Peter Shafton currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at ngrok, a company specializing in API-first ingress-as-a-service solutions that enable developers to build secure, reliable, and high-performance internet applications. He has held this position since 2022.
Peter brings extensive expertise in large-scale distributed systems, cloud computing, and media applications, developed through leadership roles at industry-defining companies including Twilio and Cisco. Prior to joining ngrok, he was the Vice President of Technology Research at Twilio (2020–2021) and served as an Advisor at fin.com (2022–2023). His background encompasses system architecture and engineering leadership in rapidly evolving technical landscapes, particularly focused on developer tooling and API economies.
Peter holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (1987–1992), indicating a strong foundation in complex engineering principles and systems thinking.
At ngrok, Peter has been publicly recognized for unveiling the company’s impact on securing connections and innovating technology through zero-trust architecture and robust data compliance, which supports trustworthy and secured data handling. He has actively communicated these insights via podcasts, interviews, and online presentations, including notable appearances on the Square Developer podcast (April 2025) and Postman’s “Breaking Changes” series (July 2022, September 2022), where he discussed the evolution of ngrok from a simple debugging tool to a sophisticated platform with over 450,000 active monthly users.
Ngrok under Peter’s technical leadership successfully secured a $50 million Series A funding round in December 2022, led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, aimed at scaling its "ingress-as-a-service" platform to meet increasing market demand. Peter emphasizes empowering developer teams and enhancing productivity through programmable traffic and API-first strategies, leveraging his past experience of leading architecture efforts that supported global marketplaces such as Uber and DoorDash at Twilio.
His role at ngrok involves steering the company’s technology vision at the intersection of application ingress, networking, and security. Peter’s contributions focus on enabling seamless, secure connectivity for distributed developer environments, combining cloud-native innovations with a strong commitment to developer experience and operational excellence.
Key Technical and Professional Highlights:
- Chief Technology Officer at ngrok (2022–present)
- Vice President of Technology Research at Twilio (2020–2021)
- Advisor at fin.com (2022–2023)
- Expertise in distributed systems, cloud architectures, and media applications
- Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering from UC Berkeley
- Public advocate for zero-trust architecture, API-first design, and developer empowerment
- Instrumental in ngrok’s growth to 450,000+ active monthly users and successful $50M Series A funding
- Frequent speaker in industry forums elucidating API economy trends and modern infrastructure engineering
This profile positions Peter Shafton as a highly experienced engineering leader with a technical and strategic focus on advancing API-centric connectivity and security platforms, making him a pivotal figure in ngrok’s mission to revolutionize developer access to internet infrastructure.
