From Open Source Success to Enterprise Network Infrastructure Dominance: Why We Invested in NetBox Labs

Network infrastructure is the backbone of every enterprise, yet it remains one of the most underserved areas in modern IT. As companies make massive investments in AI and digital transformation, they need bulletproof visibility and control over their network infrastructure to maximize ROI. NetBox Labs has built the most popular and comprehensive platform for network and infrastructure management in the enterprise, and I’m excited to continue to back them in their Series B investment alongside NGP Capital and returning investors Flybridge Capital, Salesforce, and more.

NetBox Labs' primary open source project, NetBox, has achieved remarkable scale and adoption, with over 18,000 GitHub stars to show for it. This success isn't just developer evangelism—NetBox is deeply embedded in the critical infrastructure of the Fortune 500 and Global 2000, becoming the de facto standard for network source of truth across enterprises. As hybrid and multi-cloud environments increase network complexity, and as GPU workloads move to on-premises infrastructure, networking teams require better tooling and automation. 

The NetBox project itself has a fascinating origin story. Page the calendar back to 2017 and founder Kris Beevers was building NS1, a DNS and network automation platform used by the likes of Salesforce, VMware, LinkedIn and Dropbox to ensure maximum uptime for all their online services. NetBox started elsewhere as an open source project to solve internal network documentation challenges, before evolving into something much larger. The networking community embraced NetBox because it addressed a universal pain point—the lack of a reliable, comprehensive source of truth for network infrastructure, and ultimately NetBox project founder Jeremy Stretch joined NS1 to focus full time on NetBox in 2021. 

When IBM acquired NS1 in 2023, there was a unique opportunity for Kris and team to take the beloved open source project and create a sustainable, scalable business around it. And with that, NetBox Labs was born.

What’s continued to impress us most was how they’ve approached this transition. Rather than abandoning their open source roots, they doubled down on community engagement while building commercial products that truly extended the platform's value. Network and infrastructure management has become deeply strategic, especially as enterprises scale AI workloads that demand precision and reliability. NetBox Labs has consistently delivered innovative commercial products that extend the value of their open source foundation, providing enterprises with the advanced capabilities they need.

Our investment in NetBox Labs is a continuation of a decade-long partnership that started back when Kris and team were building NS1. When we initially invested in NS1’s Series B, we had intense conviction in the team’s depth of expertise, vision for the market, and relentless momentum. And in the years that followed, we’ve seen up close that this founder-market fit is coupled with Kris’s exceptional leadership and unparalleled execution. Backing NetBox Labs from day one and continuing that partnership for its Series B was a no brainer.

The problems NetBox Labs solve have become more acute than ever. As networking teams adapt to AI workloads and the rise of GPU infrastructure, NetBox Labs has become increasingly critical. The platform's ability to provide comprehensive network visibility and automation is exactly what enterprises need to maximize their infrastructure investments. We couldn't be more excited to partner with Kris and the entire NetBox Labs team as they continue building the future of network infrastructure management.