Kong has been named to the [Forbes 2024 Cloud 100](http://www.forbes.com/cloud100)Forbes 2024 Cloud 100 for the fourth year in a row! 

## What is the Cloud 100?

The Forbes Cloud 100 list is the definitive ranking of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world, published by Forbes in partnership with Bessemer Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures.

The Cloud 100 reviews submissions from hundreds of cloud startups and private companies each year. The evaluation process involved ranks companies across four factors: market leadership, estimated valuation, operating metrics, and people & culture.

Forbes editor Alex Konrad explains that "for nine years, the Forbes Cloud 100 list has recognized the leading private cloud companies in the world, from AI to work software, infrastructure to security." He notes that "this year’s list is the strongest group of standouts yet, with revenue, valuations and growth that will eventually make for historic IPOs."

## How Kong remains on top year after year

APIs are the new internet, and they’ve fundamentally changed how we interact with the world. With the widespread adoption of AI, APIs will be even more crucial in enabling an AI-driven future. We feel Kong’s dedication to enabling companies to become "API-first," allowing them to keep up with the technology evolution happening today, is why we're continually honored by Forbes. 

At the end of 2023, Kong announced surpassing $100 million in annual recurring revenue, a major milestone in the company's growth. Additionally, listening to customer needs and industry trends, in February of this year Kong launched a new [AI Gateway](https://docs.konghq.com/gateway/latest/get-started/ai-gateway/)AI Gateway allowing developers to leverage multiple LLMs to improve productivity and increase time-to-market on AI applications. 

You can read more about the Forbes Cloud 100 [here](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2024/08/06/from-openai-to-figma-these-are-the-100-hottest-cloud-companies/)here.