Quobyte
Quobyte is a venture-backed software company that builds a hyperscaler-inspired distributed parallel file system, turning commodity x86/ARM servers into unified, linearly scalable storage for AI, HPC, life-sciences, financial-services, and Kubernetes workloads, sold via a freemium subscription with capacity-based Enterprise contracts to large enterprise customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersSanta Clara, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Quobyte does
Quobyte Inc. is a privately held software company founded in 2013 by ex-Googlers Dr. Björn Kolbeck (CEO) and Dr. Felix Hupfeld (CTO) to commercialize a hyperscaler-inspired distributed parallel file system. Headquartered in Foster City, California with a European office in Munich, the company builds a software-defined storage platform that runs on standard x86 or ARM Linux servers — on-premises, in public clouds (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud), at the edge, or in hybrid environments — and scales linearly from a handful of servers to tens of thousands, from terabytes to exabytes. The product combines a flat single-layer architecture, software-only fault tolerance at data-center scale, multi-protocol access (POSIX, NFS, S3, HDFS, MPI-IO), policy-driven NVMe/HDD tiering in a single namespace, and a 2024 addition called GPU Converged Storage that runs directly on NVIDIA Grace Blackwell, Hopper, and DGX nodes.
The company sells to enterprise customers running AI/ML training and inference, high-performance computing, life-sciences and bioinformatics, financial-services quantitative workloads, and Kubernetes platforms. Named customers include Zoox (Amazon), Siemens Healthineers, STFC's JASMIN supercomputer in the UK, Yahoo Japan, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, UC Davis, Oregon Health & Science University, NEP Norway, Remotely Studio, and 3vGeomatics, with deployments ranging from single-digit petabytes (HudsonAlpha ~9 PB) to 90 PB (STFC). The business model is a freemium software subscription: a Free Edition with capacity caps (150 TB HDD + 30 TB SSD) for self-serve evaluation, and an Enterprise Edition with unlimited capacity, 24/7 support, and capacity-based pricing on multi-year contracts. Go-to-market blends direct enterprise field sales, a global channel reseller network, technology alliances with NVIDIA and major hardware OEMs (Supermicro, Dell, Lenovo, Gigabyte), and product-led growth through free download and online hardware/savings configurators. Quobyte is venture-backed by HTGF, Target Partners, Alstin Capital, and Samsung Catalyst Fund, with co-founders retaining leadership and the company operating with a small team (11–50 employees).
Quobyte firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Quobyte
- Legal name
- Quobyte Inc.
- Website
- https://quobyte.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Quobyte is a venture-backed software company that builds a hyperscaler-inspired distributed parallel file system, turning commodity x86/ARM servers into unified, linearly scalable storage for AI, HPC, life-sciences, financial-services, and Kubernetes workloads, sold via a freemium subscription with capacity-based Enterprise contracts to large enterprise customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Quobyte industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Software-Defined Storage
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Storage Virtualization & Software-Defined Storage (SDS) (HDABAEAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- HPC Storage & Parallel File Systems (Lustre/GPFS/Object) (HDACAOAF), Cloud Storage Core Services (Object/Block/File Storage as a Service) (HDABAAAK)
Keywords
Where Quobyte is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Clara
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Quobyte business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Storage Licensing (Subscription-based): Quobyte generates revenue through software licensing of its distributed parallel file system. Two editions: Free Edition (limited capacity, community forum support) and Enterprise Edition (unlimited capacity, 24/7 support via email, phone, Zoom). Pricing is capacity-based for Enterprise, with multi-year contract options implied by the Enterprise tier's structure.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Edition — up to 150 TB HDD + 30 TB SSD |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Enterprise Edition — Unlimited capacity with 24/7 support |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Quobyte product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Quobyte sells a software-defined distributed parallel file system that turns commodity x86 or ARM servers into a unified, linearly scalable storage platform. Its flagship Quobyte Data Center File System delivers AI-ready performance, bulletproof resiliency, and smartphone-like operational simplicity for AI training, HPC, life sciences, financial services, and Kubernetes workloads. The product is sold as a free edition and as an enterprise subscription with 24/7 support.
