Cohesity

To radically simplify data management by becoming the premier AI-powered data security and management platform.

Cohesity SWOT Analysis

Updated: October 1, 2025 • 2025-Q4 Analysis

How to Use This Analysis

This analysis for Cohesity was created using Alignment.io™ methodology - a proven strategic planning system trusted in over 75,000 strategic planning projects. We've designed it as a helpful companion for your team's strategic process, leveraging leading AI models to analyze publicly available data.

While this represents what AI sees from public data, you know your company's true reality. That's why we recommend using Alignment.io and The System of Alignment™ to conduct your strategic planning—using these AI-generated insights as inspiration and reference points to blend with your team's invaluable knowledge.

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The Cohesity SWOT analysis reveals a company at a pivotal inflection point. The audacious Veritas merger is both its greatest strength and most significant risk, promising unmatched scale but demanding flawless execution. Leadership under Sanjay Poonen provides confidence, but the integration's complexity cannot be understated. The core challenge is maintaining innovation velocity, particularly with its promising Gaia AI platform, while navigating the immense operational and cultural merger. The market opportunity in AI-driven data security is enormous, but so is the competitive threat from a newly public Rubrik. Success hinges on rapidly unifying the technology stack, culture, and market narrative to capitalize on the combined entity's potential before competitors exploit any integration seams. This next 18 months will define Cohesity's future as either a market dominator or a cautionary tale.

Rubrik Veeam Commvault Dell IBM

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To radically simplify data management by becoming the premier AI-powered data security and management platform.

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Strengths

LEADERSHIP: Visionary CEO Sanjay Poonen with a proven VMware track record
PLATFORM: Unified architecture simplifies backup, recovery, and security
ECOSYSTEM: Strong partnerships with AWS, Azure, Google, Cisco, and HPE
INNOVATION: Cohesity Gaia brings generative AI to secondary data stores
SCALE: Veritas merger creates a $7B powerhouse with massive market reach

Weaknesses

INTEGRATION: Risk & complexity of merging Veritas' tech and culture
COMPETITION: Rubrik's successful IPO creates a formidable public rival
FOCUS: Potential for distraction from core roadmap due to merger efforts
SALES: Long sales cycles for large enterprise platform transformations
BRANDING: Must clarify the combined company's value prop post-merger

Opportunities

MERGER: Cross-sell Cohesity's modern platform to Veritas' huge base
AI: Monetize untapped enterprise data with AI-powered security insights
CLOUD: Accelerate customer migration from legacy on-prem to hybrid cloud
SECURITY: Growing ransomware threat increases demand for cyber resilience
MARKET: Data growth is exponential, creating a massive, expanding TAM

Threats

COMPETITION: Intense pressure from agile cloud-native and legacy players
EXECUTION: Failure to smoothly integrate Veritas could be catastrophic
ECONOMY: Macroeconomic uncertainty may delay large IT spending decisions
SECURITY: A breach of the Cohesity platform would be a major trust blow
CHURN: Competitors actively targeting Veritas customers during transition

Key Priorities

MERGER: Flawlessly execute Veritas integration to unify products & teams
AI-LEADERSHIP: Establish Cohesity Gaia as the leading data security AI
PLATFORM: Accelerate platform adoption within the new combined customer base
NARRATIVE: Sharpen market narrative to prevent rival FUD and clarify value

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Cohesity OKR

Updated: October 1, 2025 • 2025-Q4 Analysis

This Cohesity OKR plan is a masterclass in focus. It rightly prioritizes the monumental Veritas integration as the foundation for all future success. By simultaneously pushing to win the AI battleground with Gaia and driving platform adoption, the plan creates a virtuous cycle of growth. The objective to 'Own the Narrative' is critical to shaping market perception during a period of change. This is an ambitious, tightly-interlocked strategy designed for a company playing to dominate its category.

Rubrik Veeam Commvault Dell IBM

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To radically simplify data management by becoming the premier AI-powered data security and management platform.

