Loft Labs 在 Kubernetes 虚拟化领域开创先河，获得 2400 万美元 A 轮融资

虚拟化 Kubernetes 集群通过共享通用的底层应用程序来解决资源利用率问题。 Loft Labs 开发了一种虚拟化工具 vCluster，它使多个虚拟集群能够共享这些应用程序，从而节省成本、提高效率和一致性。这家初创公司的成功体现在为其开源产品创建了 4000 万次下载和数百万个虚拟集群，以及通过 vCluster Pro（一款针对高容量 Kubernetes 集群环境的补充产品）实现盈利的战略。

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

Loft Labs 率先推出 Kubernetes 集群虚拟化，获得 2400 万美元 A 轮融资

A Novel Approach to Resource Optimization

资源优化的新方法

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.

在云计算领域，Kubernetes 集群已成为管理容器化工作负载的主导力量。然而，随着组织扩展其 Kubernetes 部署，出现了一个矛盾的问题：这些集群内的资源利用不足。这个难题反映了 VMware 在 2000 年代初面临的服务器利用率挑战。

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.

认识到这种低效率的情况后，先锋初创公司 Loft Labs 开发了专为 Kubernetes 集群设计的突破性虚拟化解决方案。这种创新工具使组织能够共享通用的底层应用程序，从而显着提高资源利用率。

The Genesis of a Solution

解决方案的起源

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.

每个 Kubernetes 环境都依赖于一组基本应用程序，包括 Istio、Rancher 和 Vault。跨多个容器管理和运行这些应用程序可能会成为一项成本高昂且笨重的任务，特别是当组织扩展其运营时。 Loft Labs 的解决方案通过使用户能够与多个虚拟集群共享这些通用应用程序来解决这一挑战，类似于虚拟机共享服务器资源的方式。

"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.

“本质上，我们将多个集群整合为一个集群，然后在共享应用程序之上创建虚拟集群，”Loft Labs 首席执行官 Lukas Gentele 解释道。

Transforming Cluster Management

转变集群管理

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.

组织现在可以通过运行选定的几个集群（例如用于开发、登台和生产的集群）来利用简化的方法，而不是作为单独的实体来操作单个集群。每个虚拟集群都可以无缝地驻留在这些主集群中。

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."

这种整合带来了显着的好处。 “组织实现了共享平台堆栈的显着整合，从而节省了成本、提高了效率并增强了一致性，”Gentele 指出。 “例如，您现在只需维护 3 个，而不是管理 5,000 个 Istio 实例。”

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，虚拟集群提供安全隔离，确保工作负载和租户保持隔离。 Loft Labs 的解决方案还可以自动执行管理任务，例如关闭空闲集群，进一步简化操作。

From Open Source to Commercialization

从开源到商业化

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.

长期以来，投资者一直青睐利用流行开源项目的初创公司，因为它们提供现成的销售渠道。然而，此类初创公司必须制定一项战略，利用其开源流行度来货币化。

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 成功应对了这一挑战。自2021年发布其产品vCluster的开源版本以来，它已获得超过4000万次下载，并见证了100万个虚拟集群的创建，表明人们对这一概念的广泛兴趣。

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.

为了使该解决方案货币化，Loft Labs 采用了一种新颖的方法推出了 vCluster Pro。与许多添加企业功能或创建 SaaS 版本的开源初创公司不同，Loft Labs 开发了一款补充产品，可帮助组织管理大容量 Kubernetes 集群环境。这种价值主张吸引大型企业投资其解决方案。

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 之路并非一帆风顺。最初，该公司开发了平台即服务 (PaaS) 产品，为开发人员提供共享多租户集群的访问权限。然而，他们遇到了障碍，发现说服企业采用该平台具有挑战性。

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."

在事后分析中，联合创始人偶然发现了一个有价值的见解：“我们意识到我们发现了一个重大问题：共享 Kubernetes 集群、隔离集群内的租户以及与之相关的固有复杂性。然后我们质疑其他人是否也这样做较大的组织内部可能面临类似的挑战。”

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.

这一顿悟促使他们开发了 Kiosk，这是一个开源项目，作为“多租户扩展”来测试他们的假设。该项目迅速获得关注，增强了他们的信心。 “AWS 甚至在其多租户最佳实践指南中介绍了 Kiosk，”Gentele 说。

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.

通过这次成功的实验，Loft Labs 坚定地追求解决这个问题。他们努力的结晶是 vCluster，于 2021 年底首次发布。

A Well-Capitalized Future

资本充足的未来

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 领投的 2400 万美元 A 轮融资。这笔投资加上种子资金筹集的 460 万美元，使公司筹集的总资本达到 2860 万美元。现有投资者 Berkeley SkyDeck Fund、Emergent Ventures、Fusion Fund 和 Surface Ventures 以及其他天使投资者参与了本轮融资。

Conclusion

结论

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 集群虚拟化解决方案解决了现代云计算中的一个关键挑战。通过使组织能够共享通用应用程序并整合资源，它使他们能够优化 Kubernetes 部署并降低成本。凭借其令人印象深刻的开源采用、新颖的货币化策略和强大的财务支持，Loft Labs 有望彻底改变组织管理容器化工作负载的方式。