Product overview
Quobyte is a software-defined parallel file system positioned as 'Storage Architected for AI.' The core product is the Quobyte Data Center File System, which combines hyperscaler-inspired architecture with enterprise features. The portfolio includes core capabilities organized around AI-Ready Performance, Bulletproof Resiliency, and Smartphone Simplicity, along with specialized modules like GPU Converged Storage (which runs storage directly on GPU nodes), Open and Observable (monitoring/observability), and Native Multi-Tenancy. Quobyte offers industry-specific solutions for AI/ML, HPC, Financial Services, Life Sciences, and Kubernetes. The product supports hybrid storage combining NVMe flash and HDD in a single architecture. Two pricing tiers are available: a Free Edition (150 TB HDD + 30 TB SSD) and an Enterprise Edition (unlimited with 24/7 support).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Quobyte Data Center File System Software-defined parallel file system built on hyperscaler-inspired architecture, delivering linearly scalable performance, bulletproof resiliency, and operational simplicity for AI, HPC, and enterprise workloads. Runs on any x86 or ARM server on-prem, in cloud, or hybrid.
- GPU Converged Storage Storage software that runs directly on GPU nodes (NVIDIA Grace Blackwell, Hopper, DGX H100/H200/B100), turning local CPU and NVMe resources into a distributed, high-performance storage layer. Targets up to 78% lower TCO and 87% lower power consumption versus external storage appliances.
Quantifiable outcome
- Zoox scaled from 2 PB to 30+ PB of AI training storage, serving tens of thousands of clients
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Quobyte
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Quobyte technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability5 records
Feature12 records
Quobyte partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NVIDIAcoreQuobyte GPU Converged Storage runs natively on NVIDIA GPU nodes including Grace Blackwell and Hopper architectures. Quobyte participates in NVIDIA GTC events. The product is optimized for DGX systems (B100, H200, H100) and InfiniBand networking.
- SupermicrocoreSupermicro is featured prominently in Quobyte's Hardware Configurator with multiple server options including CloudDC A+ Server (1U, 10 NVMe), Storage A+ Server (2U, 24 HDDs, 4 NVMe), and SuperServer 60 (4U, 60 HDDs, 4 NVMe).
- LenovocoreLenovo ThinkSystem servers featured in Quobyte's Hardware Configurator: SR635 V3 (1U, 10 NVMe) and SR655 V3 (2U, 24 NVMe), plus Dell PowerEdge options.
- Dell TechnologiescoreDell PowerEdge servers (R6715 1U 16 E3.S NVMe, R760xd2 2U 24 HDDs 4 NVMe) featured in Quobyte's Hardware Configurator as validated hardware options.
- GigabytecoreGigabyte servers (R163-ZG6-AAL2 1U 16 NVMe, S472-Z30 10 NVMe 42 HDD) featured in Quobyte's Hardware Configurator.
- AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreQuobyte is validated to run on AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud. Zoox serves tens of thousands of clients via AWS using Quobyte clusters. Listed as supported platform in product editions features matrix.
- Microsoft AzurecoreQuobyte runs on Azure as part of its Deploy Anywhere strategy. Listed as supported cloud platform alongside AWS, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud.
- Google CloudcoreQuobyte is validated to run on Google Cloud as part of its multi-cloud Deploy Anywhere strategy.
- Oracle CloudcoreQuobyte runs on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure as part of its cloud-agnostic deployment model.
- OpenStack (Cinder/Manila)coreQuobyte provides backend storage for OpenStack Cinder (block) and Manila (file) services. Yahoo Japan uses Quobyte as backend for its private cloud built on 70+ OpenStack clusters.
- Kubernetes / CSI DrivercoreQuobyte offers a Kubernetes CSI driver (github.com/quobyte/quobyte-csi-driver) and Helm chart for automated cluster installation. Among first storage vendors to offer a Kubernetes driver (since 2016). Maps Kubernetes namespaces to Quobyte tenants automatically.
- Prometheus / GrafanacoreQuobyte provides built-in Prometheus exporters for all services and clients, plus pre-built Grafana dashboards for real-time storage monitoring. Integrates with Consul API for automated service discovery.
- InfiniBand / RoCE / OmniPathcoreQuobyte supports RDMA over Ethernet/RoCE, InfiniBand, and OmniPath for high-performance low-latency networking. Siemens Healthineers uses 200 GBps InfiniBand networking. Clusters can operate in mixed TCP/RDMA mode.
- ExagridminorExagrid is listed as a Quobyte reseller partner on the Partnerships page, helping customers find infrastructure fit.
