On Thursday, Own announced that it signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Salesforce (NYSE: CRM). Own’s impact in the data protection and management ecosystem and its remarkable trajectory can’t be overstated — we’re thrilled to have been a part of the journey with Sam Gutmann, Ariel Berkman, and the entire Own team, from leading the Series A to this Salesforce milestone. This is such a significant moment for an incredible team that Yuval Shachar and I have had the pleasure of collaborating with these past nine years.
From the outset, we were deeply impressed by the strength of Own’s core leadership team, whose deep experience in data protection and information security set them apart. The team identified an emerging market opportunity in cloud-to-cloud backup for SaaS business applications — a need that was just beginning to surface as more data shifted to the cloud and one that we believed in given our experience investing in data companies. Their foresight paid off. Early traction and validation quickly followed, with Own becoming top-rated on the Salesforce AppExchange for Backup and Restore and earning a spot on Gartner’s prestigious “Cool Vendors in Storage Technologies” list.
Since then, Own has delivered on its promise to transform the global SaaS backup and recovery landscape. From its early days in Herzliya, Own is now globally distributed and is the leading cloud-to-cloud backup and restore solution, providing secure, automated daily backups of SaaS and PaaS data for disaster recovery in the Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Microsoft ecosystems. Thousands of organizations trust Own to manage and protect their data, including industry leaders like Zoom, IBM, Schneider Electric, PwC, Navy Federal Credit Union, Coupa, Pfizer, Shopify, Lyft, Crocs, and Freddie Mac.
Own’s success has always been driven by a singular vision: to have customers own their data. Over the last several years, the team has shown an extreme focus on their core product with clear intentionality on expansions in product and other ecosystems. And the results speak for themselves: Own doubled its ARR yearly for most of its existence, a testament to the team’s relentless drive and ability to find a way to win, no matter the challenge. Whether it was scaling the product to handle increasing data volumes or pivoting swiftly when in-person events, their primary lead source, were disrupted by COVID, the team’s resilience and adaptability were nothing short of impressive.
This focused execution was evident in every board meeting. The team meticulously tracked key metrics and financials, delivering some of the most comprehensive board decks I’ve encountered. Their attention to customers, sales, efficiency, and budget was relentless. It’s no accident that this focus helped them build a substantial business.
As a founder of two companies and now an investor, the delight that you experience when you feel the strong market pull is exhilarating. That’s exactly what I experienced with Own. The perfect combination of best-in-class product, meets ever-increasing data, and the growing need for data protection and business resilience created a powerful force. Both of my previous startups benefited from similar tailwinds of growth in data, and I was lucky to experience that here again.
To Sam, Ariel, and the entire leadership team at Own, it's been an honor to partner with you. Your team has consistently executed with precision, acquiring customers and building industry trust in a way that truly sets you apart.
Own is a powerful reminder to me of what’s possible when visionary leadership, sophisticated technology, and a clear market need converge. As founders and investors, we live for opportunities like this. Watching this incredible team achieve such a remarkable milestone is thrilling and reinforces why we continue to partner with visionary founders to rethink entire industries. We’re proud to have been part of this journey and excited to see the continued impact Own will have within the Salesforce family!
