Qualys vs Rapid7: Founders, CEOs and History
Qualys was founded in 1999 by Philippe Courtot, Gilles Samoun, Mehrdad Bidgoli and is led by Sumedh Thakar. Rapid7 was founded in 2000 by Alan Matthews, Tas Giakouminakis, Chad Loder and is led by Corey Thomas.
Company facts
Founders
Qualys
Philippe Courtot
Philippe Courtot (1944–2021) was a visionary Franco-American tech entrepreneur who led cc:Mail and Signio before investing in Qualys in 1999 and becoming CEO in 2001.
Gilles Samoun
Gilles Samoun is a serial software entrepreneur who co-founded Qualys in December 1999 to create automated web-based network vulnerability scanning tools, later founding and leading several enterprise SaaS ventures.
Mehrdad Bidgoli
Mehrdad Bidgoli was one of the early co-founders and architects who participated in the inception of Qualys in late 1999, helping lay the conceptual foundation for automated remote vulnerability scanning.
Philippe Langlois
Philippe Langlois is a French cybersecurity researcher and network security pioneer who co-founded Qualys in 1999, architecting the original technical vulnerability scanning framework that evolved into QualysGuard.
Rapid7
Alan Matthews
Alan Matthews co-founded Rapid7 in July 2000 and served as its initial Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Tas Giakouminakis
Tas Giakouminakis co-founded Rapid7 in July 2000 and served as its long-time Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Prior to Rapid7, Giakouminakis led software engineering and product architecture teams at multiple technology firms.
Chad Loder
Chad Loder co-founded Rapid7 in July 2000, serving as an early engineering leader and technical architect. A graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in computer science, Loder previously worked at software startups building network security tools.
CEOs and their tenures
Qualys
- Sumedh Thakar
President and Chief Executive Officer
- Joo Mi Kim
Chief Financial Officer
- Dino DiMarino
Chief Revenue Officer
- Pinkesh Shah
Chief Product Officer
Rapid7
- Corey Thomas
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
- Tim Adams
Former Chief Financial Officer
- Rafe Brown
Chief Financial Officer
- Tas Giakouminakis
Co-Founder and Former Chief Technology Officer
- Alan Matthews
Co-Founder, Former CEO and Chairman
Timeline: Qualys and Rapid7 side by side
1999Qualys
Qualys Founded in Foster City
Gerhard Eschelbeck and early software founders establish Qualys to pioneer cloud-delivered vulnerability management.
2000Rapid7
Rapid7 Founded in Boston
Alan Matthews, Tas Giakouminakis, and Chad Loder found Rapid7 to build advanced network vulnerability scanning.
2001Qualys
Philippe Courtot Joins as CEO
Philippe Courtot assumes leadership, establishing the multi-tenant SaaS architecture for enterprise security.
2002Qualys
Launch of QualysGuard Cloud Platform
Introduces the QualysGuard cloud engine, allowing enterprises to scan global networks without local hardware.
2003Rapid7
Release of NeXpose Vulnerability Scanner
Launches NeXpose, introducing vulnerability assessment software for enterprise IT infrastructures.
2009Qualys
Qualys Scans Surpass 100 Million
Processes over 100 million annual network scans, proving the scalability of multi-tenant cloud security.
2009Rapid7
Landmark Acquisition of Metasploit
Acquires the world's most famous open-source penetration testing framework, Metasploit, and creator H.D. Moore.
2012Qualys
Initial Public Offering on NASDAQ (QLYS)
Lists on NASDAQ, establishing an industry reputation for software profitability and 80%+ gross margins.
2012Rapid7
Corey Thomas Appointed Chief Executive Officer
Corey Thomas assumes the role of CEO, leading the transformation into a multi-product cloud analytics leader.
2015Qualys
Invention of the Qualys Cloud Agent
Pioneers lightweight, low-footprint endpoint agent eliminating scheduled network scanning windows.
2015Rapid7
Initial Public Offering on NASDAQ (RPD)
Completes successful IPO on NASDAQ, raising $103 million to accelerate cloud software development.
