Loft Labs 在 Kubernetes 虛擬化領域開創先河，獲得 2,400 萬美元 A 輪融資

虛擬化 Kubernetes 叢集透過共享通用的底層應用程式來解決資源利用率問題。 Loft Labs 開發了一種虛擬化工具 vCluster，它使多個虛擬叢集能夠共享這些應用程序，從而節省成本、提高效率和一致性。這家新創公司的成功體現在為其開源產品創建了 4000 萬次下載和數百萬個虛擬集群，以及透過 vCluster Pro（一款針對高容量 Kubernetes 集群環境的補充產品）實現盈利的策略。

Loft Labs Pioneers Virtualization for Kubernetes Clusters, Securing $24 Million in Series A Funding

Loft Labs 率先推出 Kubernetes 叢集虛擬化，獲得 2,400 萬美元 A 輪融資

A Novel Approach to Resource Optimization

資源最佳化的新方法

In the realm of cloud computing, Kubernetes clusters have emerged as a dominant force for managing containerized workloads. However, as organizations scale their Kubernetes deployments, a paradoxical problem arises: the underutilization of resources within these clusters. This conundrum mirrors the challenges faced by VMware in the early 2000s with server utilization.

在雲端運算領域，Kubernetes 叢集已成為管理容器化工作負載的主導力量。然而，隨著組織擴展其 Kubernetes 部署，出現了一個矛盾的問題：這些叢集內的資源利用不足。這個難題反映了 VMware 在 2000 年代初期面臨的伺服器利用率挑戰。

Recognizing this inefficiency, Loft Labs, a pioneering startup, has developed a groundbreaking virtualization solution specifically designed for Kubernetes clusters. This innovative tool empowers organizations to share common underlying applications, dramatically improving resource utilization.

在認識到這種低效率的情況後，先鋒新創公司 Loft Labs 開發了專為 Kubernetes 叢集設計的突破性虛擬化解決方案。這種創新工具使組織能夠共享通用的底層應用程序，從而顯著提高資源利用率。

The Genesis of a Solution

解決方案的起源

Every Kubernetes environment relies on a set of essential applications, including Istio, Rancher, and Vault. Managing and running these applications across multiple containers can become a costly and unwieldy task, particularly as organizations scale their operations. Loft Labs' solution addresses this challenge by enabling users to share these common applications with multiple virtual clusters, akin to how VMs share server resources.

每個 Kubernetes 環境都依賴一組基本應用程序，包括 Istio、Rancher 和 Vault。跨多個容器管理和運行這些應用程式可能會成為一項成本高昂且笨重的任務，特別是當組織擴展其營運時。 Loft Labs 的解決方案透過使用戶能夠與多個虛擬叢集共享這些通用應用程式來解決這項挑戰，類似於虛擬機器共享伺服器資源的方式。

"Essentially, we consolidate multiple clusters into a single cluster and then create virtual clusters on top of the shared applications," explains Lukas Gentele, CEO of Loft Labs.

「本質上，我們將多個集群整合為一個集群，然後在共享應用程式之上創建虛擬集群，」Loft Labs 執行長 Lukas Gentele 解釋道。

Transforming Cluster Management

轉變集群管理

Instead of operating individual clusters as separate entities, organizations can now leverage a streamlined approach by running a select few, such as those for development, staging, and production. Each virtual cluster can seamlessly reside within these primary clusters.

組織現在可以透過運行選定的幾個集群（例如用於開發、登台和生產的集群）來利用簡化的方法，而不是作為單獨的實體來操作單一集群。每個虛擬集群都可以無縫地駐留在這些主集群中。

This consolidation offers significant benefits. "Organizations achieve a notable consolidation of the shared platform stack, resulting in cost savings, improved efficiency, and enhanced consistency," Gentele notes. "For instance, instead of managing 5,000 instances of Istio, you now only need to maintain three."

這種整合帶來了顯著的好處。 「組織實現了共享平台堆疊的顯著整合，從而節省了成本、提高了效率並增強了一致性，」Gentele 指出。 “例如，您現在只需維護 3 個，而不是管理 5,000 個 Istio 實例。”

Moreover, virtual clusters provide secure isolation, ensuring that workloads and tenants remain segregated. Loft Labs' solution also automates management tasks, such as shutting down idle clusters, further simplifying operations.

此外，虛擬叢集提供安全隔離，確保工作負載和租用戶保持隔離。 Loft Labs 的解決方案還可以自動執行管理任務，例如關閉空閒集群，進一步簡化操作。

From Open Source to Commercialization

從開源到商業化

Investors have long favored startups that leverage popular open source projects, as they offer a ready-made sales funnel. However, such startups must devise a strategy to monetize their open source popularity.

