State-of-the-art fingerprint and face control technology showcases the Okta logo. All clients available to program users are in focus. The emblem promises that no one will go further until they are authorized.
Okta: Brand overview
Okta began with Todd McKinnon, a former Salesforce engineering executive, and Frederic Kerrest, who saw a growing identity problem as companies moved from local servers to cloud software. In January 2009, they founded SaaSure Inc. in San Francisco. In 2010, the company was renamed Okta, after “okta,” a unit used to measure cloud cover. The name reflected a focus on cloud technology without using the word “cloud” directly.
Its first products focused on Single Sign-On, allowing employees to use a single login across many corporate SaaS applications. Early funding came from Andreessen Horowitz, later joined by Greylock Partners and Sequoia Capital. Okta entered a market shaped by Microsoft Active Directory and newer rivals such as OneLogin. Its main distinction was neutrality: the platform worked with major software vendors rather than pushing companies toward Microsoft or Google.
In 2011, Okta launched its first full cloud identity management platform. By 2012, it was signing large enterprise customers, proving demand for independent access management. In 2014, a $75 million Series E round helped fund expansion into the Asia-Pacific region. On April 7, 2017, Okta went public on NASDAQ at $17 per share, raising $187 million. At the IPO, Sequoia Capital held a 21.2% stake.
By 2019, Okta reported more than 100 million registered users on its platform. In May 2021, it acquired Auth0, adding developer-focused customer identity tools, and later separated its offerings into Workforce Identity Cloud and Customer Identity Cloud. In October 2023, Okta disclosed a breach in its customer support system, which was later found to be broader than first reported. In fiscal 2025, despite reputational pressure, Okta reported its first non-GAAP operating profit above $587 million.
Meaning and History
Okta’s services are in demand among corporate IT teams. Its clients include over 4,000 large and well-known organizations, including Nestle Purina, JetBlue, 20th Century Fox, Pandora, and LinkedIn. Therefore, it is not surprising that the company’s logo is always in sight. It contains the service’s actual name, written in round lowercase letters.
In metrology, Okta is a unit of measure for cloud cover. It corresponds to 1/8 of the open sky cloud cover. The word “okta” comes from the transliteration of the Greek “okτώ,” meaning “8”. In numerology, the number eight symbolizes a new beginning and a connection with the past.
It’s worth noting that the identity management service was previously called SaaSure. However, due to inappropriate associations, Frederic Kerrest and Todd McKinnon dropped the name. According to McKinnon’s wife, SaaSure sounded like the name of a French perfume brand. This is what caused the unplanned rebranding.
What is Okta?
Okta is the new name of the American company Saasure Inc. It is the creator of cloud-based software offering effective security solutions. Its products are used by enterprises across industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and finance.
2009 – 2010
The logo has two parts: a text part and a graphic part. The graphic symbol looks like blue beehives arranged in four hexagons. They’re separated by a thin white line and are tilted sideways. This visual effect makes the right part appear distant to the viewers while bringing the left part closer. This is achieved by placing larger elements in the foreground and smaller ones in the background. On the right side is the word “SaaSure,” written as one word. At the same time, the right and left segments of the letters have different thicknesses. The font is mainly lowercase and rounded.
2010 – 2015
Saasure Inc. appeared in 2009, and just a year later, it was renamed Okta. Alongside the name, it received a new logo depicting several concentric circles in white and blue. The largest blue circle symbolizes Single Sign-On, a technology that allows applications to be accessed from any device without re-authenticating. The two rings around it resembled the letter “O” and connected the emblem with the inscription “okta.”
There was a smaller circle on the right. It looked like an inverted prohibition sign with two black semicircles inside. This symbol represents secure access to applications and protection against data loss. The company name was at the bottom. Letters with smooth curves in shape were combined with circles, and the dark color of the inscription corresponded to the chosen palette.
2015 – 2022
In the updated logo, the designers removed the geometric-shape composition and left only the word “okta.” The lowercase letters “o” and “a” are now circular to compensate for the old emblem’s lack. The inscription is not black but light blue, another attempt to preserve the familiar corporate identity.
Dropping the logo with circles, Okta relied on the wordmark. She had to leave the encrypted message in the caption: “o,” the main part of “a” is in the shape of a ring, which in the company’s iconography symbolizes each user, application, and process. The concentric circles on the old emblem had about the same meaning.
For Okta, lettering comes first because it’s the only element in the logo. The current typeface is vaguely similar to Odudo, which was created in 2016 based on ITC Avant Garde and Futura. The only distinguishing details are that Okta has rounded corners and the lowercase “a” has an additional bottom line.
The developers of the word mark did not focus on Odudo but made their own modified typeface. It was based on the font of the first company logo. It resembles Days Regular, created by Jovanny Lemonad in 2011. Okta has a smoother “k” with no curves on the diagonal lines.
The lettering is presented in the company’s blue corporate color. It has a shade of # 007BBF and is close to azure. In the past, the emblem palette contained three colors: blue (#0169AA), white (#FFFFFF), and black-brown (#212121). Now, white continues to be used only as a neutral background.
2022 – today
Okta’s logo delves into the theme of user identification by introducing a new symbol next to its brand name: a circle composed of multiple vertical rectangles, evoking the iconic Easter Island statues. Positioned with their wider sides toward the center, these rectangles coalesce to form a symbolic sun with blunt rays. This unique feature unmistakably ties into the company’s focus on identity, invoking notions of ancient civilization and modern tech in one seamless design.
Next to this striking symbol, the brand name “Okta” sits harmoniously centered within the adjacent circle. The letters of the name have been designed with geometrical precision. A balanced ratio of sides for each character is evident, and the typography has unique alterations to make it memorable. The “k” features a tiny crossbar, while the “t” lacks the left half of its horizontal line. The “a” is adorned with a rounded and elongated tail. All these elements are part of a meticulous design strategy that encapsulates Okta’s essence: precision, balance, and a touch of innovation.
The company adopted a strict monochrome color palette, removing distracting hues. The black-and-white shades convey professionalism and straightforwardness, qualities on which Okta prides itself. The monochrome scheme serves as a stark backdrop that emphasizes the design’s intricacies, making every element pop.
The Easter Island-inspired figures are more than an aesthetic choice. These statues were often placed at the island’s perimeter, serving as protective monuments. Drawing a parallel, Okta aims to serve as a guardian of digital identity, safeguarding the sanctity of user information. The sun-like formation of these statues conveys radiance, clarity, and omnipresence, qualities a company specializing in identity and authentication should embody.
The Okta logo combines elements of history, typography, and design to create an identity that is deeply meaningful and visually compelling. It stands as a confluence of ancient wisdom and modern technology, wrapped up in a design that is as functional as it is aesthetically pleasing.
Font and Colors
In different versions of the Okta logo, the inscriptions are done in bold lowercase fonts with smooth lines. The base font is Days Regular, created by typographer Jovanny Lemonad in 2011. As such, the developers modified it multiple times to fit the company’s concept. In the end, a version appeared that resembles Odudo with rounded corners and an elongated leg on the “a.” The “k” is also slightly different: it’s smooth, without bends on the diagonal lines.
The corporate color palette is based on azure blue #007BBF, classic black, and white #FFFFFF. Previously, the scheme included dark brown #212121 and blue #0169AA.







