(Image source: Pepperdata)
Modern cloud environments rely heavily on containerized workloads as the cornerstone of application deployment and scalability. While containers offer portability and efficiency, they are not immune to vulnerabilities in the form of fragile integrations, misconfigurations, and issues with access control.
Kubernetes, one of the most widely used container orchestration platforms, addresses some of the challenges through deployment automation, scalability, and efficient resource management. It has become indispensable for modern cloud-native deployments that prioritize both performance and cost efficiency.
Recognizing the critical role Kubernetes plays, CloudBolt, a cloud cost management company, has acquired StormForge, a machine learning-driven Kubernetes resource optimization specialist.
The acquisition builds on the partnership between the two companies that began in early 2024 when StormForge became the inaugural member of CloudBolt’s Technical Alliance Program (TAP).
CloudBolt positions itself as a platform to maximize return on investment for cloud spending. The platform is built on FinOps principles, not those related to financial services, but on the foundational principles of aligning financial strategies and operational efficiency. With the acquisition of StormForge, CloudBolt gains machine learning-powered Kubernetes optimization capabilities, which will now be integrated into its FinOps platform.
Source: CloudBolt
The company claims that the integration of StormForge’s capabilities will speed up “insight-to-action” time, allowing quicker implementation of recommendations to improve how resources are allocated and boosting efficiency in containerized environments.
“StormForge’s innovative approach to Kubernetes optimization complements our vision perfectly,” said Craig Hinkley, CEO of CloudBolt. “This acquisition is like two pieces of a puzzle snapping into place, seamlessly integrating their technology into our 3rd-generation FinOps platform. The market has been calling for a more unified, streamlined, and intelligent way to manage costs and optimize Kubernetes operations—together, we’re delivering exactly that.”
With the rapid adoption of Kubernetes, organizations are facing growing challenges in cost management, performance, and visibility. CloudBolt shared a recent Cloud Native Computing Foundation survey that showed that 49% of organizations surveyed reported a rise in their cloud spending. More than two-thirds (70%) attribute this rise to workload overprovisioning.
Source: StormForge
This highlights how challenging it is to align actual usage with allocated resources in such fast-moving environments. According to CloudBolt, deeper causes of such inefficiencies are rooted in the dynamic nature of container workloads, which complicates proper resource allocation and rightsizing, as well as the complexity of Kubernetes environments, which obscures granular cost visibility.
With the StormForge acquisition, CloudBolt is confident in overcoming these challenges with a comprehensive solution that will “close the FinOps for Kubernetes loop” and allow organizations to leverage containers more efficiently.
“By combining our intelligent Kubernetes optimization platform with CloudBolt’s industry-leading cloud cost visibility, customers will now receive a closed loop solution, from reporting, through proven and powerful optimization capabilities,” said Rod Squires, CEO of StormForge.
Following the acquisition, StormForge’s COO Yasmin Rajabi will become CloudBolt’s Chief Strategy Officer, leading the transition and solution rollout. Founding engineer John Platt will stay on to drive AI/ML advancements across CloudBolt’s platform.
“Our shared goal is clear, to empower FinOps leaders with the tools that platform engineers trust, and break open the longstanding ‘black box’ of container spending,” continued Squires. “Together, we’re making Kubernetes optimization smarter, more transparent, and more actionable than ever before with a tool developed by engineers, for engineers.”
The integration of StormForge’s capabilities also supports CloudBolt’s Augmented FinOps vision, which it shared in January 2024. As part of that vision, CloudBolt aims to equip organizations with tools for comprehensive cloud optimization, blending cost management, automation, and operational efficiency.
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At its core, augmented FinOps reflects a new approach to managing the cloud. The methodology is centered on end-to-end lifecycle efficiency and performance, and the StormForge acquisition helps strengthen that approach for CloudBolt.
At this year’s KubeCon EU 2025, StormForge announced key updates to its platform including a new Node Optimization feature using machine learning for smarter autoscaling, improved cluster performance, and reduced resource inefficiencies.
These capabilities directly complement CloudBolt’s vision of integrating advanced AI/ML technologies into its FinOps platform. Features like Node Optimization and Java Heap Size Recommendations provide more precise resource allocation and workload rightsizing, which aligns well with CloudBolt’s goal of reducing inefficiency and driving cost-effective cloud operations.
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