VAST Data
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Data Storage |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Renen Hallak, Shachar Fienblit, Jeff Denworth |
Area served | Global (including Japan, Singapore, UAE, Saudi Arabia) |
Key people | Mike Wing (President), Renen Hallak (Founder) |
| Products | VAST AI Operating System (DataStore, DataBase, DataEngine, DataSpace, InsightEngine, AgentEngine) |
VAST Data is a privately owned tech firm focused on infrastructure for artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning computing. Its core offering is an operating system that enables businesses to develop and expand intelligent applications by integrating computing, data management, and high-performance storage resources.
History
Established in 2016 by Renen Hallak, who previously led R&D at Dell EMC XtremIO, along with co-founders Shachar Fienblit (formerly of Kaminario) and Jeff Denworth (ex-CTERA Networks), VAST Data’s executive team includes Mike Wing, a former Dell EMC executive, serving as company president.
VAST Data publicly launched in February 2019 after operating in stealth mode, securing $80 million in capital. It introduced its data storage software based on the DASE architecture (Disaggregated and Shared Everything), which is designed to support AI and demanding performance workloads by removing conventional storage tiering.
In 2022, VAST achieved the No. 5 position on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 list and was ranked No. 3 on the Financial Times’ 2023 ranking of The Americas’ Fastest-Growing Companies.
By December 2023, the firm exceeded $1 billion in total software bookings alongside $200 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). In 2024, it earned a spot on the Forbes Cloud 100 list and was recognized as a leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for File and Object Storage Platforms.
In 2025, VAST appeared on both the CNBC Disruptor 50 and Forbes AI 50 rankings. That May, it announced reaching $2 billion in cumulative software bookings.
Funding
To date, VAST Data has raised a total of $381 million through multiple funding rounds.
In December 2023, it completed a Series E financing round led by Fidelity Management and Research Co., raising $118 million at a valuation of $9.1 billion.
| Series | Date | Amount (million $) | Lead Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2016 | 15 | 83North, Norwest |
| A1 | 2018 | 25 | Dell Technologies Capital, 83North, Norwest |
| B | 2019 | 40 | Greenfield, 83North, Norwest |
| C | 2020 | 100 | Next47 |
| D | 2021 | 83 | Tiger Global Management |
| E | 2023 | 118 | Fidelity Management and Research Co. |
Product
The VAST AI Operating System manages vast amounts of data by adding real-time AI-driven context and enabling automated workflows. Its main elements include:
- VAST DataStore – a solution for storing unstructured data
- VAST DataBase – integrating capabilities of databases, data warehouses, and data lakes
- VAST DataEngine – a global execution engine for functions
- VAST DataSpace – a unified global namespace for data access and processing
- VAST InsightEngine in collaboration with NVIDIA – providing real-time retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) capabilities
- VAST AgentEngine – a platform for deploying and orchestrating AI agents
This platform is delivered as a subscription service available on-premises, across public cloud environments, and at the edge.
Operations
VAST maintains a global presence with operations spanning key regions such as Japan, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Operating without a centralized headquarters, it has offices located in New York City; Campbell, California; Durham, North Carolina; Tel Aviv; Tokyo; Riyadh; Singapore; and Dubai.
The company collaborates with prominent systems technology providers including Arista, Cisco, Equinix, HPE, Lenovo, NVIDIA, and Supermicro to broaden its product capabilities and extend market penetration.