Forward Networks
Forward Networks transforms networks to be reliable, agile, predictable, and secure. Its software creates a mathematically accurate digital twin of multi-vendor, hybrid and multi-cloud networks so network, security, cloud and compliance teams can understand behavior, verify intent, predict change impact, and operate with confidence.
At a Glance
- Large enterprises with complex multi-vendor networks
- Financial services
- Telecommunications and service providers
- Media and entertainment
- +4 more
AI Tools by Forward Networks
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Forward AI
AI Network Digital Twin Assistant
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Latest News
Forward Predict is now generally available.
Forward Networks introduced Forward AI for trusted, verifiable network answers and agentic operations.
Forward announced record 2025 results; multi-year deals surged 175 percent.
Forward expanded operations to Japan with local support, services and partnerships.
Products & Services
The core network digital-twin platform. It ingests configuration and operational state from routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, cloud environments and other infrastructure to create a mathematically accurate, vendor-agnostic model for discovery, inventory, topology, search, path analysis, policy verification, security and compliance.
Agentic AI capability built on Forward Enterprise. It answers natural-language network questions with inspectable evidence, supports persona-aware investigations, validates automated actions against the digital twin, and exposes a verification foundation through MCP and APIs.
Change-impact prediction capability that uses the digital twin to show the likely effect of proposed network changes before they reach production.
Forward Enterprise's query engine for searching network behavior and state like a database, writing reusable checks, tracing paths and validating routing, firewall, segmentation and configuration intent.
Market Position
Forward positions itself as the network-digital-twin and mathematically verified alternative to fragmented monitoring, documentation and automation tools. Its differentiator is a behaviorally accurate, vendor-agnostic model that can prove reachability and policy behavior and predict change impact across on-premises, cloud and hybrid networks. Identified competitors and alternatives include NetBrain Technologies, IP Fabric and NetFabric.
Leadership
Founders
David Erickson
Stanford Ph.D. graduate and member of the Stanford team that created and operated early software-defined/OpenFlow networks; CEO and co-founder of Forward Networks.
Nikhil Handigol
Stanford Ph.D. graduate and early software-defined-networking researcher; co-founder, formerly Forward's networking architect and now Chief AI Officer. He is a named co-inventor on eight network-analysis and monitoring patents.
Brandon Heller
Stanford Ph.D. graduate and member of the Stanford software-defined-networking/OpenFlow research team; CTO and co-founder of Forward Networks.
Peyman Kazemian
Stanford Ph.D. graduate whose dissertation research produced techniques for accurately modeling complex network-device behavior and formally verifying network properties; Chief Scientist and co-founder.
Executive Team
David Erickson
CEO and Co-founder
Stanford Ph.D. graduate and early software-defined-networking researcher.
Nikhil Handigol
Chief AI Officer and Co-founder
Stanford Ph.D. graduate; leads Forward AI and has designed mathematically grounded systems for large-scale network operations.
Board of Directors
Founding Story
The four founders met as Stanford Ph.D. researchers operating early OpenFlow networks. They experienced firsthand that existing tools could not handle the complexity of those networks, then learned enterprise operators had the same problem. Peyman Kazemian's research on accurately modeling device behavior and formally verifying network properties became the technical foundation for a company intended to replace spreadsheets, tribal knowledge and guesswork with a behaviorally accurate mathematical model of the network.
Business Model
Revenue Model
Enterprise modular subscription licensed by modeled device, not by user, query or event. Customers start with a Base module and add Network and/or Security modules; the company also provides customer success and professional services.
Pricing Tiers
Required foundation with discovery, inventory, topology and search.
Additive module for network operations and assurance.
Additive module for security, policy and compliance use cases.
Target Markets
- Large enterprises with complex multi-vendor networks
- Financial services
- Telecommunications and service providers
- Media and entertainment
- Technology companies
- Healthcare and pharmaceuticals
- Network operations troubleshooting and faster incident resolution
- Security operations, attack-surface and vulnerability analysis
- Cloud and hybrid-network visibility and assurance
- Compliance audits, continuous policy validation and federal requirements
- Change management, migration, mergers and acquisitions
- Network automation with pre-change safety verification
- Goldman Sachs
- PayPal
- S&P Global
- IBM