How Cato Networks is Putting Porsche at the Top of Formula E

In 2023, Porsche has risen to prominence in the all-electric racing category, taking the lead in both the Drivers’ and Teams’ championships as they approach the next round in Monaco.

A crucial component of Porsche’s sustained success is their technological alliance with Cato Networks, an industry leader in cloud networking and security infrastructure.

Co-founded in 2015 by Gur Shatz and Shlomo Kramer, Cato Networks has demonstrated remarkable growth, boosting its revenue from $1 million to $100 million in a mere five years. According to Andreas Bandel, Area Director DACH and EE, this rapid expansion positions the company as the “fastest growing network cyber security start-up on the planet.”

Bandel points out that the relationship between Cato Networks and the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team transcends traditional sponsorship and includes technological cooperation as well.

Cato Networks’ dedication to sustainability made them a fitting partner for Formula E. Thanks to Cato’s dependable and effective network, organizations can minimize the carbon footprint of remote sites by running applications in the cloud.

“The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is about sustainability, and this was another part of the decision to sponsor TAG Heuer Porsche,” Bandel said.

With the Formula E Championship visiting 11 distinct locations across the globe during the 2023 season, it is essential for Porsche to maintain a fast, secure, and dependable network to ensure success on the track.

Data from the circuit is transmitted by the German team to its research and development hub, facilitating real-time decisions that can influence the outcome of a race.

So far, the collaboration has yielded positive results in the new Gen3 era, with drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix da Costa clinching three victories for the team this year.

Friedmann Kurz, Porsche’s Head of IT, has expressed admiration for the work Cato Networks has accomplished behind the scenes, highlighting the necessity of security and reliability.

“Security for us requires reliability. Data loss could kill a race event which would be a worst-case situation – we wouldn’t be able to make the right decisions if data is missing,” he said.

Kurz was struck by the swiftness of the solution’s deployment: “I was impressed with how quickly the solution was implemented. It was literally days and everything was up and running and we could start optimizing our services based on the connection and that was mind-blowing almost.”

He commended the talented individuals who developed an outstanding product and delivered it without delay: “Many brilliant people in the background created a great product and helped us to deliver in no time, so we are really happy with how that works.”

Cato Networks is already incorporating feedback to ensure Porsche remains at the cutting edge of the sport. Bandel added, “We received extremely good feedback. The feedback is very good on how fast the implementation was, how fast they can get it up at the new race tracks every time.”