-click provisioning, built-in security, and no hardware or software deployment required.
- Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) Cloud-delivered zero-trust security solution providing dynamic, identity-based access across user-to-app, app-to-app, and user-to-internet communications, extending least-privilege principles and continuous verification across the enterprise network. Supports HIPAA and GDPR compliance.
- Integrated Security and Network Services Unified security and networking solution that integrates next-generation firewalls from Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Check Point, and Cisco, F5 load balancers, and Infoblox DDI services into a single cloud-delivered architecture within the NIaaS platform.
- Global Backbone-as-a-Service Cloud-native global backbone solution leveraging Alkira Cloud Exchange Points (CXPs) for encrypted, low-latency connectivity across regions, replacing legacy VPNs and MPLS with faster, cost-effective on-demand global networking.
- Business Partner Connectivity Secure, segmented connectivity solution that enables enterprises to quickly onboard business partners through a portal interface, supporting M&A integration, private connectivity, and automated partner provisioning with advanced NAT policies for overlapping IP addresses.
- Multicloud and Hybrid Cloud Networking Core connectivity module enabling enterprises to connect users and applications across AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI, on-premises data centers, and WAN environments, supporting single cloud, multi-cloud, and hybrid cloud architectures.
- China Connectivity Specialized connectivity solution for China's regulated market, delivered via Alkira's Cloud Exchange Point (CXP) in partnership with CBC Tech, enabling enterprises to extend a unified global cloud backbone into China without deploying hardware or agents.
- Load Balancer-as-a-Service Cloud-native load balancing service offering simplified, scalable load balancing across cloud and on-premises environments, leveraging F5 Application Delivery Controllers integrated into Alkira's network fabric.
- Alkira Cloud Exchange Points (CXPs) Globally distributed Cloud Exchange Points that serve as the foundational interconnection hubs of the NIaaS platform, delivering encrypted, low-latency connectivity across regions, clouds, data centers, and partner environments worldwide.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,261% revenue growth over three years (fiscal year 2025)
- +13 more outcomes
Companies that use Alkira
Customer profileNamed customers29 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Alkira technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration18 records
AI capability6 records
Feature10 records
Alkira partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreAWS and Alkira partnership enables enterprises to confidently move applications from on-premises to the cloud through Alkira's Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service. Alkira is listed on AWS Marketplace. The partnership leverages AWS cloud infrastructure as part of Alkira's multi-cloud networking platform.
- Microsoft AzurecoreMicrosoft Azure and Alkira partnership connects new businesses and delivers Alkira's NIaaS to Azure customers. Alkira is available on Azure Marketplace. The partnership supports Azure customers' multi-cloud and hybrid cloud networking needs.
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP)coreAlkira and Google Cloud partnership accelerates cloud adoption, enabling enterprises to move applications to GCP with confidence. Alkira is available on Google Cloud Marketplace. The partnership supports GCP-ready environments as part of Alkira's multi-cloud connectivity offering.
- Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)coreOracle and Alkira partnership simplifies multicloud networking, ensuring secure connectivity for OCI workloads. Alkira supports Oracle Cloud alongside AWS, Azure, and GCP as part of its multi-cloud networking fabric.
- Palo Alto NetworkscorePalo Alto Networks integrates its VM-Series Firewalls into Alkira's Cloud Services Exchange, maintaining enterprise-grade security for cloud applications. The partnership provides auto-scalable, next-generation cloud firewall protection across Alkira's global network fabric.
- FortinetcoreFortinet solutions integrate seamlessly with Alkira's Cloud Networking platform, enabling quick and easy deployment of next-generation firewall security within Alkira's network fabric.
- Check Point Software TechnologiescoreCheck Point and Alkira joint solution integrates CloudGuard security into global hybrid and multicloud networks, enabling auto-scalable, next-generation protection across Alkira's Cloud Exchange Points.
- CiscocoreCisco and Alkira combine to provide enterprises with agile networking and enhanced multi-cloud security. The partnership integrates Cisco's networking and security technologies with Alkira's cloud-native platform.
- F5 NetworkscoreThe Alkira-F5 technology integration provides a unified Load Balancer-as-a-Service, simplifying multicloud traffic management by leveraging F5 Application Delivery Controllers within Alkira's cloud networking platform.
- InfobloxcoreAlkira partnered with Infoblox to deliver comprehensive NIaaS solutions simplifying enterprise networking and security across hybrid cloud environments. The joint solution deploys Infoblox's DNS, DHCP, and IP Address Management (DDI) services along with advanced DNS security within Alkira's Cloud Exchange Points.
