What ZStack does

ZStack (云轴科技, legal entity Shanghai Yunzhou Technology Co., Ltd. / 上海云轴科技股份有限公司) is a Shanghai-headquartered cloud infrastructure software vendor founded in 2015 by Zhang Xin. The company sells a full-stack software platform spanning virtualization (ZSphere, ZVF), private/hybrid cloud (ZCF), hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI), container cloud (Zaku), distributed storage (ZStone/SDS), networking (ZNS), multi-cloud management (CMP), database-as-a-service (RDS), and enterprise AI infrastructure (AIOS 智塔). All products share a common architecture built around the "4S" design principles (Simple, Strong, Scalable, Smart) and are engineered to support heterogeneous compute (x86, ARM, loongarch, SW64) across eight certified chip platforms plus domestic OS stacks (Kylin, Euler), enabling hardware reuse during migrations from VMware or other legacy environments.

The company operates a primarily enterprise field-sales and Partner-First channel model targeting government, finance/banking, energy, manufacturing, healthcare, education, transportation, telecom/carrier, broadcasting, and internet verticals in 30+ countries. Revenue is generated through flexible software licensing (per CPU core, per physical server, or subscription), professional services for VMware migration and AI infrastructure deployment, MIIT-co-issued training and certification (ZCCE, ZCCA), and bundled hardware appliances (Cube HCI, Mini edge). The company reports 5,000+ enterprise customers, 1,000+ successful VMware replacement projects, 400+ ecosystem certifications, and analyst recognition including TOP5 / No.1 independent cloud vendor in IDC China cloud system software and Gartner representative vendor for server virtualization and AI infrastructure.

In January 2026, Alibaba Cloud completed a further strategic investment and achieved a controlling interest in ZStack, making the company a controlled subsidiary of Alibaba Group while preserving product-level independence. ZStack positions itself as a core partner in Alibaba Cloud's hybrid and private-cloud strategy and operates a Global Service Center from Kuala Lumpur (opened July 2026) for Southeast Asia and APAC support. The firmographic count of 27 employees as supplied is inconsistent with the stated 5,000+ enterprise customer base, 30+ country footprint, and multiple product lines; this is flagged as a data quality issue rather than treated as ground truth.

Name

ZStack

Legal name

上海云轴科技股份有限公司

Website

https://zstack.org.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ZStack (云轴科技) is a Shanghai-based cloud infrastructure software vendor founded in 2015, now under Alibaba Cloud's controlling interest, providing virtualization, private cloud, HCI, container, storage, and AI infrastructure platforms to 5,000+ enterprise customers across 30+ countries, with strong positioning in VMware replacement and China localization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud Infrastructure Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (51321), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Hybrid Cloud Compute & Virtualization Stack (HCI/VMs/Kubernetes) (HDABAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtualized Security & SASE for Telco Networks (vFW, vDDoS, vSEC, Secure Edge) (HDAIAIAK)

Keywords

• Cloud infrastructure software
• Private cloud platform
• VMware replacement solutions
• AI infrastructure platform
• Hyperconverged infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: ZStack sells software licenses for ZSphere virtualization, ZCF cloud platform, Zaku container platform, HCI, and AIOS. Flexible licensing models: per CPU core, per physical server, or subscription-based. Supports both perpetual and subscription models. Hardware reuse capability reduces customer migration costs, supporting land-and-expand motion.
2. Professional Services: Implementation, migration, and technical support services for VMware replacement projects, cloud deployment, and AI infrastructure setup. Includes pre-sales consultation, POC validation, migration execution, and long-term operational support through global service centers.
3. Training and Certification: ZStack & MIIT Talent Exchange Center jointly issue certificates for cloud computing and AI industry professionals. Training courses cover ZCCE (ZStack Certified Cloud Engineer) and ZCCA (ZStack Certified Architect) certifications. Training partners can join through the website.
4. Hardware Appliance Sales (Cube/HCI): ZStack Cube hyperconverged appliances provide integrated hardware-software solutions. Available in flagship, virtualization, dual-engine, and AI versions. 3-node minimum deployment, 4-hour online scaling capability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ZStack provides full-stack cloud infrastructure software for enterprises, covering virtualization (ZSphere/ZVF), cloud platform (ZCF), container cloud (Zaku), distributed storage (ZStone/SDS), hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI/Cube), and AI infrastructure (AIOS). The platform enables VMware replacement, private cloud deployment, hybrid cloud connectivity, and GPU-based AI workloads, with 4S design principles (Simple, Strong, Scalable, Smart) and broad hardware ecosystem compatibility.

