Forward Networks
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Enterprise software, Network management, Software-defined networking |
| Founder | David Erickson, Nikhil Handigol, Brandon Heller, Peyman Kazemian |
| Headquarters | Santa Clara , United States |
Area served | Global |
| Products | Forward Enterprise (network assurance solution) |
Forward Networks, Inc. is a U.S.-based enterprise originally established in Palo Alto, California with its main offices located in Santa Clara, California. The company focuses on creating enterprise software tailored for network management and software-defined networking solutions.
History
The origins of Forward Networks trace back to its founders David Erickson, Nikhil Handigol, Brandon Heller, and Peyman Kazemian, who collaborated as doctoral candidates at Stanford University. During their work with software-defined networking implementations utilizing OpenFlow at Stanford, they developed a software system inspired by Kazemian's dissertation. This system constructs a virtual representation of the network by analyzing configuration settings and real-time operational data from network devices.
Operating under confidentiality until November 2016, the firm raised $16 million from investors such as Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) and Andreessen Horowitz. Later, in October 2019, Forward Networks obtained $35 million in a Series C funding round led by Goldman Sachs, which also serves as one of its clients.
In January 2023, following an impressive 139% annual growth rate, the company completed a $50 million Series D financing round spearheaded by MSD Partners, with new participants including Section 32 and Omega Venture Partners.
Among Forward Networks' prominent clientele are PayPal, Ubisoft, and Telstra.
Intent-based networking
The concept of intent-based networking (IBN), introduced by Gartner in 2017, describes technologies that automate the entire network lifecycle—from initial design through deployment and ongoing validation.
Forward Networks concentrates on the verification aspect within intent-based networking. Its software platform generates a precise mathematical model of the network environment, supporting capabilities such as processing time-stamped network configuration and state information. Marketed as a network assurance solution, their primary offering is known as Forward Enterprise.