Total amount raised
$1.4 Billion
Latest funding date
1/1/2021
Location
Kong has successfully raised significant capital through multiple funding rounds, with notable investors including CRV and Tiger Global Management. The company specializes in API management, service mesh, and ingress controller solutions, driving innovation in API-led connectivity.
Keep reading to explore the intricacies of Kong's fundraising journey and the investors backing this innovative platform.
What Is Kong?
Kong, founded in October 2017 by Augusto Marietti, Marco Palladino, and Michele Zonca, is headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company specializes in API management, service mesh, and ingress controller solutions, providing a unified platform for API-led connectivity.
With a workforce of 501-1000 employees, Kong focuses on enhancing developer productivity, automating security, and optimizing microservices. Their products include Kong Konnect, Kong Gateway, and Kong Mesh, catering to various industries and use cases.
By offering robust API security, governance, and lifecycle management, Kong empowers organizations to build AI applications and ensure centralized API visibility across all services.
How Much Funding Has Kong Raised?
- Angel Round
- Amount Raised: $101K
- Date: April 2010
- Lead Investors: Not publicly disclosed
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: Initial funding to develop the core technology and establish the company.
- Seed Round
- Amount Raised: $1.5M
- Date: August 2011
- Lead Investors: New Enterprise Associates
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To expand the team and accelerate product development.
- Series A
- Amount Raised: $6.5M
- Date: November 2013
- Lead Investors: CRV, Index Ventures
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To scale operations and enhance the product offering.
- Series B
- Amount Raised: $18M
- Date: March 2017
- Lead Investors: Andreessen Horowitz
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To expand market reach and invest in marketing and sales.
- Series C
- Amount Raised: $43M
- Date: March 2019
- Lead Investors: Index Ventures
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To further develop the platform and support international expansion.
- Series D
- Amount Raised: $100M
- Date: February 2021
- Lead Investors: Tiger Global Management
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To enhance AI-driven features and improve customer experience.
- Series E
- Amount Raised: $175M
- Date: November 2024
- Lead Investors: Tiger Global, Balderton Capital
- Valuation at Round: $2 billion
- Motivation Behind the Round: To expand globally and invest in AI-driven product innovation.
Total Amount Raised: $344.6M. Current Valuation: $2 billion.
Key Investors
- Tiger Global Management
- Details: Founded in 2001, Tiger Global Management is a New York-based investment firm. It focuses on long-term investments in global public and private companies driven by technological innovation.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, software, consumer, financial technology.
- Notable Investments: Facebook, LinkedIn, Spotify.
- Balderton Capital
- Details: Balderton Capital is a London-based venture capital firm with over two decades of experience. It supports Europe's top founders from Seed to IPO.
- Investment Focus Areas: Early-stage technology companies in Europe.
- Notable Investments: Revolut, Citymapper, GoCardless.
- Andreessen Horowitz
- Details: Andreessen Horowitz, also known as a16z, is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm. It invests in technology companies across various sectors.
- Investment Focus Areas: Software, consumer, enterprise.
- Notable Investments: Airbnb, GitHub, Lyft.
- Index Ventures
- Details: Index Ventures is a global venture capital firm with offices in London, San Francisco, and Geneva. It invests in technology companies at all stages.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, life sciences.
- Notable Investments: Dropbox, Slack, Etsy.
- CRV
- Details: CRV, formerly known as Charles River Ventures, is a venture capital firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It focuses on early-stage technology companies.
- Investment Focus Areas: Early-stage technology companies.
- Notable Investments: Twitter, Zendesk, DoorDash.
What's Next for Kong?
As Kong looks to the future, the opportunities are vast. With a fresh $175 million in Series E funding, the company is poised to expand globally, particularly in Europe, Asia, and emerging markets. Enhancing AI-driven features and investing in customer experience initiatives are also on the horizon, positioning Kong to meet the growing demand for robust API solutions.
Future fundraising seems likely as Kong continues to grow, with potential for additional investment rounds to support its ambitious goals. However, challenges such as intense competition in the API management sector and the complexities of global expansion could test the company's resilience. Ensuring the security and scalability of their API infrastructure will be crucial as they navigate these hurdles.
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