- CBC TechcoreAlkira partnered with CBC Tech to deliver secure, compliant, and high-performance connectivity between China and the rest of the world. CBC Tech's licensed, cross-border platform leverages multiple major Chinese carriers for resiliency and optimized performance. This partnership enables Alkira's Cloud Exchange Point to be available in China.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Alkira competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aviatrix: Aviatrix offers a cloud network platform that provides multi-cloud networking, transit, and security for AWS, Azure, GCP, and OCI — the most direct competitor to Alkira's multi-cloud NIaaS fabric with similar enterprise customer targeting.
- Versa Networks: Versa Networks delivers a unified SASE platform combining SD-WAN, security, and zero-trust networking as a service for enterprises — closely aligned with Alkira's NIaaS-plus-ZTNA positioning and target mid-to-large enterprise customer.
Broad incumbents
- Cisco (Catalyst SD-WAN / Cisco Networking Cloud): Cisco is a broad incumbent in enterprise networking with SD-WAN, multi-cloud connectivity, and security products that overlap with Alkira's NIaaS offering. Alkira's enterprise customers frequently replace Cisco/MPLS-based solutions, making Cisco the primary displaced vendor.
- VMware (NSX / VeloCloud SD-WAN): VMware's NSX and VeloCloud SD-WAN provide multi-cloud networking and overlay networking comparable to Alkira's NIaaS. VMware's broad virtualization portfolio and Broadcom ownership position it as a major incumbent Alkira competes against.
- HPE Aruba Networking: HPE Aruba offers SD-WAN, edge-to-cloud networking, and AI-driven operations (via Juniper integration) overlapping Alkira's enterprise networking and partner ecosystem. Alkira has a formal technology partnership with Aruba.
- Fortinet (FortiGate / FortiCloud): Fortinet provides secure SD-WAN, next-generation firewalls, and cloud-delivered security integrated across cloud and on-prem — overlapping with Alkira's Integrated Security and Network Services offering. Alkira has a core technology integration with Fortinet.
- Palo Alto Networks (Prisma / Strata Cloud Manager): Palo Alto Networks' Prisma SASE and Strata Cloud Manager deliver cloud-delivered networking and zero-trust security directly comparable to Alkira's ZTNA and integrated security offerings. Alkira integrates Palo Alto VM-Series firewalls into its CXP fabric.
- Arista Networks: Arista Networks provides cloud networking and high-performance data center networking hardware/software solutions. While primarily hardware-centric, Arista's Extensible Operating System (EOS) and cloud-grade routing compete for the same enterprise networking modernization budgets.
Emerging players
- Equinix Network Edge / Equinix Fabric: Equinix Fabric and Network Edge provide on-demand, software-defined interconnection and virtual networking services across global data centers — partially overlapping with Alkira's CXP-based multi-cloud connectivity model for enterprises.
- Cloudflare (Magic WAN / Network Services): Cloudflare's Magic WAN, Magic Transit, and Cloudflare One SASE platform offer cloud-delivered enterprise networking and zero-trust access as a service. Cloudflare's edge network and developer-friendly positioning make it an emerging alternative to Alkira's NaaS for cloud-first enterprises.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Alkira social profiles
Digital presenceAlkira compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Alkira financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alkira leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Alkira funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alkira M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Alkira
What does Alkira do?
Alkira provides a cloud-native Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS) platform that enables enterprises to design, deploy, and operate connectivity and network services across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. The platform is delivered entirely as-a-service via globally distributed Cloud Exchange Points (CXPs), with no hardware or software required on the customer side, and bundles networking, security (firewalls, ZTNA, load balancing, DDI), and AI-driven network operations into a single programmable fabric.
Is Alkira a public or private company?
Alkira is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Alkira founded?
Alkira was founded in 2018. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Alkira based?
Alkira is headquartered in San Jose, United States, in the North America region.
How does Alkira make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS) Subscription is the primary driver. The others are global Backbone-as-a-Service and integrated Security Services.
Who are Alkira's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aviatrix and Versa Networks. Broad incumbents are Cisco (Catalyst SD-WAN / Cisco Networking Cloud), VMware (NSX / VeloCloud SD-WAN), HPE Aruba Networking, Fortinet (FortiGate / FortiCloud), Palo Alto Networks (Prisma / Strata Cloud Manager) and Arista Networks. Emerging players are Equinix Network Edge / Equinix Fabric and Cloudflare (Magic WAN / Network Services).
Does Alkira have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alkira.
What industry is Alkira in?
Alkira's product category is Cloud Networking / Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAIAH, NaaS Connectivity Services (On-Demand VPN, SD-WAN-as-a-Service, Bandwidth-on-Demand), with a secondary code of HDAIAIAK, Virtualized Security & SASE for Telco Networks (vFW, vDDoS, vSEC, Secure Edge). Its NAICS code is 541512 and its SIC code is 7373.