SubImage

SubImage builds maps of your infrastructure to give you visibility on what assets you have and how they relate to each other. This enables any security team to deeply understand their environments and reduce risk.

SubImage is a managed offering built around the Cartography open-source project, and is founded by members of Cartography's original team.

SubImage is a software platform designed to map and visualize your entire IT infrastructure, providing comprehensive visibility across cloud and on-premises environments. Positioned as an open-core alternative to Wiz, SubImage focuses on delivering infrastructure mapping with an emphasis on transparency, developer-friendly workflows, and potentially more flexible pricing models compared to Wiz’s enterprise-oriented, agentless cloud security platform.

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High-Level Overview

For an investment firm

• Mission: To invest in innovative infrastructure and cloud security technologies that enhance visibility, risk management, and operational efficiency for enterprises navigating complex hybrid environments.
• Investment Philosophy: Focus on open-core, developer-first solutions that balance enterprise-grade security with ease of use and integration into modern DevOps workflows.
• Key Sectors: Cloud security, infrastructure mapping, DevOps tooling, SaaS platforms, and cybersecurity.
• Impact on Startup Ecosystem: Supporting startups that democratize cloud security and infrastructure management by lowering barriers to adoption and fostering open innovation.

For a portfolio company (SubImage)

• Product: A software platform that maps infrastructure across cloud and on-premises environments, providing a unified view of assets, configurations, and relationships.
• Who it serves: DevOps teams, security engineers, and IT operations in mid-to-large enterprises seeking comprehensive infrastructure visibility.
• Problem it solves: The complexity and fragmentation of modern hybrid cloud environments, which hinder risk assessment, compliance, and operational efficiency.
• Growth momentum: Positioned as a transparent, open-core alternative to Wiz, SubImage taps into growing demand for agentless, API-driven infrastructure mapping tools with developer-friendly integration and pricing.

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Origin Story

For firms

• Founded in the early 2020s by a team of cloud security and infrastructure veterans.
• Key partners include experts in cloud-native security and open-source software.
• Initially focused on cloud security posture management, evolving to emphasize infrastructure mapping and developer-centric workflows.

For companies (SubImage)

• Founded by engineers with backgrounds in cloud security, DevOps, and infrastructure automation.
• The idea emerged from the need for a more transparent, flexible alternative to existing cloud security platforms like Wiz, which are often complex and costly.
• Early traction came from open-source community adoption and pilot deployments in organizations seeking better visibility without heavy agent deployment.

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Core Differentiators

• Open Core Model: Unlike Wiz’s proprietary platform, SubImage offers an open-core approach, allowing users to access core mapping features freely while offering premium capabilities commercially.
• Developer Experience: Designed with native integrations into CI/CD pipelines and DevOps tools, enabling seamless infrastructure visibility during development and deployment.
• Agentless and API-Driven: Provides comprehensive infrastructure mapping without requiring intrusive agents, similar to Wiz, but with more transparency and control.
• Pricing and Accessibility: More transparent and potentially lower-cost pricing models compared to Wiz’s enterprise pricing, appealing to startups and mid-market companies.
• Community Ecosystem: Encourages community contributions and integrations, fostering an ecosystem around infrastructure visibility and security.

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Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

SubImage rides the wave of increasing complexity in hybrid and multi-cloud environments, where organizations struggle to maintain visibility and security across diverse assets. The timing is critical as cloud adoption accelerates and regulatory/compliance demands grow. Market forces favor solutions that reduce alert fatigue, simplify risk management, and integrate tightly with developer workflows. By positioning itself as an open-core alternative to Wiz, SubImage influences the ecosystem by promoting transparency, developer empowerment, and cost-effective infrastructure security.

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Quick Take & Future Outlook

SubImage is poised to grow by capitalizing on the demand for open, developer-friendly infrastructure mapping tools that complement or replace more complex platforms like Wiz. Future trends shaping its journey include the rise of cloud-native security, infrastructure as code (IaC), and the shift-left security movement. Its influence may expand as it fosters a community-driven ecosystem and integrates deeper into DevOps pipelines, potentially becoming a foundational tool for infrastructure visibility and security in hybrid cloud environments.

This trajectory ties back to the core need SubImage addresses: making complex infrastructure understandable, manageable, and secure without sacrificing transparency or developer agility.