With $359 million in
new funding and a valuation of $4.8 billion, Cato Networks is leaning into its vision of a single, AI-native SASE platform. While many vendors are adding AI as a bolt-on to legacy systems, Cato is investing in core platform innovation, an approach it says will separate long-term leaders from short-term patchwork solutions.
“We will double down on our core strategy: building a single, cloud-native platform that stands apart from legacy vendors patching together point solutions,” said Karl Soderlund, global channel chief at Cato Networks. “We’re advancing AI security, accelerating native convergence across key functions, and expanding our global partner reach.”
Soderlund outlined three focus areas for investment:
AI Security: Enhancing the platform’s ability to deliver context-aware threat detection, policy automation, and adaptive access control, all governed through a unified policy engine.Platform Innovation: Deepening integration across SD-WAN, SSE, ZTNA, XDR, DEM, LAN Security, and IoT/OT Security. Rather than layering AI on top, Cato is embedding it into the platform’s foundation.Global Reach: Expanding its partner ecosystem and go-to-market presence, especially in regions showing high demand for unified SASE deployments. Platform Messaging Gains Traction
Cato’s message of consolidation and simplification is gaining ground with enterprise buyers who are burned out on managing fragmented point solutions.
“In competitive bids, we win seven out of ten times,” Soderlund said. “Customers tell us they’re exhausted by the complexity, cost, and risk of legacy tools. Our value proposition, faster deployment, reduced overhead, and better visibility, resonates strongly.”
Still, the path to full platform consolidation isn’t without friction. Some large enterprises remain tethered to legacy investments or operate within siloed IT structures. According to Soderlund, Cato’s platform supports both incremental and full transitions, giving customers room to evolve at their own pace.
“Platform consolidation isn’t just inevitable. It’s imperative. And buyers are increasingly recognizing that Cato offers not just a vision, but a proven and practical path to get there.”
Scaling Through the Channel
Cato’s partner strategy is a key lever for its continued growth, particularly as use cases like IoT/OT security and digital experience monitoring gain traction.
“We’re not just keeping up with demand. We’re enabling partners to lead it,” Soderlund noted. “Our strategy is built on predictable profitability, simplicity, and flexibility.”
The company is investing in a refreshed partner portal, deeper enablement across sales and technical teams, and streamlined co-selling motions. The aim: reduce friction, increase speed, and make it easier for partners to deliver customer value—whether they lead with security, infrastructure, or managed services.
“As use cases expand, our platform and our partner ecosystem are scaling in lockstep, to deliver secure, high-performance access everywhere.”
Cato’s roadmap signals more than just a funding milestone and reflects a broader shift in how enterprises are approaching network and security modernization. With AI as a foundational layer and convergence as the core principle, the company is aiming to make the move from fragmented operations to unified, scalable infrastructure both achievable and practical.
