Object First’s 183% Growth Signals Urgent Shift to Immutable Backups

DENVER, CO – February 10, 2026 – In a technology market where steady single-digit growth is the norm, Object First, a company specializing in on-premises backup storage, has reported a staggering 183% year-over-year increase in global bookings for 2025. This explosive growth, marking the company’s second consecutive year of triple-digit expansion, is more than just a corporate success story; it’s a clear indicator of a profound and urgent shift in how organizations are confronting the relentless scourge of ransomware.

While the broader data protection market is growing at a healthy, but comparatively modest, 16% annually, Object First’s performance points to a market frantically seeking a silver bullet. With the cost of cybercrime projected to hit an astronomical $10.5 trillion annually by the end of 2025, businesses are no longer just planning for cyberattacks—they are re-architecting their defenses with the assumption that a breach is inevitable. This reality has thrust a once-niche technology, immutable backup storage, into the spotlight as an essential last line of defense.

A Market Fueled by Resilience

The driving force behind this trend is the evolution of ransomware itself. Modern attacks no longer just encrypt primary data; they actively hunt for and destroy backups, eliminating any chance of a quick recovery. In this high-stakes environment, the concept of immutability—creating a backup copy of data that cannot be altered, deleted, or encrypted, even by an administrator with full credentials—has transitioned from a “nice-to-have” to a non-negotiable pillar of cyber resilience.

Industry data confirms this sentiment, with a recent survey revealing that 69% of IT decision-makers now consider immutable storage essential for their cybersecurity strategy. Object First’s meteoric rise is a direct reflection of this demand. The company, which launched in 2023, has rapidly expanded its global footprint, seeing record growth across international markets. Its EMEA business skyrocketed by 515% year-over-year, while the Americas also saw a robust 125% increase in bookings. This expansion wasn't just in volume; the number of high-value, six-figure deals grew by an impressive 250%, signaling that large enterprises are making significant investments in this technology.

“Thanks to our partnership with Object First, we are confident that the integrity of our on-prem disaster recovery is iron-clad,” noted Tyler Jacobson, a Network and Security Analyst at Argus Research. This sentiment underscores the core value proposition: the peace of mind that comes from knowing your recovery plan is shielded from the very attack it's designed to overcome.

The Power of a Niche Strategy

Object First’s success isn't just about being in the right market at the right time. A key component of its strategy is its laser focus on the Veeam ecosystem. By designing its Ootbi (Out-of-the-Box Immutability) appliances to be “purpose-built for Veeam,” the company has tapped into a massive and loyal user base. Veeam, a leader in the data protection space with over 550,000 customers, provides a fertile ground for a highly optimized, plug-and-play solution.

This niche focus allows for deep integration that generalized solutions struggle to match. The result is a product that promises not just security, but also simplicity and power. Customers benefit from a streamlined deployment process that can reduce implementation time from days to hours. Adam Kirby, Chief Commercial Officer at partner HybrIT, confirmed this, stating, “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.”

This deep integration also enables performance enhancements and unique security features. The company’s recent firmware updates, for instance, delivered 10-20% faster data ingest and restore speeds—critical metrics when recovering from an attack. By focusing its engineering resources on a single platform, Object First can deliver a level of performance and user experience that resonates strongly with its target audience.

Beyond Backup: Evolving to Proactive Defense

While immutability is the core offering, Object First is also pushing the boundaries of what a backup appliance can do. The company’s latest product innovations demonstrate a strategic shift from purely reactive data protection to proactive cyber resilience, adding layers of intelligence and security to the backup environment itself.

A standout feature is 'Honeypot,' introduced in its version 1.7 software. The feature creates a decoy Veeam environment on a segregated part of the appliance. If a threat actor, having breached the primary network, attempts to access this decoy, the system instantly triggers an alert, providing an invaluable early warning of malicious activity targeting the backup infrastructure. This transforms the backup appliance from a passive storage target into an active security sensor.

Furthermore, the company is addressing the management challenges of distributed enterprises with the beta of 'Fleet Manager,' a cloud-based dashboard that allows customers to monitor their entire fleet of Object First appliances from a single interface. This is particularly crucial for organizations leveraging the new 'Ootbi Mini,' a compact appliance designed for remote offices and edge locations. With these tools, IT teams gain centralized visibility and control, ensuring consistent security posture and simplified management across their entire infrastructure.

This evolution is complemented by flexible deployment and consumption models. Object First now offers appliances ranging from a compact 8 TB for small businesses to a massive 432 TB unit that can scale up to 7 petabytes, alongside a pay-per-use subscription option. This flexibility allows organizations of any size to adopt ransomware-proof storage without prohibitive upfront costs, further accelerating market adoption.

As David Bennett, CEO of Object First, stated, “In 2025, we saw a global shift in awareness that immutable backup storage is the best defense against ransomware.” The company's record-breaking year, fueled by strategic focus, technological innovation, and a market desperate for solutions, proves that in the ongoing war against cybercrime, a truly unchangeable backup is becoming the ultimate weapon.