Laser Focus World is an industry bedrock—first published in 1965 and still going strong. We publish original articles about cutting-edge advances in lasers, optics, photonics, sensors, and quantum technologies, as well as test and measurement, and the shift currently underway to usher in the photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, and copackaged electronics and photonics to deliver the speed and efficiency essential for data centers of the future.

Our 80,000 qualified print subscribers—and 130,000 12-month engaged online audience—trust us to dive in and provide original journalism you won’t find elsewhere covering key emerging areas such as laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, lasers in space, integrated photonics, chipscale lasers, LiDAR, metasurfaces, high-energy laser weaponry, photonic crystals, and quantum computing/sensors/communications. We cover the innovations driving these markets.

Laser Focus World is part of Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

Laser Focus World Membership

Never miss any articles, videos, podcasts, or webinars by signing up for membership access to Laser Focus World online. You can manage your preferences all in one place—and provide our editorial team with your valued feedback.

Magazine Subscription

Can you subscribe to receive our print issue for free? Yes, you sure can!

Newsletter Subscription

Laser Focus World newsletter subscription is free to qualified professionals:

The Daily Beam

Showcases the newest content from Laser Focus World, including photonics- and optics-based applications, components, research, and trends. (Daily)

Product Watch

The latest in products within the photonics industry. (9x per year)

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

The latest in products within the biophotonics industry. (4x per year)

Laser Processing Product Watch

The latest in products within the laser processing industry. (3x per year)

Get Published!

If you’d like to write an article for us, reach out with a short pitch to Sally Cole Johnson: [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

Photonics Hot List

Laser Focus World produces a video newscast that gives a peek into what’s happening in the world of photonics.

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast dives deep into the fascinating world of photonics. Our weekly episodes feature interviews and discussions with industry and research experts, providing valuable perspectives on the issues, technologies, and trends shaping the photonics community.

Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

Nerdio Secures $500 Million in Series C Investment from General Atlantic at $1 Billion+ Valuation

Chicago, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nerdio, the automated End-User Computing (EUC) platform transforming how organizations deploy and manage Microsoft cloud technologies, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement for a $500 million minority investment from General Atlantic, a leading global growth investor, with participation from Lead Edge Capital and StepStone. Upon closing, the investment will quadruple Nerdio's valuation in just two years to $1 billion+.

Companies waste millions trying to manage complex cloud environments, relying on highly-skilled IT talent and outdated tools. This challenge has become increasingly critical as flexible work models become the norm and end-user computing requires increasing sophistication. Industry analysts project the Desktop-as-a-Service market will exceed $60 billion by 2037, growing by 18% annually, as organizations worldwide seek more efficient ways to deliver secure, high-performance digital workspaces to their employees.

Nerdio solves this problem with a platform that simplifies Microsoft cloud management, automating both routine and complex processes while making the most of existing resources and enabling cost savings. The platform allows organizations to deliver better digital workspace experiences for employees while eliminating the complexity typically associated with cloud infrastructure—all without requiring specialized technical expertise.

The Nerdio platform serves more than 5 million users across 15,000 customers in over 50 countries, including Chevron, Impact Networking, Kraft Heinz, ASDA, Carnival Cruise Line, Willis Towers Watson, and Penn State University.

Nerdio's record over the past year included:

  • Scaling profitably at over 85% year-over-year ARR growth
  • Being awarded 2024 Microsoft Americas Partner of the Year
  • Influencing more than $350 million of Microsoft revenue
  • Launching 20 product releases, including new Microsoft 365 management capabilities for Nerdio Manager for MSP, broad endpoint management and application delivery enhancements, and AI infused into all products
  • Expanding its global presence with new offices in the EMEA and APAC regions

"The workplace has fundamentally changed, with remote and hybrid models becoming standard for organizations of all sizes," said Vadim Vladimirskiy, Co-Founder and CEO of Nerdio. "Most companies struggle with the technical complexities and costs of supporting this transformation. Nerdio's platform turns what would be months of engineering work into automated processes that any IT team can manage. We are pleased to partner with General Atlantic on the next stage of our growth journey and believe this investment will accelerate our mission to make cloud management simple and cost-effective for every organization, regardless of their technical resources."

“Switching from traditional virtual desktop infrastructures to Nerdio has truly been transformative for Teleperformance,” said Garion Bown, Global Vice President of Virtualization Technologies at Teleperformance. “The challenge with traditional VDI is that you still have that legacy mindset with infrastructure. With the capabilities of the cloud, you now have the ability to essentially manage your entire infrastructure, and that's what drove me to Nerdio. The ability to no matter where I was in the world, have a central management plane for my organization."

The new funding will help drive innovation and growth across several strategic areas:

  • Accelerating product innovation for the End-User Computing (EUC) market and Managed Service Providers (MSPs), including enhanced Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Microsoft 365 management solutions to simplify IT operations and boost efficiency
  • Expanding Nerdio’s global presence to serve growing international demand
  • Augmenting its engineering and customer success teams to support rapid customer growth

“Nerdio is enabling the transition of virtualization to the cloud and is delivering immediate and measurable value to organizations struggling with cloud complexity,” said Aaron Goldman, Managing Director and Head of Enterprise Technology at General Atlantic. “The team’s ability to combine technical innovation with ease of use has resulted in remarkable customer loyalty and growth.”

Asher Hecht, Principal at General Atlantic, added, “We’re excited to support Nerdio’s vision of making advanced cloud workspace technology accessible to all organizations.”

As part of the investment, General Atlantic will take two seats on Nerdio's board, with Aaron Goldman and Asher Hecht representing the firm. J.P. Morgan served as exclusive financial advisor to Nerdio. With no debt, ongoing profitability, and a growing global footprint, Nerdio is well-positioned to scale while continuing to prioritize its mission—making cloud management accessible, cost-effective, and effortless for organizations of all sizes and managed service providers.

Nerdio is hiring across all departments. For more information, visit: https://getnerdio.com/careers-nerdio/


Kaitlyn Ethier
Nerdio
kethier@getnerdio.com

Emily Japlon & Sara Widmann
General Atlantic 
media@generalatlantic.com

Primary Logo

Stock Quote API & Stock News API supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service.