2015Rapid7
Launch of Insight Platform and InsightIDR
Unveils the cloud-native Insight platform, introducing InsightIDR for user behavior analytics and cloud SIEM.
2017Rapid7
Acquisition of Komand for Security Automation (SOAR)
Acquires orchestration startup Komand, launching InsightConnect to automate SOC response workflows.
2018Qualys
Launch of Global IT Asset Management (ITAM)
Expands into continuous asset discovery, indexing hardware, software, and cloud assets in real time.
2019Rapid7
Rapid Expansion of Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
Establishes 24/7 global SOC centers, scaling turnkey MDR services for mid-market and enterprise clients.
2020Qualys
Launch of VMDR (Vulnerability Management, Detection & Response)
Landmark platform launch unifying discovery, vulnerability detection, prioritization, and response.
2020Rapid7
Acquisition of DivvyCloud for Cloud Security
Acquires DivvyCloud for $145M, establishing InsightCloudSec for multi-cloud posture management (CSPM).
2021Qualys
Sumedh Thakar Appointed CEO
Long-standing Chief Product Officer Sumedh Thakar succeeds Philippe Courtot as President and CEO.
2021Rapid7
Acquisition of IntSights for Threat Intelligence
Acquires IntSights for $335M to embed contextual external threat intelligence into the Insight platform.
2022Qualys
Unveils Qualys TruRisk Quantification
Integrates risk-based scoring algorithms to translate technical CVEs into board-level monetary risk metrics.
2023Qualys
Automated Patch Management Scaling
Expands automated cloud agent patch deployment, closing vulnerabilities without third-party tools.
2023Rapid7
Launch of AI-Driven SecOps and Threat Detection
Integrates machine learning across InsightIDR to automate alert correlation and cut false positive alerts.
2024Qualys
Revenue Reaches $590M with 27%+ Net Profit Margin
Generates $590M in annual revenue, delivers $160M in net income, and serves 70% of Forbes Global 50.
2024Rapid7
Annual Revenue Surpasses $777M with Record Free Cash Flow
Delivers $777M in revenue, scales ARR past $796M, and expands global MDR operations.
2026Qualys
Advances AI-Native Exposure Remediation
Deploys autonomous risk-based patch orchestration across 10,000+ hybrid enterprise environments.
2026Rapid7
Scales Next-Gen Autonomous Cloud Threat Defense
Deploys real-time offensive-defensive threat correlation across 11,000+ enterprise environments.
Acquisitions
Qualys
- Blue Hexagon2022Undisclosed
- TotalCloud2021Undisclosed
- Spell Security2020Undisclosed
- Adya2019Undisclosed
- Layered Insight2018Undisclosed
- 1Mobility2018Undisclosed
Rapid7
- Minerva Labs2023$38M
- Alcide2021$50M
- IntSights2021$335M
- DivvyCloud2020$145M
- Komand2017Undisclosed
- Logentries2015$68M
Questions about Qualys vs Rapid7
Who is the CEO of Qualys and Rapid7?
Qualys is led by Sumedh Thakar and Rapid7 is led by Corey Thomas. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Qualys founded vs Rapid7?
Qualys was founded in 1999 — 1 year before Rapid7, which was founded in 2000. Qualys's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Rapid7.
How many employees does Qualys have compared to Rapid7?
Qualys employs approximately 2,200 people, while Rapid7 employs approximately 2,300. Rapid7 has the larger workforce at 2,300 employees, compared to Qualys's 2,200. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Qualys and Rapid7 headquartered?
Both Qualys and Rapid7 are headquartered in United States. Their local rules and tax obligations may still differ.
Who founded Qualys and Rapid7?
Qualys was founded by Philippe Courtot, Gilles Samoun, Mehrdad Bidgoli, Philippe Langlois. Rapid7 was founded by Alan Matthews, Tas Giakouminakis, Chad Loder.
Which company has a longer operating history — Qualys or Rapid7?
Qualys has been operating for approximately 27 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Rapid7 has been in operation for around 26 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Qualys vs Rapid7 overview