- SysElevenminorSysEleven, Germany-based managed hosting provider, is a Quobyte reseller. Case study referenced on the customers page. Germany's most innovative managed hosting provider with public cloud infrastructure.
Scale indicators21 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Quobyte competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- NetApp: Enterprise storage incumbent with ONTAP and NFS offerings widely deployed in enterprise AI and analytics. NetApp competes with Quobyte in NFS/file and hybrid storage, but as part of a much broader portfolio including block, backup, and cloud data services.
- Dell Technologies (PowerScale): PowerScale (formerly Isilon) is Dell's scale-out NAS platform used for AI, HPC, and large-scale research. Dell competes with Quobyte in unified scale-out file storage and is also a hardware partner validating Quobyte deployments.
- IBM Spectrum Scale (GPFS): IBM's high-performance parallel file system used in many of the world's largest HPC and research environments. GPFS competes with Quobyte in HPC parallel file system deployments, particularly at national labs and academic supercomputing centers like STFC.
- Pure Storage: Enterprise all-flash storage vendor with growing AI infrastructure offerings. Pure Storage competes with Quobyte's flash-tier performance positioning, particularly for AI and analytics workloads, but as part of a broader enterprise storage portfolio.
Direct peers
- VAST Data: Universal storage platform purpose-built for AI and large-scale unstructured data. VAST competes directly with Quobyte in high-performance file and object storage for AI/HPC workloads, with overlapping target buyers (AI training, research, HPC).
- WekaIO (Weka): AI-native data platform built on a parallel file system for GPU-accelerated workloads. Weka targets the same AI training and HPC customers as Quobyte, with comparable claims around GPU utilization and scale-out performance.
- MinIO: Open-source, S3-compatible object storage widely deployed for AI/ML data lakes and Kubernetes. MinIO competes with Quobyte's object storage capabilities, particularly in cost-sensitive AI pipelines and cloud-native deployments.
- DDN (DataDirect Networks): Specialist in high-performance storage for AI, HPC, and large-scale research environments. DDN's EXAScaler and AI400 product lines compete directly with Quobyte in HPC and AI training storage, with a long-standing presence in national labs and supercomputing centers.
- Cloudian: S3-compatible object storage platform deployed at large scale for AI, backup, and media workflows. Cloudian overlaps with Quobyte's object storage capabilities and large-capacity enterprise use cases.
Emerging players
- Panasas: HPC-focused parallel file system vendor (ActiveStor) targeting engineering and research workloads. Panasas overlaps with Quobyte's HPC vertical and competes for similar academic and national lab customers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Quobyte social profiles
Digital presenceQuobyte financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Quobyte leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Quobyte funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Quobyte 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 Quobyte
What does Quobyte do?
Quobyte sells a software-defined distributed parallel file system that turns commodity x86 or ARM servers into a unified, linearly scalable storage platform. Its flagship Quobyte Data Center File System delivers AI-ready performance, bulletproof resiliency, and smartphone-like operational simplicity for AI training, HPC, life sciences, financial services, and Kubernetes workloads. The product is sold as a free edition and as an enterprise subscription with 24/7 support.
Is Quobyte a public or private company?
Quobyte is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Quobyte founded?
Quobyte was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Quobyte based?
Quobyte is headquartered in Santa Clara, United States, in the North America region.
How does Quobyte make money?
One revenue line is on record: software Storage Licensing (Subscription-based).
Who are Quobyte's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are NetApp, Dell Technologies (PowerScale), IBM Spectrum Scale (GPFS) and Pure Storage. Direct peers are VAST Data, WekaIO (Weka), MinIO, DDN (DataDirect Networks) and Cloudian. Panasas is listed as an emerging player.
Does Quobyte have an API?
Yes. Quobyte provides a JSON REST API that gives full control over the cluster for monitoring and automation. All Quobyte services and clients have built-in Prometheus exporters, and Quobyte also implements the Consul API for automated service and client discovery. The API is designed as an 'API first' open system where everything from simple tasks to complex configurations is controlled through a fully accessible API. Developer documentation is at www.quobyte.com/product/observability.
What industry is Quobyte in?
Quobyte's product category is Software-Defined Storage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABAEAF, Storage Virtualization & Software-Defined Storage (SDS), with a secondary code of HDACAOAF, HPC Storage & Parallel File Systems (Lustre/GPFS/Object). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.