Ngrok is the provider of website hosting and application authentication testing services intended to secure URL (uniform resource locator) to the localhost server. The company offers a free program that detects a process running on the localhost and the public internet, creates a secure tunnel URL to make the local application publicly accessible, and provides a web interface dashboard that prints out details on any HTTP traffic that's going through a tunnel as well as generates a random subdomain, enabling developers to spend more time writing quality software.

Ngrok raised $50 million in a Series A round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners to expand its API-first ingress-as-a-service platform. The company's goal is to collapse the complex web of networking technologies into a unified layer, allowing developers to deliver apps consistently regardless of the deployment environment. With a single command, developers can instantly enable secure connectivity for their apps and APIs. Ngrok's platform is used by 5 million developers, including 30,000 paying customers such as Databricks, Zendesk, and SonarSource.

For potential employees, Ngrok offers the opportunity to work on a platform that empowers developers and unlocks the potential of modern API-driven architectures. However, Ngrok faces competition from well-funded startups in the networking space, such as Tailscale, which raised $100 million for its mesh networking technology.