Safer production workflows, less manual overhead, and less dependence on fragmented infrastructure tooling.
Current focus: Debian and Ubuntu, with Red Hat-family support planned after open testing.
Materials are shared 1:1 with verified investors via corporate email. NDA available on request.
Docker adoption is already mainstream, but secure day-to-day infrastructure operations are still too fragmented, too manual, and too dependent on scarce specialist time. This creates a practical gap for a product that makes safer operational defaults easier to adopt for smaller teams.
Even relatively small companies need reliable deployments, access control, service exposure, backup discipline, and security-aware workflows to run customer-facing infrastructure safely.
Many teams cannot justify or sustain full-time DevOps and security coverage, yet still face the same operational risks and delivery pressure as larger organizations.
Existing tools may simplify parts of container management, but teams still frequently assemble multiple products and manual server workflows for secure operations, hardening, and service governance.
Convenience is common. Secure operational discipline by default is not. This leaves a gap between “it works” and “it is structured to run safely over time.”
Starting with Docker-based deployments on Debian and Ubuntu keeps the entry scope focused, addresses a large self-hosted market, and creates a realistic path toward broader platform expansion later.
Once the core workflow is validated in open testing, the product can expand toward Red Hat-family support, deeper hardening, monitoring, automation, and more structured enterprise-oriented deployment patterns.
CrateOps is positioned as a focused infrastructure software play: a Docker-first operational layer for teams that need safer production workflows without the cost and complexity of assembling them manually.
Many SMBs, startups, and MSPs still rely on fragmented tooling, direct server work, and specialist effort to operate Docker-based infrastructure safely in production.
The current product scope is intentionally narrow: Debian and Ubuntu, Docker Engine 24+, Docker Compose v2, and closed testing around real operational workflows before broader platform expansion.
CrateOps is not being positioned as a generic hosting panel. Its direction centers on safer defaults, controlled access, least privilege, and infrastructure workflows designed with operational security in mind.
Debian/Ubuntu provides a commercially realistic entry point today, while Red Hat-family support, deeper hardening, and broader enterprise-oriented workflows create a credible expansion path later.
The product is being developed from direct infrastructure and security practice rather than as a purely financial or marketing concept, reducing the gap between product claims and implementation reality.
Detailed terms, supporting materials, and deeper technical documentation are shared 1:1 with verified investors, allowing the public page to stay focused while preserving room for serious diligence.
Base architecture is already implemented and can be reviewed under NDA.
Prototype target is 2–3 weeks from the current state.
MVP target is 3–5 months, then open testing.
Red Hat-family support is planned after open testing.
Prototype notes, roadmap details, and summary metrics are available in the data room under NDA.
Hardened presets, RBAC, 2FA, and WAF hooks. Safe defaults are the baseline, not an add-on.
The current build is Docker-first. Red Hat-family support is planned later, after open testing validates the core workflow.
Event-driven IP blocking, backups, and observability reduce manual work for MSP and SMB teams.
Local control and licensing fit regulated customers where cloud control planes are restricted.
| Capability | CrateOps Panel | Portainer | Rancher | Webmin/Cockpit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rootless Docker parity | Partial* | K8s-focused | Partial* | |
| Incident automation loop (Wazuh → iptables) | Add-ons | |||
| Opinionated hardened service presets | Generic | K8s apps | Generic | |
| Enterprise hardening service (SELinux, WAF, CIS baselines) | CrateOps-only |
* Indicative and based on public docs; feature availability varies by version and setup.
Enterprise customers can request fully hardened server configurations — with WAF, SELinux, and CIS-based presets applied by CrateOps specialists.
Versioned, signed service roles with SBOM (Syft/Grype) for verifiable supply chain and safe rollbacks.
Automated iptables/quarantine/notify with audit trail; one pipeline for incident reactions.
Curated hardened presets + assisted rollout with 3–5 MSP design partners. Capture ops feedback to lock SLAs and support playbooks.
Public Docker hardening recipes + practical guides to seed usage. Paid upgrades: multi-node orchestration, SSO/RBAC, license server.
Centralized logs, alerts, reactions, and license billing. Natural upsell from single-host roles to multi-node fleets.
Enterprise add-on: hardened server baselines as a service (SELinux, WAF, CIS) available for corporate rollouts.
| Scope | Definition | Assumption placeholder |
|---|---|---|
| Global SMB/MSP hosts running secure containerized workloads | To be validated with partner data (NDA) | |
| Docker-first Linux footprints requiring on-prem or air-gapped ops; Red Hat-family support follows open testing | To be modeled with pricing tiers | |
| Reachable via design partners + MSP channel within 24 months | Target: initial $1–2M ARR corridor |
Detailed numbers and sources are provided in the data room.
Docker-first core · Reaction Bus · Signed presets
Secure 3–5 design partners; assisted rollout; SLA scoping.
Backups · Import path · LTS scope for v1
Launch 1–2 MSP bundles; docs → trial funnel; pricing test.
MSP references · Multi-node upsell motion
Expand MSP channel; case studies; attach nudges in product.
Timelines assume solo development with ×3 buffer already applied.
Illustrative; concrete figures depend on tier mix and channel margins.
| Risk | Mitigation | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery Long dev cycles (solo) | Realistic ×3 buffer; modular releases; focus on Docker-first delivery before Red Hat-family expansion. | Slower roadmap |
| Competition Competing panels | Security-first defaults, on-prem licensing, and CVD workflow as core moat. | Feature parity race |
| Enterprise Enterprise requirements | Early MSP pilots; Panel Plus path to SSO, multi-node, and SLA. | Lost deals |
CrateOps is currently in early-stage investor discussions. The goal of this round is to complete MVP delivery, validate the product through real testing scenarios, and establish the foundation for broader commercial rollout.
Access is 1:1 for verified investors. Please include:
Aleksei Kriachko — Linux admin & InfoSec specialist. Product focus: secure Docker-based infrastructure, controlled operational workflows, and staged expansion from Debian/Ubuntu toward Red Hat-family support after open testing.
We share materials 1:1 with verified investors via corporate email under NDA.
Include your website or LinkedIn, role/title, investor type (fund or angel), typical check size, and timing — we’ll reply with the next steps and NDA flow where appropriate.
Links and detailed materials are shared after verification. NDA available.
CrateOps® Panel