01What it sells and who buys it
Chainguard supplies maintained open-source containers and libraries with reduced vulnerability exposure. It targets security and platform teams that need to reduce risk and recurring patch work.
02How the business makes money
Enterprise subscriptions provide maintained software artifacts and support. Free images give developers a starting point, while broader catalog requirements and organizational needs create a path to a paid agreement.
03Marketing and customer acquisition
Chainguard connected developer trials of secure containers to organization-wide security purchasing.
- 01
Target software supply-chain security
SourceChainguard built a safer supply of open-source components. Delivering deployable container images made the proposition concrete beyond another stream of security alerts.
- 02
Use revenue traction to expand distribution
SourceThe Series D announcement reported ARR growth from $5 million to $40 million. The $356 million round supported product and sales expansion; forward targets are separate from realized performance.
- 03
Broaden the free evaluation entry point
SourceFree container images let developers test the product in an existing workflow. The 2026 Catalog Starter offering allowed five selected images. Technical content and Assemble events introduce capabilities, while customer stories quantify vulnerability reduction and engineering time saved.
How the growth mechanism works
- Try a free image
- Observe fewer vulnerabilities
- Engage the security buyer
- Expand the production catalog
Developers can evaluate images within an existing workflow. Security buyers can justify spending through reduced vulnerability-management work. Free entry and enterprise sales connect through the same software supply chain, making production coverage an important unit of expansion.
04Funding and expansion
In April 2025, Chainguard raised $356 million in a Series D led by Kleiner Perkins and IVP at a $3.5 billion valuation. The announcement reported revenue growing from $5 million to $40 million over the preceding year and linked the financing to product and go-to-market expansion.