Cilium
Cilium is a private open-source infrastructure company founded in 2017 in Sunnyvale that provides eBPF-based networking, observability, and security for enterprise cloud-native environments, including AI agent identity controls.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSunnyvale, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Cilium does
Cilium is a private, for-profit open-source infrastructure company headquartered in Sunnyvale, United States, founded in 2017 by Dan Wendlandt and Thomas Graf. The company operates in the enterprise cloud infrastructure segment, building an eBPF-based platform that delivers cloud native networking, observability, and security capabilities. The technology leverages the extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) to provide kernel-level programmability for cloud-native environments, addressing networking, runtime visibility, and security policy enforcement.
The platform includes a proprietary feature called AI Identity Controls, which assigns identities to AI agents and virtual machines, extending Cilium's identity-based security model into AI-driven infrastructure. This positions the product at the intersection of cloud-native networking and emerging AI workload governance. The company employs 51-100 people, consistent with a mid-stage private infrastructure software vendor. The business model is anchored on open-source distribution to enterprise customers; specific pricing, paid tier structure, and customer logos are not publicly disclosed in the available data.
No funding rounds, revenue figures, named enterprise customers, strategic partnerships, executive hires beyond the founders, awards, or certifications are disclosed. The absence of these signals limits visibility into commercial traction, but the technical positioning in eBPF and the early extension into AI workload identity suggest a product-focused company in the operational scaling phase.
Cilium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cilium
- Website
- https://cilium.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Cilium is a private open-source infrastructure company founded in 2017 in Sunnyvale that provides eBPF-based networking, observability, and security for enterprise cloud-native environments, including AI agent identity controls.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cilium industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cloud-Native Networking & Security
- NAICS
- Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud Identity Entitlement Management (CIEM) (HDADADAD)
Keywords
Where Cilium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sunnyvale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Cilium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Cilium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cilium provides an open-source, cloud-native networking, observability, and security platform built on eBPF (Extended Berkeley Packet Filter) technology. It delivers identity-based controls for autonomous agents, AI workloads, and virtual machines within enterprise cloud infrastructure. The platform enables kernel-level visibility, unified security controls, and scalable identity management for Kubernetes and cloud-native environments.
Product overview
Cilium is a single unified open-source platform for cloud-native networking, observability, and security, built on eBPF technology. The platform assigns network-based identities to autonomous agents, AI workloads, and virtual machines to enhance security and enable deep system visibility at enterprise scale.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cilium Cilium is an open-source, cloud-native networking, observability, and security platform built on eBPF technology. It provides identity-based controls for autonomous agents, AI workloads, and virtual machines within enterprise cloud infrastructure, enabling deep system visibility and unified security at scale.
Companies that use Cilium
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Cilium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature2 records
Cilium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves2 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Cilium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Lacework: Lacework offers cloud security and compliance automation across cloud workloads, partially overlapping with Cilium's cloud security positioning for enterprise cloud infrastructure.
- Coralogix: Coralogix provides cloud-native observability and security analytics, partially overlapping with Cilium's observability and log-based monitoring features for modern cloud-native stacks.
Broad incumbents
- Datadog: Datadog is a broad observability and cloud security platform. Its cloud monitoring and security products overlap with Cilium's observability and CNAPP-adjacent capabilities for cloud-native stacks.
- Wiz: Wiz is a leading CNAPP platform covering cloud security posture and identity-related risk. It overlaps with Cilium at the cloud security and entitlement layer for enterprise customers at a broader portfolio level.
- Dynatrace: Dynatrace is a broad observability and AIOps platform with cloud-native monitoring capabilities. It overlaps with Cilium in Kubernetes observability for enterprise cloud environments.
- Palo Alto Networks (Prisma Cloud): Prisma Cloud is Palo Alto's CNAPP offering covering cloud security, compliance, and runtime protection. It competes with Cilium across cloud-native security use cases for large enterprise customers.
Direct peers
- Aqua Security: Aqua Security provides cloud-native application protection (CNAPP) with a focus on Kubernetes workload security. It directly overlaps with Cilium's runtime security and policy enforcement for containerized environments.
- Tigera (Calico): Tigera commercializes Calico, a leading Kubernetes networking and network policy engine. It directly competes with Cilium in the cloud-native networking and security space for Kubernetes environments.
- Sysdig: Sysdig provides cloud-native runtime security (Falco, also eBPF-based) and observability, overlapping significantly with Cilium's security and monitoring capabilities for Kubernetes workloads.
- Isovalent: Isovalent was the original commercial entity behind Cilium before its acquisition by Cisco, and remains the most direct comparable in terms of technology stack and customer base within the eBPF networking ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Cilium social profiles
Digital presenceCilium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cilium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Cilium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cilium 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 Cilium
What does Cilium do?
Cilium provides an open-source, cloud-native networking, observability, and security platform built on eBPF (Extended Berkeley Packet Filter) technology. It delivers identity-based controls for autonomous agents, AI workloads, and virtual machines within enterprise cloud infrastructure. The platform enables kernel-level visibility, unified security controls, and scalable identity management for Kubernetes and cloud-native environments.
Is Cilium a public or private company?
Cilium is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Cilium founded?
Cilium was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Cilium based?
Cilium is headquartered in Sunnyvale, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Cilium's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Lacework and Coralogix. Broad incumbents are Datadog, Wiz, Dynatrace and Palo Alto Networks (Prisma Cloud). Direct peers are Aqua Security, Tigera (Calico), Sysdig and Isovalent.
Does Cilium have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cilium.
What industry is Cilium in?
Cilium's product category is Cloud-Native Networking & Security. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDADADAD, Cloud Identity Entitlement Management (CIEM). Its NAICS code is 561621.