DOMINATE THE MERGER

Flawlessly integrate Veritas to accelerate our market leadership.

ROADMAP: Publish a unified 18-month product roadmap that retains 95% of top-tier Veritas customer features.
CULTURE: Achieve a 75+ eNPS score across the newly combined organization through targeted integration programs.
SYNERGIES: Realize $150M in annualized cost synergies while maintaining a customer satisfaction score of over 90.
ENABLEMENT: Train and certify 100% of the combined sales and SE teams on the unified platform value proposition.

WIN WITH AI

Establish Cohesity Gaia as the industry's essential AI.

SECURITY: Launch an AI-powered threat intelligence service that reduces incident detection time by 50% for users.
ADOPTION: Secure 100 new enterprise customers for the premium Cohesity Gaia SKU, generating $20M in net new ARR.
ROI: Publish three customer case studies with validated seven-figure savings attributed directly to Gaia insights.
DASHBOARD: Deliver a CISO-level dashboard that visualizes data risk posture using predictive AI analytics.

ACCELERATE PLATFORM

Drive unprecedented adoption of our unified data platform.

CROSS-SELL: Convert 15% of the Veritas NetBackup customer base to the Cohesity platform within 12 months.
CLOUD: Increase consumption of Cohesity Cloud Services by 40% through targeted migration campaigns and incentives.
WORKLOADS: Grow the number of customers using three or more Cohesity services (e.g., files, objects) by 25%.
TCO: Arm the sales team with a new ROI tool that proves a 30% TCO advantage, used in 50% of new business deals.

OWN THE NARRATIVE

Define the future of AI-powered data security and management.

LEADERSHIP: Secure the top-right position in both Gartner's Enterprise Backup and Recovery and a key security MQ.
MESSAGING: Achieve 75% message pull-through on 'AI-powered data security' in all Tier 1 analyst and media coverage.
PRESENCE: Deliver the keynote at our annual user conference, showcasing a unified platform demo to 5,000+ attendees.
COMPETITIVE: Launch a 'Rip & Replace' campaign against Rubrik, securing 50 logo flips with public testimonials.

METRICS

Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR): $1.2B
Net Revenue Retention (NRR): 120%
Combined Customer Count: 10,000+

VALUES

Customer-Obsessed
One Team, One Mission
Deliver Results
Innovate and Disrupt

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Cohesity Retrospective

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Cohesity Official Website (About Us, Products, Leadership)
Press Releases (Veritas Merger Announcement, Funding Rounds, Product Launches)
Industry Analyst Reports (Gartner Magic Quadrant, Forrester Wave)
Reputable Tech News (CRN, TechCrunch, Blocks & Files)
CEO Interviews and Public Statements (Sanjay Poonen)
Competitor Analysis (Rubrik S-1 Filing, Veeam announcements)

Rubrik Veeam Commvault Dell IBM

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To radically simplify data management by becoming the premier AI-powered data security and management platform.

Toggle Theme

What Went Well

M&A: Announced landmark deal to acquire Veritas' data protection arm
LEADERSHIP: Maintained strong executive team stability through transition
GROWTH: Continued double-digit ARR growth in a tough macroeconomic climate
INNOVATION: Successfully launched Cohesity Gaia, entering the AI data race
PARTNERSHIPS: Strengthened ties with major cloud and hardware providers

Not So Well

UNCERTAINTY: Market confusion and customer anxiety following merger news
COMPETITION: Rubrik's IPO raised their profile and competitive pressure
INTEGRATION: Initial stages of merger planning are resource-intensive
SALES: Some deals likely paused as customers evaluate the future roadmap
HIRING: A temporary slowdown in hiring to manage costs pre-integration

Learnings

COMMUNICATION: Proactive, clear communication is critical during M&A
FOCUS: Must protect the core business from M&A-related distractions
SPEED: The market does not wait; integration speed is paramount
DIFFERENTIATION: AI is the key battleground for the next 3 years
CULTURE: Cultural integration is as important as technological integration

