F5
Application delivery and security platform
- 1001+ employees
- B2B
- Artificial Intelligence
- Security
- Machine Learning
- SaaS
- Central Business District, Seattle, WA
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Company mission
To define and deploy agile data security, threat management, and governance for AI models, apps, and agents.
Our take
Legacy tech company F5 was originally founded in the 90s as a developer of Application Delivery Controllers, providing load balancing for data centres. It now uses its historical expertise in the development of application-layer, security, automation, and multicloud software tools.
F5 has seen a storied evolution, going public in 1999 on the success of its BIG-IP load-balancing hardware. 48 of the 50 Forbes 50 companies now use F5’s hardware, a testament to its success. New leadership in 2017 sparked a fresh chapter for F5, as it launched F5 Labs, an offshoot company dedicated to analysing global threat intelligence data.
To bolster F5 Labs, the company engaged in something of an acquisition spree in 2025, buying 21 companies in that year alone. Many of these were AI observability and cybersecurity software startups, signifying a shift in focus from its legacy hardware products.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Funding (last 2 of 5 rounds)
Apr 2025
$5m
EARLY VC
Jun 2023
$23m
SERIES A
Total funding: $44.2m
This company has top investors
Leadership
François Locoh-Donou
(CEO, President & Chairman)Also a Board Member at Capital One, Co-Founder & Chairman at Cajou Espoir and was the COO at Ciena.