Forbes Cloud 100

Forbes Cloud 100 is an annual list and ranking of the top 100 privately held cloud computing companies in the world. Published by Forbes magazine, the list is created in partnership with venture capital firms Bessemer Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures. It serves as a prestigious benchmark for innovation, growth, and market influence within the global SaaS and cloud technology ecosystem, highlighting emerging leaders before they potentially pursue IPOs or major acquisitions.

Overview

The list is a definitive ranking of the most promising private companies in the cloud economy, encompassing sectors like enterprise software, cybersecurity, fintech, and developer tools. Selection is based on quantitative financial metrics and qualitative assessments of market leadership, evaluating factors such as revenue growth, valuation, and cultural impact. The announcement is typically accompanied by a celebratory event, and companies featured often experience increased visibility among investors, customers, and potential talent. The ranking has become a significant indicator of health and trends within the broader technology industry.

Selection process and criteria

The selection is a data-driven methodology led by Bessemer Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures, who collect and analyze confidential company submissions. Key quantitative criteria include ARR, growth rate, and valuation, often verified through financial documents and data providers like PitchBook. A panel of expert judges from public cloud companies, including executives from Google Cloud, Microsoft, and AWS, then provides qualitative scoring on factors like market leadership and customer satisfaction. This combination of hard data and expert evaluation aims to create a balanced and authoritative ranking of the most impactful private cloud companies globally.

Notable companies and rankings

The list has featured many companies that later achieved significant IPOs or acquisitions, such as Snowflake, Datadog, and HubSpot. Other notable alumni include Stripe, Canva, GitLab, and UiPath, which have become leaders in their respective fields like payments, graphic design, DevOps, and robotic process automation. The top positions, including the top 10, are highly contested, with past number-one rankings held by companies like Dropbox and Zoom before their public debuts. The annual list provides a snapshot of rising stars across various verticals, from healthtech with Tempus Labs to collaborative software with Figma.

Impact and industry significance

Being named to the list confers substantial prestige and can accelerate a company's growth by enhancing its credibility with enterprise customers, investors, and potential hires. It acts as a valuable deal flow source for venture capital firms and private equity investors seeking the next generation of cloud leaders. The ranking also influences market perceptions and competitive dynamics, often validating emerging technology categories. Furthermore, the aggregated data from the list provides insights into investment trends, valuation benchmarks, and the overall vitality of the private company cloud sector, making it a key resource for analysts at firms like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

History and evolution

The list was launched in 2016 by Forbes in collaboration with Bessemer Venture Partners, with Salesforce Ventures joining as a partner in subsequent years. Its creation responded to the explosive growth of the cloud computing market and the need to identify leading private companies beyond public giants like Salesforce and Oracle. Over time, the methodology has been refined to place greater emphasis on ARR and efficient growth, reflecting broader shifts in the venture capital landscape. The list has chronicled the rise of major technological shifts, including the adoption of artificial intelligence, with many ranked companies now integrating generative AI into their core platforms.

Category:Forbes lists Category:Cloud computing Category:American business awards Category:Business-related lists