Product overview

ZStack（云轴科技）是智算时代云基础软件提供商，产品覆盖从云基础平台到AI智算的全场景，提供四大核心产品线：ZCF云平台（私有云/混合云）、ZVF虚拟化平台（VMware替代）、AIOS智塔（AI基础设施）、HCI超融合基础设施。ZStack产品矩阵还包括Zaku容器云平台（云原生）、SDS分布式存储、ZNS网络服务、CMP多云管理平台、ZLR企业级容灾、RDS数据库云平台等模块，以及ZStack Mini边缘计算一体机和ZStack Cube超融合一体机等软硬一体产品。这些产品共享同一技术架构，企业可从ZVF完成VMware替代后平滑演进到云平台、再到AI智算。ZStack以简单（Simple）、健壮（Strong）、弹性（Scalable）、智能（Smart）的4S产品理念，服务全球5000+企业客户，覆盖30+国家和地区。

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZCF (ZStack Cloud Foundation): Full-stack integrated private cloud platform for enterprise, providing unified management of compute, storage, network, containers, and security.
• ZVF (ZStack Virtualization Foundation)
• AIOS 智塔 (AI Infrastructure Platform)
• HCI 超融合基础设施 (Hyperconverged Infrastructure)
• ZStack ZSphere
• ZStack Zaku
• ZStack SDS
• ZStack CMP (Multi-Cloud Management Platform)
• ZStack ZNS
• ZStack ZLR
• ZStack RDS
• ZStack Mini
• ZStack ZMigrate

Products and services

• ZCF Cloud Platform (ZStack Cloud Foundation) Full-stack integrated private cloud platform for enterprises that unifies compute, storage, network, containers, and security into one software-defined platform with unified portal, operations, and authentication management.
• ZVF Virtualization Platform (ZStack Virtualization Foundation) Modular virtualization infrastructure platform for enterprise critical business using ZSphere as the virtualization substrate. Designed to replace VMware with comparable HA, DRS, vMotion, and live migration capabilities.
• AIOS Zhitai (AIOS 智塔) - AI Infrastructure Platform Enterprise private AI infrastructure integrated platform supporting GPU pooling and heterogeneous scheduling, DeepSeek/Llama model lifecycle management, RAG, AI agents, and 5-minute private deployment. Improves GPU utilization from 30% to 70%+.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% TCO savings vs VMware replacement in typical scenarios
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

