NetApp, the San Jose data storage company, said on August 6, 2026 that it had acquired JetStream Software, a startup that makes disaster recovery and migration software for VMware environments. NetApp did not disclose the terms.
JetStream's software protects VMware workloads and lets companies recover them in the cloud, including on NetApp's own cloud storage services such as Azure NetApp Files. NetApp said the technology works with virtually any underlying storage, which means it can reach VMware customers that run on other vendors' systems.
NetApp did not say what happens to JetStream's staff or its existing product. The company presented JetStream as an addition to its portfolio alongside SnapMirror, its own replication technology, which it said remains the preferred choice for NetApp environments.
What JetStream built
JetStream's main product, JetStreamDR, continuously protects vSphere virtual machines at a company's primary site and replicates them to low-cost object storage such as Azure Blob or S3-compatible stores like Cloudian, Blocks and Files reported. Customers that need faster failover or hold larger amounts of data can use Azure NetApp Files instead, at a higher cost.
When a site fails, virtual machines can be recovered to another on-premises site, to Azure VMware Solution or to other public clouds, and moved back once the primary site is working again. Blocks and Files reported that the software can bring recovery time close to zero and supports hundreds, and potentially thousands, of virtual machines, with management through APIs.
The product was positioned as a cheaper alternative to VMware Site Recovery Manager, which replicates to a warm standby site. JetStream instead keeps data in a cold store and rebuilds the virtual machines when they are needed. Its early customers were managed service providers and telecoms companies, followed by enterprises.
“Customers want solutions that help them evolve their environments without adding complexity”
Why NetApp is buying
NetApp pitched disaster recovery as a first step into the cloud. Customers can protect their workloads in the cloud first and move production systems there later, Pravjit Tiwana, NetApp's senior vice president and general manager for cloud storage and services, said in the announcement.
Chief executive George Kurian said data had become the foundation for business growth, AI and operational continuity, and that adding JetStream would help NetApp keep customer data secure and available. JetStream co-founder and chief executive Tom Critser said joining NetApp would let the company bring its technology to more organisations around the world.
NetApp's release said the company made no commitment to develop or deliver any specific products or integrations resulting from the acquisition.
The founders and the funding
JetStream was founded in October 2017, according to Blocks and Files, and is headquartered in San Jose with a subsidiary in Bangalore. Tom Critser is co-founder and chief executive and Serge Shats is co-founder and chief technology officer. LinkedIn lists about 30 employees, the publication reported.
The company raised a seed round of about $3.8 million at the end of 2017, which founding vice president of engineering Pavan Pamula said came from Western Digital, and a $7.7 million Series A in 2019. Blocks and Files put total funding at about $11.5 million and said JetStream had funded itself since the 2019 round.
Some details of the company's history vary by source. Pamula's LinkedIn profile dates the start of his work at JetStream to December 2016, before the official founding date, and PitchBook puts total funding at about $12.7 million rather than $11.5 million, Blocks and Files noted. Tom Matson led worldwide sales as vice president.
What happens to customers
NetApp said the combined offering covers both NetApp deployments and the much larger base of VMware customers running on third-party storage. For those customers, JetStream offers a way to protect VMware workloads without changing their primary storage, and a route to recover or run them on NetApp's cloud services.
Kurian said in the announcement that customers wanted more value from their data while improving protection against disruption, and that the deal would help keep their data ready for what comes next. He added that the acquisition positioned NetApp as a leader in enterprise resilience and data protection.
NetApp has not published a timeline for folding JetStream's products into its own catalogue or said whether JetStreamDR will continue to be sold under its current name.