Action Items

ROADMAP: Publish a clear, combined product roadmap within 90 days of close
SALES: Launch specific sales plays to retain Veritas base and upsell
MARKETING: Create a unified brand identity and messaging campaign
HR: Finalize the integrated organizational structure and leadership team
PRODUCT: Deliver a marquee AI-security feature within the first 6 months

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Organization	SWOT Analysis	OKR Plan	Top 6	Retrospective

Sub organizations:

Strategic pillars derived from our vision-focused SWOT analysis

PLATFORM

Win with a single, AI-powered data management platform

INTEGRATION

Flawlessly merge Veritas to dominate the enterprise

SECURITY

Lead the market in cyber resilience and data security

HYBRID

Master the hybrid cloud ecosystem; not just cloud or on-prem

Cohesity Market

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Cohesity Official Website (About Us, Products, Leadership)
Press Releases (Veritas Merger Announcement, Funding Rounds, Product Launches)
Industry Analyst Reports (Gartner Magic Quadrant, Forrester Wave)
Reputable Tech News (CRN, TechCrunch, Blocks & Files)
CEO Interviews and Public Statements (Sanjay Poonen)
Competitor Analysis (Rubrik S-1 Filing, Veeam announcements)

Founded: 2013
Market Share: Significant player; poised for leadership post-Veritas merger
Customer Base: Mid-market to large enterprises, Fortune 500
Category:
Data Management
SIC Code: 7372 Prepackaged Software
NAICS Code: 511210 InformationT
Location: San Jose, California
Zip Code: 95110 San Jose, California
Congressional District: CA-18 SAN JOSE
Employees: 2500

Competitors

Rubrik View Analysis

Veeam Request Analysis

Commvault Request Analysis

Dell Request Analysis

IBM View Analysis

Products & Services

No products or services data available

Distribution Channels

Cohesity Business Model Analysis

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Cohesity Official Website (About Us, Products, Leadership)
Press Releases (Veritas Merger Announcement, Funding Rounds, Product Launches)
Industry Analyst Reports (Gartner Magic Quadrant, Forrester Wave)
Reputable Tech News (CRN, TechCrunch, Blocks & Files)
CEO Interviews and Public Statements (Sanjay Poonen)
Competitor Analysis (Rubrik S-1 Filing, Veeam announcements)

Problem

Data is fragmented across silos
Ransomware attacks are crippling businesses
Legacy backup solutions are complex and costly
Unstructured data holds untapped value

Solution

Single platform for data security & management
AI-powered cyber resilience and rapid recovery
Simplified operations with lower TCO
In-place analytics to unlock data insights

Key Metrics

Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)
Net Revenue Retention (NRR)
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Gross Margin

Unique

AI-powered data insights on a unified platform
Hyperscaler architecture for massive scale
Post-merger scale is unmatched in the industry
Deep integration with cloud and hardware partners

Advantage

Massive patent portfolio in distributed systems
Combined customer base post-Veritas merger
Experienced leadership team (Poonen, Aron)
Strong channel partner network

Channels

Direct enterprise sales force
Value-Added Resellers (VARs)
Global System Integrators (GSIs)
Cloud marketplaces (AWS, Azure)

Customer Segments

Large enterprises (Fortune 2000)
Public sector and government agencies
Regulated industries (finance, healthcare)
Mid-market companies with complex data needs

Costs

R&D for platform innovation and AI
Sales and marketing expenses
Cloud infrastructure costs for SaaS offerings
Integration costs related to Veritas merger

Cohesity Product Market Fit Analysis

Updated: October 1, 2025

Cohesity provides an AI-powered platform that simplifies data management and enhances security. It helps enterprises consolidate complex infrastructure to cut costs, defend against ransomware with rapid recovery, and unlock valuable insights from their data. This transforms data from a liability into a strategic asset, ensuring business continuity and accelerating innovation in the hybrid cloud era.

CONSOLIDATE your data infrastructure to radically slash costs.

SECURE your data against ransomware with AI-powered cyber resilience.