AI capability11 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• CommvaultcoreTechnology or IntegrationZStack has completed integration support for Commvault, expanding data protection ecosystem. Commvault recognized as Leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for Backup and Data Protection Platform 2026.
• Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Talent Exchange Center (工信人才)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZStack and MIIT Talent Exchange Center jointly build cloud computing and AI industry talent base. Joint certification programs (ZCCE, ZCCA) for cloud computing professionals. Upgraded training system cultivating compound talents for digital economy.
• X86 Chip Ecosystem Partners (Intel, AMD)coreTechnology or IntegrationZStack ZSphere certified compatible with Intel and AMD processors including multi-generation support (e.g., Intel 3rd Gen Ice Lake-SP and later). Enables hardware reuse of existing x86 servers.
• Domestic Chip Partners (Hygon/海光, Kunpeng/鲲鹏, Phytium/飞腾, Zhaoxin/兆芯, Shenwei/申威, Longxin/龙芯)coreTechnology or IntegrationZStack supports full-stack domestic chip ecosystem with certified compatibility. First batch to pass Trusted Cloud multi-architecture advanced certification. Supports four architectures (x86, ARM, loongarch, SW64) and eight chip platforms.
• OS Partners (Kylin/麒麟, Euler/欧拉, Ubuntu, CentOS, Windows)coreTechnology or IntegrationZStack certified compatible with major operating systems including domestic Kylin and Euler OS, and international Ubuntu, CentOS, Windows Server. Over 400 total ecosystem certifications.
• GPU Partners (NVIDIA, Ascend/昇腾, Haiguang/海光, Hanguang/燧原)coreTechnology or IntegrationZStack AIOS platform supports heterogeneous GPU scheduling across NVIDIA, Ascend, Haiguang, and Hanguang chips. Enables unified GPU resource pooling and scheduling for AI workloads.
• Storage Partners (HPE, IBM, NetApp, Dell, Huawei)majorTechnology or IntegrationZStack ZSphere and ZCF platforms certified compatible with major enterprise storage systems from HPE, IBM, NetApp, Dell, Huawei. Supports FC, iSCSI, NVMe-oF protocols. Enables SAN storage reuse during VMware migration.
• Open Source CommunitycoreTechnology or IntegrationZStack contributes to and leverages open source technologies. ZStone distributed storage based on Ceph with deep optimization. ZStack Cloud built on open architecture with API-first design.
• KL Eco City (KL Eco City)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZStack Malaysia office located at KL Eco City in Kuala Lumpur. Partnership enables ZStack to establish strategic hub in ASEAN region.
• Veritas, Red HatmajorTechnology or IntegrationZStack completed ecosystem compatibility certifications with international software vendors Veritas and Red Hat, enabling VMware replacement without adaptation pressure.
• Cambodia Digital Government Committee (DGC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambodia DGC Secretary General H.E. CHEA Sereyvath visited ZStack for digital government and AI infrastructure exchange. Deepened cooperation in government AI strategy deployment and public service digital transformation.
• Brazil AI DelegationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian AI delegation of 29 members visited ZStack during WAIC 2026. Exchanged on government AI strategy, public service digital transformation, AI system utilization, and AI governance.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• VMware (Broadcom): VMware/Broadcom is the incumbent that ZStack most directly targets with its VMware-replacement go-to-market. It is comparable as the dominant server virtualization and private cloud platform, defining the feature bar (vMotion, HA, DRS) that ZStack replicates in ZSphere.
• Huawei (FusionSphere / HCS): Huawei is a broad incumbent competitor in the Chinese enterprise cloud infrastructure market, with FusionSphere virtualization, HCS hybrid cloud, and Kunpeng-based solutions overlapping directly with ZStack's full-stack offerings, especially in government and telecom.
• Red Hat (OpenShift Virtualization / OpenStack): Red Hat competes with ZStack on the container/Kubernetes (Zaku vs OpenShift) and virtualization layers (OpenShift Virtualization). It targets similar enterprise buyers seeking open-source-based cloud infrastructure with strong ecosystem support.
• H3C (New H3C Group): H3C is a broad incumbent in Chinese enterprise server virtualization, hyperconverged, and cloud infrastructure (CAS, UIS). It competes with ZStack across government, education, and telecom accounts with bundled hardware plus software offerings.
• Microsoft (Azure Stack HCI / Hyper-V): Microsoft competes with ZStack at the virtualization (Hyper-V) and hybrid cloud (Azure Stack HCI) layers for global enterprises, particularly those seeking integrated Azure management — a comparable value proposition to ZStack's ZCF + CMP.

Direct peers

• Sangfor Technologies: Sangfor is a direct peer in the Chinese enterprise infrastructure market, offering hyperconverged, virtualization, and cloud platforms targeting similar government, finance, education, and manufacturing verticals as ZStack.
• Nutanix: Nutanix is a direct peer as a leading hyperconverged infrastructure and hybrid cloud platform. It overlaps with ZStack's HCI, ZCF cloud platform, and ZSphere virtualization offerings for enterprise on-premises and hybrid deployments, with comparable target buyers in regulated and large-enterprise segments.
• Inspur (InCloud): Inspur InCloud is a comparable domestic Chinese cloud infrastructure platform targeting government, telecom, and large enterprises, with overlapping hyperconverged and private cloud capabilities against ZStack's HCI and ZCF products.

Others

• Ceph / open-source SDS community: Ceph is an open-source distributed storage ecosystem that underpins ZStack's ZStone storage platform and represents both an enabling technology and an indirect alternative for buyers evaluating software-defined storage at scale.

Emerging players

• Cloudbase Solutions: Cloudbase Solutions is an emerging player in private/hybrid cloud infrastructure with comparable open architecture philosophy, competing for mid-market enterprise and emerging market buyers where ZStack is also expanding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zstack

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ZStack