What kind of revenues can CDN start-ups expect to generate over seven years? To answer that question, we need to look no further than CloudFlare, EdgeCast and Cotendo. Cotendo did a phenomenal job in quick revenue generation, reaching $30M in annual revenue, three years after launch. EdgeCast generated $100M annually, seven years after launch, only on $20M of VC funding (the $54M financing round didn’t impact revenue). CloudFlare is on a run rate to generate $40M this year, five years after launch. If we add all three together, it looks something like this:
Cotendo, EdgeCast, and CloudFlare Revenue
- 3 Years => $30M (Cotendo)
- 5 Years => $40M (CloudFlare)
- 7 Years => $100M (EdgeCast
Cotendo, EgdgeCast and CloudFlare Background
- Cotendo: started in 2008, raised $36m, and generated $30M in 2011, three years later
- EdgeCast: started in 2006, raised $20M, and generated $100M in 2013, seven years later
- CloudFlare: started in 2009, raised $72M, and is on track to generate $40M in 2014, five years later
CloudFlare Annual Revenue (Estimated)
- 2010: $100k
- 2011: $450k
- 2012: $2M
- 2013: $9M
- 2014: $40M
- **this is based on Prince stating they grew 450% year-over-year
CloudFlare 2015 Revenue at Different Growth Rates
- 2015 ($40M @ 150%): $60M
- 2015 (40M @ 250%): $100M
- 2015 ($40M @350%): $140M
- 2015 ($40M @450%): $180M