Netskope's IPO and next chapter: Leading a new cybersecurity era, again.

The most profound predictions about technology often only feel obvious in hindsight. Thirteen years ago, Sanjay Beri founded Netskope with a conviction that enterprises would become much more vulnerable to attacks as they shifted to the cloud. Security would need to be reimagined from the ground up. 

Today, as Netskope enters the public markets, Sanjay’s founding insight is truer than ever. Netskope’s public debut is not only a milestone for the company: it’s a testament to the strength of its vision and execution. 

I first met Sanjay long before he founded Netskope, when our companies partnered together. He struck me as sharp, thoughtful, and relentless, and had all the markers of the charismatic founder who’d combine business acumen with technical depth. What really made him stand out, though, was his sense of humility and humor that he brought to everything he did. That impression was only reinforced when I joined Accel and had the opportunity to back him as he set out to build Netskope. What stood out then remains true today: Sanjay and his team lead with curiosity, grit, and a long-term mindset. They work—as Sanjay likes to say—in the trenches as well as the clouds.

In 2012, cloud-based attacks seemed like a possibility, not a pressing reality. Sanjay and his team saw what was coming and built Netskope to meet the moment. Since then, Netskope has defined a new category of security, providing enterprises with the tools they need to protect distributed workforces and complex, changing digital environments. The company competed alongside industry giants to grow from a single product into a full suite that now sits at the center of security for some of the world’s most influential organizations. Now, as AI makes enterprises even harder to protect, this team is again poised and ready to meet the moment head-on.

Sanjay, thank you. For the clarity of your vision, the persistence of your execution, and the example you’ve set for others. It’s the incredibly rare founder that’s able to anticipate the arc of change and build a company able to meet it. You’ve done something that so few founders do. Today is a day to recognize and celebrate that extraordinary accomplishment. And it’s also day one again. Because as AI makes everything more dynamic and more dangerous, everything’s going to have to change again– and Netskope is as ready to meet that change as it was when it was founded.