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We are thrilled to announce that Vishal Kagde, a recognized leader in cloud security and AI-driven innovation, has joined Deepfence as Co-founder, Chief Product Officer. With an impressive background leading cloud security initiatives at industry giants like Palo Alto Networks and CipherCloud (now Lookout), as well as building his own AI-driven stealth startup, Vishal brings a wealth of expertise and insight to propel Deepfence’s next chapter of growth and innovation. His arrival signals a major milestone in Deepfence’s evolution as the most comprehensive Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) in the industry.
Reflecting on his decision to join Deepfence, Vishal shared, “My experience at Palo Alto Networks, particularly within the Prisma Cloud team, gave me an invaluable perspective on the challenges and opportunities that exist within the cloud security landscape. From growing Prisma Cloud’s ARR from $50 million to $350 million, I learned firsthand the complexities of scaling cloud-native security products and helping teams navigate the ever-changing security landscape. These experiences have prepared me for the next big challenge: helping Deepfence deliver on its mission to simplify security operations in cloud environments.”
During his time at Palo Alto Networks, Vishal spearheaded the development of critical security products like CSPM and CDEM, working within a fast-paced startup-like environment inside the larger corporation. These experiences, paired with his recent work developing AI-driven solutions to tackle key security challenges, led Vishal to pursue his vision for the future of cloud security.
"Over the past few months," Vishal continued, "I’ve engaged with security professionals, CISOs, and investors who resonate with the core problems I’ve been working to solve: a fragmented vendor landscape, overwhelming alert fatigue, and poor prioritization of critical vulnerabilities. I strongly believe that the future of cloud security will revolve around AI-driven solutions that reduce noise, streamline operations, and focus on meaningful outcomes like reducing Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) and Mean Time to Remediate (MTTR)."
During Vishal and Sandeep’s many long hikes, they bonded not only over their shared love of nature but also over their mutual vision for the future of cloud security. These discussions led to the decision to co-found a new strategic direction for Deepfence, focused on delivering a groundbreaking solution for the market. “Sandeep and I share a common vision for building smarter, more efficient cloud security solutions that solve real-world operational challenges,” said Vishal. “Deepfence is at a critical inflection point, and together, from the ground up, we’re ready to drive the company forward by launching innovative Cloud and AI Security solutions that will truly make an impact for our customers.”
Deepfence’s decision to bring Vishal on board as Chief Product Officer comes at a pivotal time for the company. As Deepfence continues to scale from its open-source foundation to full-scale commercialization, Vishal’s extensive experience in cloud security and AI makes him the ideal leader to drive the company’s product innovation and strategic growth.
"Vishal joining the team marks a defining chapter for Deepfence," said Sandeep Lahane, CEO of Deepfence. "His expertise in cloud-native security, combined with his innovative approach to AI, will help us deliver even more powerful solutions to our customers. This transition accelerates our journey from an open-source focus to commercial expansion, allowing us to broaden our reach and impact across the cloud security landscape."
Vishal’s work at Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma Cloud division, along with his leadership in security research and compliance across multiple public cloud platforms, has equipped him with the insights needed to address the complex challenges that Deepfence’s CNAPP solutions target. In addition, his recent startup, which focused on AI-driven security innovations, positions him to help Deepfence tackle the large-scale data problems faced by today’s cloud security organizations.
"Vishal is a standout leader who has consistently demonstrated an ability to scale both product and engineering teams while driving meaningful outcomes for customers," said Pete Bodine, Managing Director at Allegis Cyber Capital. "His expertise, combined with the incredible synergy between him and the team, will allow Deepfence to deliver even greater value to the cloud security industry. We’re excited to support Vishal and the team as they lead Deepfence into its next phase of growth and innovation."
With Vishal now leading the product and engineering teams, Deepfence is doubling down on its commitment to solving the most pressing challenges in cloud security. Vishal believes that by combining AI with Deepfence’s existing runtime security and CNAPP offerings, organizations can significantly improve their ability to operationalize security efforts and reduce MTTD and MTTR.
"We’re on a mission to empower security teams by offering smarter, more efficient solutions," Vishal said. "By leveraging AI, we can help organizations prioritize the most critical vulnerabilities, reduce noise, and respond to threats more effectively. Deepfence’s open-source foundation and strong community give us a unique advantage, and I’m excited to lead the charge as we scale our offerings to meet the needs of enterprise customers."
Stay tuned for more exciting updates as Deepfence enters its next phase of innovation and growth under Vishal’s leadership. Together, we’re building the future of cloud security—empowering organizations to take control of their operational security challenges with smarter, more efficient solutions.