長期以來，投資者一直青睞利用流行開源專案的新創公司，因為它們提供現成的銷售管道。然而，這類新創公司必須制定一項策略，利用其開源流行度來貨幣化。

Loft Labs has successfully navigated this challenge. Since releasing the open source version of its product, vCluster, in 2021, it has garnered over 40 million downloads and witnessed the creation of a million virtual clusters, indicating widespread interest in this concept.

Loft Labs 成功應對了這項挑戰。自2021年發布其產品vCluster的開源版本以來，它已獲得超過4000萬次下載，並見證了100萬個虛擬集群的創建，表明人們對這一概念的廣泛興趣。

To monetize this solution, Loft Labs introduced vCluster Pro, employing a novel approach. Unlike many open source startups that add enterprise features or create a SaaS version, Loft Labs developed a complementary product that assists organizations in managing high-volume Kubernetes cluster environments. This value proposition entices large enterprises to invest in their solution.

為了使解決方案貨幣化，Loft Labs 採用了新穎的方法推出了 vCluster Pro。與許多新增企業功能或創建 SaaS 版本的開源新創公司不同，Loft Labs 開發了一款補充產品，可協助組織管理大容量 Kubernetes 叢集環境。這種價值主張吸引大型企業投資其解決方案。

A Serendipitous Journey

一次偶然的旅程

Loft Labs' path to vCluster was not without its detours. Initially, the company pursued a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) product, offering developers access to shared multi-tenant clusters. However, they encountered roadblocks and found it challenging to persuade enterprises to adopt the platform.

Loft Labs 的 vCluster 之路並非一帆風順。最初，該公司開發了平台即服務 (PaaS) 產品，為開發人員提供共享多租戶叢集的存取權限。然而，他們遇到了障礙，發現說服企業採用該平台具有挑戰性。

During a post-mortem analysis, the co-founders stumbled upon a valuable insight: "We realized that we had discovered a significant problem: sharing Kubernetes clusters, isolating tenants within clusters, and the inherent complexities associated with it. We then questioned whether others within larger organizations might be facing similar challenges."

在事後分析中，共同創辦人偶然發現了一個有價值的見解：「我們意識到我們發現了一個重大問題：共享Kubernetes 叢集、隔離叢集內的租戶以及與之相關的固有複雜性。然後我們質疑其他人們是否也這樣做較大的組織內部可能面臨類似的挑戰。

This epiphany led them to develop Kiosk, an open source project that served as a "multi-tenancy extension" to test their hypothesis. The project gained rapid traction, bolstering their confidence. "AWS even featured Kiosk in its multi-tenancy best practices guide," Gentele said.

這一悟促使他們開發了 Kiosk，這是一個開源項目，作為「多租戶擴展」來測試他們的假設。該項目迅速獲得關注，增強了他們的信心。 「AWS 甚至在其多租戶最佳實踐指南中介紹了 Kiosk，」Gentele 說。

With this successful experiment, Loft Labs became steadfast in their pursuit of solving this problem. The culmination of their efforts was vCluster, first released in late 2021.

透過這次成功的實驗，Loft Labs 堅定地追求解決這個問題。他們努力的結晶是 vCluster，於 2021 年底首次發布。

A Well-Capitalized Future

資本充足的未來

Today, Loft Labs announced a remarkable $24 million Series A funding round, led by Khosla Ventures. This investment joins the $4.6 million raised in seed funding, bringing the company's total capital raised to $28.6 million. Existing investors Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, Emergent Ventures, Fusion Fund, and Surface Ventures participated in the round, alongside additional angel investors.

今天，Loft Labs 宣布完成由 Khosla Ventures 領投的 2,400 萬美元 A 輪融資。這筆投資加上種子資金籌集的 460 萬美元，使該公司籌集的總資本達到 2,860 萬美元。現有投資者 Berkeley SkyDeck Fund、Emergent Ventures、Fusion Fund 和 Surface Ventures 以及其他天使投資者參與了本輪融資。

Conclusion

結論

Loft Labs' virtualization solution for Kubernetes clusters addresses a critical challenge in modern cloud computing. By enabling organizations to share common applications and consolidate resources, it empowers them to optimize their Kubernetes deployments and reduce costs. With its impressive open source adoption, novel monetization strategy, and strong financial backing, Loft Labs is poised to revolutionize the way organizations manage their containerized workloads.

Loft Labs 的 Kubernetes 叢集虛擬化解決方案解決了現代雲端運算中的一個關鍵挑戰。透過使組織能夠共享通用應用程式並整合資源，它使他們能夠優化 Kubernetes 部署並降低成本。憑藉其令人印象深刻的開源採用、新穎的貨幣化策略和強大的財務支持，Loft Labs 預計將徹底改變組織管理容器化工作負載的方式。