Okta, Inc.

Okta is the leading independent provider of cloud-based identity and access management solutions. Todd McKinnon and Frederic Kerrest, both former Salesforce executives, founded it in 2009 in San Francisco. The founding premise was simple: identity is the foundational security layer for the modern enterprise.

Two platforms make up the business. Okta Workforce Identity Cloud secures employee and contractor access to enterprise applications. It provides single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, universal directory, lifecycle management for automated provisioning, API access management, and server access. Over 7,500 pre-built connectors let organizations centrally manage access to SaaS apps, on-premises systems, and custom internal tools.

Auth0, acquired in 2021 for $6.5 billion, powers the Okta Customer Identity Cloud. It gives developers authentication and authorization tools for customer-facing applications. Auth0 covers login flows, social login, passwordless authentication, and machine-to-machine APIs for web, mobile, and IoT.

Okta Identity Governance handles access certification, entitlement management, and policy-driven access requests. This addresses regulatory compliance and competes with legacy vendors like SailPoint.

Okta serves organizations of all sizes across every industry, with particular strength in technology, financial services, healthcare, and government. The go-to-market combines enterprise sales with self-service purchasing, especially for Auth0. The Okta Integration Network creates powerful network effects. The more applications connected, the more valuable the platform becomes for every customer.

Annual revenue is roughly $2.6 billion with gross margins around 76%. Subscriptions run on annual contracts. Net revenue retention exceeds 110%. Operating margins have improved significantly as the company focuses on profitability.

Okta AI provides identity threat detection and response, adaptive risk scoring, automated governance recommendations, and universal logout. The vast dataset of authentication events across thousands of organizations powers AI models that detect anomalous login patterns and credential attacks.

With about 6,000 employees and over 19,000 customers, Okta has established identity as critical infrastructure for enterprise security. It sits right at the intersection of zero-trust architecture and digital transformation.