UNLOCK insights from your data with integrated AI and analytics.

Before State

Siloed data across multiple point solutions
Data is a liability, dark and unsecure
Slow, unreliable recovery from cyberattacks

After State

Unified data on one secure platform
Data becomes an asset for AI-driven insights
Near-instant recovery and cyber resilience

Negative Impacts

High operational costs and complexity
Increased risk of data breaches and ransom
Lost productivity due to data fragmentation

Positive Outcomes

Reduced TCO by over 50% via consolidation
Strengthened security posture against threats
Accelerated digital transformation projects

Key Metrics

NRR

Reported at 110%+

NPS

Consistently above 80 (customer-reported)

User Growth Rate

Strong double-digit ARR growth reported

Customer Feedback/Reviews

4.7/5 on G2 from 500+ reviews

Repeat Purchase Rates

High, reflected in strong NRR

Requirements

A modern, scalable data management platform
Integrated data security and governance
AI capabilities to unlock data value

Why Cohesity

Deploy Cohesity Data Cloud platform
Consolidate legacy backup and file storage
Activate AI and security services

Cohesity Competitive Advantage

Single platform vs. competitor point products
Superior TCO and operational simplicity
In-place analytics with Cohesity Gaia AI

Proof Points

Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader 7 times
Industry-best NPS score of 90 (FY23)
Trusted by 4 of the Fortune top 10

Cohesity Market Positioning

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Cohesity Official Website (About Us, Products, Leadership)
Press Releases (Veritas Merger Announcement, Funding Rounds, Product Launches)
Industry Analyst Reports (Gartner Magic Quadrant, Forrester Wave)
Reputable Tech News (CRN, TechCrunch, Blocks & Files)
CEO Interviews and Public Statements (Sanjay Poonen)
Competitor Analysis (Rubrik S-1 Filing, Veeam announcements)

What You Do

AI-powered data security and management

Target Market

Enterprises managing complex hybrid cloud data

Differentiation

Single platform for backup, security, and analytics
Hyperscaler architecture
Integrated AI (Cohesity Gaia)

Revenue Streams

Software Subscriptions (SaaS)
Cloud Services

Cohesity Operations and Technology

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Cohesity Official Website (About Us, Products, Leadership)
Press Releases (Veritas Merger Announcement, Funding Rounds, Product Launches)
Industry Analyst Reports (Gartner Magic Quadrant, Forrester Wave)
Reputable Tech News (CRN, TechCrunch, Blocks & Files)
CEO Interviews and Public Statements (Sanjay Poonen)
Competitor Analysis (Rubrik S-1 Filing, Veeam announcements)

Company Operations

Organizational Structure: Functional with global sales and engineering teams
Supply Chain: Primarily software; hardware appliances via partners like Cisco/HPE
Tech Patents: Holds numerous patents in distributed systems and data management
Website: https://www.cohesity.com/

Top Clients

Board Members

Cohesity Competitive Forces

Threat of New Entry

LOW: High barriers to entry due to the technical complexity, capital required for R&D, and need for a global sales/support network.

Supplier Power

LOW: Key suppliers are hardware partners (Cisco, HPE) and cloud providers (AWS, Azure), where Cohesity is a major customer/partner.

Buyer Power

MEDIUM: Large enterprise customers have significant negotiating power, but high switching costs for data platforms can create lock-in.

Threat of Substitution

MEDIUM: Cloud-native backup services (e.g., AWS Backup) and all-in-one cybersecurity platforms pose a substitution threat.

Competitive Rivalry

HIGH: Intense rivalry with Rubrik (post-IPO), Veeam, Commvault, and Dell. Competition is fierce on features, price, and AI.

Analysis of AI Strategy

Updated: October 1, 2025 • 2025-Q4 Analysis

To simplify data management using AI, Cohesity must weaponize its unique access to indexed enterprise data. The Gaia platform is a powerful asset, but victory requires focusing AI development on the most urgent customer problem: cyber resilience. By delivering AI-driven threat detection and automated recovery orchestration, Cohesity can prove tangible, immediate ROI. This focus on security builds the trust necessary for customers to then explore broader AI-powered business insights, transforming Cohesity from a data manager into an indispensable intelligence engine.

