Tailscale

Tailscale, Inc. builds networking software that combines WireGuard with identity-based access control, so devices, servers and services can be reached over a private encrypted mesh instead of a traditional VPN concentrator. The company was founded in 2019 and is registered in Toronto, Ontario, where its legal entity sits, although it describes itself as a fully remote company.

The core product is delivered as a hosted service that sets up in minutes without firewall rules or dedicated hardware. Commercial layers sit around it: Tailscale PAM for privileged access management, Tailscale SSH for recording and auditing command-line sessions, and Aperture, a governance product covering AI agents and users. Personal use and open-source projects are served at no cost, while organisations pay per user.

Traffic travels directly between endpoints, which the company says means it never sees user packets and keeps its infrastructure cost low enough for the free plan to stay free. Backers listed on the company's site include Accel, CRV, Insight Partners, Heavybit and Uncork Capital. Common deployments include remote access to internal databases, connecting CI/CD runners to build systems, and giving contractors scoped access to a small number of services.