Docker is a company that has put together a platform that is able to perform operating-system-level virtualization known as “containerization.” Earlier this week, Docker announced that it has raised $92 million out of a targeted $192 million funding round, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission via TechCrunch.
Virtual application environments make it possible for devices to run without having an operating system installed. Containerized environments for companies can be efficient because the devices just have the necessary applications, libraries, and frameworks that they depend on. And the operating system is pulled from the service that is hosting it.
Since many enterprises are migrating to container environments, the demand has been increasing for Docker’s services. Kubernetes is the leader in container orchestration layers, but Docker provides a toolchain for building and managing containers as a whole.
With this round of funding, Docker will likely hire more talent in sales and marketing. Prior to this round, Docker was already a “unicorn” company, meaning it has a valuation of more than $1 billion. When Docker raised a previous round in late 2017, it was $60 million out of a targeted $75 million round at a $1.3 billion valuation. Investors in that round included AME Cloud Ventures, Benchmark, Coatue Management, Goldman Sachs and Greylock Partners.
Led by CEO Steve Singh, Docker reportedly turned down a $4 billion offer from Microsoft in 2016 according to Business Insider. Earlier this year at the Dockercon event, Singh told Business Insider that the company is in it for the long-haul and is aiming to go public one day. But the company may be open to an acquisition as well. “If someone buys us, they buy us,” said Singh at the time.
