Why DigitalOcean Needs Katanemo Labs More Than GPUs Right Now
DigitalOcean just acquired Katanemo Labs. Here's why the play isn't about GPUs—it's about controlling the operational layer for agentic AI.

Why it matters
DigitalOcean is strategically positioning itself beyond commodity GPU infrastructure by acquiring Katanemo Labs and its open-source Plano data plane, signaling a shift toward building proprietary operational intelligence for enterprise AI agents. This matters because infrastructure providers are now competing on software layers, not just compute.
The key facts
4 to knowDigitalOcean acquired Katanemo Labs
Katanemo Labs owns Plano open-source data plane
Strategic focus: operational layer for agentic AI
Acquisition positioned as alternative to GPU-centric infrastructure strategy
Go to the source
Forbes Innovationforbes.com
Publisher excerpt: DigitalOcean acquires Katanemo Labs and its open source Plano data plane to build an operational layer for agentic AI beyond GPU infrastructure.