Rubrik Veeam Commvault Dell IBM

No past cycles

Mission & Vision SWOT Analysis OKR Plan Retrospective AI Strategy Data Acquisition

To radically simplify data management by becoming the premier AI-powered data security and management platform.

Strengths

DATA: Access to vast, indexed enterprise backup data for model training
PLATFORM: Integrated architecture to run AI analytics in-place securely
VISION: CEO-led commitment to making AI a core differentiator (Gaia)
ACCESS: Multi-cloud and on-prem presence allows AI to run where data is
ECOSYSTEM: Partnerships with NVIDIA and cloud AI platforms accelerate dev

Weaknesses

TALENT: Intense competition for top-tier AI and machine learning engineers
COSTS: High compute costs associated with training and running LLMs at scale
FOCUS: Balancing core data protection features with new AI development
ETHICS: Navigating data privacy and ethical concerns in AI data analysis
METRICS: Difficulty in clearly articulating the ROI of AI features to CFOs

Opportunities

SECURITY: Proactive threat detection using AI to find anomalies in data
INSIGHTS: Offer 'Google for your data' to unlock business intelligence
AUTOMATION: AI-driven policy management and data classification at scale
EFFICIENCY: Use AI to optimize data placement, storage, and recovery
COMPLIANCE: Automate eDiscovery and data sovereignty reporting with AI

Threats

COMPETITION: Rubrik and others are launching their own integrated AI tools
ACCURACY: 'Hallucinations' or incorrect AI insights could erode trust
REGULATION: Evolving AI and data privacy laws could limit capabilities
ADOPTION: Customer reluctance to give AI models access to sensitive data
HYPE: Over-promising and under-delivering on AI capabilities could hurt brand

Key Priorities

SECURITY: Prioritize AI use cases for cyber resilience and threat hunting
ROI: Build clear, quantifiable business cases for Gaia adoption by users
TRUST: Develop robust data governance and ethical AI usage frameworks
INTEGRATION: Seamlessly embed Gaia capabilities across the entire platform

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Cohesity Financial Performance

AI-Powered Insights

Claude

Gemini

GPT

Cohesity Official Website (About Us, Products, Leadership)
Press Releases (Veritas Merger Announcement, Funding Rounds, Product Launches)
Industry Analyst Reports (Gartner Magic Quadrant, Forrester Wave)
Reputable Tech News (CRN, TechCrunch, Blocks & Files)
CEO Interviews and Public Statements (Sanjay Poonen)
Competitor Analysis (Rubrik S-1 Filing, Veeam announcements)

Profit: Not disclosed (Private Company)

Market Cap: Valued at $7B post-Veritas merger announcement

Stock Performance

Annual Report: Not public; financials shared with investors

Debt: Financing secured for Veritas acquisition

ROI Impact: Cyber resilience reduces downtime costs; consolidation lowers TCO

SWOT Index

Composite strategic assessment with 10-year outlook

/ 100

Market Leader

ICM Index

STRATEGIC ADVISOR ASSESSMENT

Cohesity's score reflects its massive ambition and potential, balanced by significant execution risk from the Veritas merger. Its AI leverage is high due to unique data access. The OKRs are strong but achievability is capped by the sheer complexity of the integration, which is the single most important factor for its future success. The growth multiplier is conservative, acknowledging that the merger must be digested before exponential growth can resume.

SWOT Factors

Upside: 80.0 Risk: 78.0

OKR Impact

AI Leverage

Top 3 Strategic Levers

Flawless Veritas merger execution to unlock scale

Monetize Gaia AI for tangible security outcomes

Rapidly cross-sell platform into the massive new customer base

AI Disclosure

This report was created using the Alignment Method—our proprietary process for guiding AI to reveal how it interprets your business and industry. These insights are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, legal, tax, or investment advice.

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