Investor profile
Cisco Investments
CVC
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Cisco Investments is the corporate venture capital arm of Cisco Systems, investing in early- to growth-stage technology startups that deepen, broaden, and add value to Cisco's core capabilities across AI/ML, security, cloud, enterprise networking, data center, IoT, collaboration, and silicon & optics. The firm goes beyond capital, providing portfolio companies with access to Cisco's global salesforce, domain experts, and customer base to accelerate commercial growth. In 2024, Cisco launched a $1B Global AI Investment Fund focused on scalable AI infrastructure, foundational language models, data center modernization, and AI-powered security — reflecting its belief that it is 'well positioned to be the best strategic partner for customers in the AI era.' The firm also pursues both strategic returns and financial returns, targeting 'the combination of strategic intent and financial returns.'
Notable quotes
“Last year marked a transformative period for AI infrastructure, fueled by the rapid expansion of Generative AI and the increasing demands on underlying networks and systems. Cisco Investments was proud to lead the way with several marquee investments in AI Infrastructure that continue to shape the industry. Looking ahead, we remain committed to investing in scalable, reliable, and high-performance solutions that unlock AI's transformative potential while equally prioritizing energy efficiency and sustainability to ensure a balanced approach to innovation.”
“For more than 30 years, Cisco Investments has invested and partnered with hundreds of companies to drive innovation both within Cisco's core markets and in new strategic areas. Our recent investments in generative AI companies align perfectly with this long-standing strategy. At Cisco, we believe we are well positioned to be the best strategic partner for our customers in the AI era as they look to build, secure, and power AI.”
“2024 proved to be a transformative year for Cisco Investments, as we established the framework which will guide our investment strategies through the AI era.”
Team
Derek Idemoto
SVP, Corporate Development and Cisco Investments
Noah Yago
Vice President, Corporate Development and Cisco Investments
Janey Hoe
Principal, Cisco Investments
Rajiv Menon
Partner, Cisco Investments
Sherine Key
Partner, Cisco Investments
Recent investments
Frequent co-investors
| VC firm | Deals together |
|---|---|
| ServiceNow Ventures | 11 |
| NVIDIA | 8 |
| Lightspeed Venture Partners | 7 |
| Menlo Ventures | 6 |
| Sequoia Capital | 5 |
| NEA | 5 |
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