Object First triples growth on ransomware-proof backups

Object First reported a 183% year-on-year increase in worldwide bookings in 2025, citing rising demand for immutable on-premises backup storage positioned as a defence against ransomware.

The company said this was its strongest year since launching in 2023 and its second consecutive year of triple-digit growth across bookings, customers, and channel partners.

Growth was driven by international expansion and larger deal sizes. Bookings in EMEA rose 515% year on year, while the Americas grew 125%. The number of deals worth six figures and above increased 250% worldwide.

Object First also expanded its customer and partner base. Global customer numbers grew 193% in 2025, while transacting partners increased 215%.

Product changes

During the year, Object First added new appliance capacities, introduced a smaller appliance for remote and branch office deployments, launched a pay-per-use option, and rolled out software updates focused on performance and security.

The hardware portfolio now includes 20TB, 40TB, and 432TB appliances. Designed for Veeam environments, the systems can scale to 7PB. The company also launched Ootbi Mini, a compact immutable storage appliance for remote and branch offices, edge environments, and small businesses, available in 8TB, 16TB, and 24TB capacities.

Customers can choose between an upfront CapEx purchase and a subscription-style consumption model.

Software updates

According to the company, firmware version 1.6 delivered 10% to 20% faster data ingest and restore speeds. Version 1.7 introduced Honeypot, a ransomware detection feature that works with Veeam Backup and Replication.

Honeypot deploys a decoy Veeam Backup and Replication environment in a segmented area of an Object First appliance and sends alerts when it detects suspicious activity, the company said.

Object First has also started a beta programme for Fleet Manager, a cloud-based application for centralised monitoring of its appliances. Fleet Manager provides a single dashboard view of a customer's appliance fleet and includes cluster organisation, plus monitoring and reporting on hardware health and utilisation.

Ransomware focus

Object First positions immutable backup storage as a countermeasure to ransomware and other cyberattacks that target backup repositories. In many incidents, attackers attempt to delete or encrypt backups to increase pressure on victims and limit recovery options.

Chief Executive David Bennett linked the company's 2025 performance to increased attention on immutability in backup storage strategies.

"In 2025, we saw a global shift in awareness that immutable backup storage is the best defense against ransomware," Bennett said.

Channel growth

Object First credited part of its momentum to channel partners and said it ended the year with strength across sales regions.

"Our momentum grew throughout the year, and we ended Q4 with every sales territory recording its highest quarterly bookings ever," Bennett said.

He also pointed to partner activity as a key factor. "We continue to engage in the field with a growing number of channel partners, and their ability to collaborate and scale with us makes this success possible," Bennett said.

Partners and customers echoed the company's emphasis on on-premises recovery and deployment speed.

"Thanks to our partnership with Object First, we are confident that the integrity of our on-prem disaster recovery is iron-clad. We were also particularly impressed by the quick and easy implementation process and the ongoing support provided by Object First," said Tyler Jacobson, Network and Security Analyst, Argus Research.

Bob Evans, Senior Engineer Cloud Services at DataServ, highlighted the role of immutability alongside Veeam deployments. "If someone has Veeam and doesn't yet have an immutable backup solution-or even if they are using another immutable solution-I would encourage you to take a look at Object First. In my experience and research, it is well worth the price for that simple peace of mind," Evans said.

Adam Kirby, Chief Commercial Officer at HybrIT, pointed to deployment time. "By leveraging the increased efficiency and rapid installation of Object First, HybrIT has cut overall implementation and onboarding time for new customers from days to just hours," Kirby said.

Fleet Manager remains in beta, and Object First said it plans further expansion of its platform and partner footprint as demand for immutable backup storage continues.