Forbes Cloud 100 2023: Insights, Winners, and Trends Shaping the Cloud Landscape

The 2023 edition of Forbes Cloud 100, released in partnership with Bessemer Venture Partners, spotlights the world’s most influential cloud companies. This annual ranking blends private cloud scaleups with public cloud leaders that have shown durable product-market fit, strong customer momentum, and the ability to scale across industries. Forbes Cloud 100 2023 serves as both a snapshot of the cloud economy and a signal to founders, buyers, and investors about where the market is headed next.

What the Cloud 100 signals about cloud adoption in 2023

Forbes Cloud 100 2023 captures a moment when cloud technology is more embedded in business operations than ever before. The list reflects continued acceleration in software-driven transformation across verticals—from finance and health care to manufacturing and logistics. Companies on the Cloud 100 roster are building platforms that enable automation, real-time data insights, and scalable collaboration. In many cases, the most valuable players are those delivering composable cloud architectures, open ecosystems, and strong governance capabilities that help enterprises manage multi-cloud environments with confidence.

Two recurring themes emerge when examining the edition closely. First, the role of data platforms and AI infrastructure remains central. As organizations seek faster analytics, smarter decision-making, and scalable model deployment, cloud-native data services, machine learning operations, and AI tooling become core differentiators. Second, security, compliance, and reliability continue to weigh heavily in enterprise buying decisions. The best-in-class cloud companies differentiate themselves not just by features, but by the trust they establish with customers and their ability to protect sensitive information at scale.

Major trends highlighted by the 2023 edition

AI and data-first cloud solutions: Companies that combine data pipelines, storage, and AI capabilities into unified platforms are positioned to unlock faster value. The emergence of AI-powered workloads in this space highlights demand for efficient model training, governance, and interpretability within the cloud stack.
Multi-cloud and platform strategies: Enterprises increasingly pursue multi-cloud architectures to avoid vendor lock-in, optimize performance, and meet regulatory requirements. Cloud leaders that offer seamless integration across clouds and a broad ecosystem tend to win long-term partnerships.
Security, privacy, and compliance as a product: Security becomes a defining feature, not a separate concern. Vendors that bake identity, data protection, and governance into their core platforms reduce friction for large organizations undergoing complex digital transformations.
Developer tooling and velocity: The demand for faster software delivery puts a premium on developer experience, automation, and scalable collaboration tools. Cloud companies that empower product teams to ship reliably at scale see stronger customer retention and growth.
Vertical specialization: Niche cloud stacks tailored to specific industries—healthcare, fintech, manufacturing, and retail—continue to gain traction. Industry-focused solutions shorten sales cycles and improve time-to-value for customers with domain-specific needs.

Notable implications for founders and buyers

For founders building the next generation of cloud software, Forbes Cloud 100 2023 offers several practical signals. A successful cloud business today often blends a robust product with a clear data strategy and a path to profitability. Investors looking at the Cloud 100 roster tend to prioritize:

Strong gross margins and a path to sustainable unit economics as you scale.
Clear customer outcomes and measurable ROI, particularly in AI-enabled use cases.
Strategic partnerships that expand distribution, interoperability, and cross-sell opportunities.
Operational excellence—reliable deployments, security controls, and transparent governance.

For enterprise buyers, the edition reinforces the importance of choosing cloud partners that offer:

End-to-end platform capabilities to reduce vendor fragmentation.
Security-first design and robust compliance frameworks suitable for regulated industries.
Strong customer references and proven implementation track records across similar use cases.

Global and sector snapshots from the 2023 list

The Cloud 100 2023 landscape reflects a balance between mature cloud platforms and high-growth newcomers. While familiar names remain influential in the public cloud leadership, many standout private companies are redefining categories—from data orchestration and observability to marketing automation and financial cloud services. Regional dynamics show continued strength in North America, with growing momentum in Europe and Asia as companies expand data centers, address regional data sovereignty concerns, and localize product experiences for diverse markets.

A closer look at sector distribution reveals that:

Data and AI platforms are among the fastest-growing segments within the Cloud 100 2023 lineup, driven by demand for advanced analytics and automation at scale.
Security and infrastructure tooling continue to attract significant investment as enterprises pursue resilience and performance improvements in cloud-native environments.
Vertical-specific clouds show sustained adoption; customers tend to value industry knowledge as much as technical capabilities.

How to use the Cloud 100 ranking to guide strategy

Whether you are a founder seeking funding or a corporate buyer evaluating vendors, the Cloud 100 framework offers several practical takeaways that align with the 2023 edition:

Focus on trajectory, not just current revenue. Investors and customers look for durable growth accelerators, repeatable sales motion, and expanding addressable markets.
Invest in data maturity. Platforms that offer integrated data pipelines, governance, and AI readiness tend to outpace peers in adoption and expansion revenue.
Prioritize security-by-design. A cloud vendor that makes security a fundamental feature reduces risk and accelerates procurement cycles for enterprise customers.
Embrace multi-cloud readiness. Demonstrating interoperability across cloud environments is a practical competitive edge in modern IT environments.
Communicate domain expertise. Verticalized cloud solutions that understand specific workflows and regulatory constraints can win longer, deeper customer relationships.

How the Cloud 100 2023 edition influences fundraising and partnerships

For startups aiming to scale, inclusion in the Forbes Cloud 100 2023 circle signals legitimacy to both customers and investors. The visibility associated with the Cloud 100 badge can shorten sales cycles, attract strategic partners, and help recruit top talent who want to work with market-leading cloud platforms. Meanwhile, larger corporations may leverage the Cloud 100 positioning to identify acquisition targets, negotiate with cloud-native vendors, and articulate a clear cloud strategy to stakeholders.

From a venture perspective, the edition helps map the competitive landscape and identify areas of unmet demand. The cloud economy remains highly dynamic, with new models around data-centric services, AI-enabled automation, and platform ecosystems driving incremental value. The 2023 highlights suggest investors will continue privileging teams that demonstrate fast iteration, strong customer outcomes, and defensible product roadmaps.

What to watch next in the cloud market

Looking beyond the 2023 snapshot, several themes are likely to shape the next wave of growth in Forbes Cloud 100’s ecosystem: integration with edge computing, continued emphasis on privacy-preserving analytics, and the expansion of cloud-native security tooling. The convergence of AI with cloud infrastructure is expected to push cross-functional innovations, enabling more organizations to deploy complex workflows with greater speed and reliability. As cloud ecosystems mature, the ability to orchestrate diverse services into cohesive, controllable platforms will become a key differentiator for both startups and incumbents.

Conclusion

Forbes Cloud 100 2023 reinforces the idea that the cloud market is not just about software delivery—it’s about building scalable, secure, and intelligent platforms that can adapt to fast-changing business needs. The edition highlights winners across a spectrum of cloud-enabled capabilities, from data and AI to security and vertical solutions. Whether you are a founder aiming to chart a path to growth or a buyer seeking reliable partners, the insights from the Cloud 100 2023 edition offer a valuable lens on what matters most in the cloud era: velocity, trust, and a well-defined strategy that aligns technology with real business outcomes.