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§ Venture Capital · San Jose, CA, USA
Corporate venture capital arm of Cisco Systems, investing in emerging technology startups focused on networking, security, cloud.
Cisco Investments is the corporate venture capital arm of Cisco Systems, investing in emerging technology startups and venture funds from its headquarters in San Jose, California. The firm deploys approximately $200 million annually across the technology sector, maintaining a current portfolio of more than 120 active direct investments and positions in over 40 venture capital funds. Backed by a parent company with a $306.8 billion market capitalization, the group targets strategic areas including networking, cybersecurity, and cloud computing, having driven over $2 billion in exits within the Israeli tech ecosystem. Its historical and current portfolio features prominent enterprise technology companies such as VMware, OpenDNS, Qumranet, and Riverhead, many of which have subsequently been acquired. Cisco Investments was established in 1993 by Cisco Systems, an enterprise networking corporation originally founded by Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner.
Key people at Cisco Investments.
Cisco Investments was founded in 1993 by Nicholas Brathwaite (Co-Founder, Partner).
Cisco Investments is the corporate venture capital arm of Cisco Systems, established in 1993, that invests hundreds of millions annually in over 100 active companies and 50+ venture funds globally. Its mission centers on fostering innovation aligned with Cisco’s core enterprise IT, networking, and emerging technology markets, including AI, security, cloud computing, silicon & optics, and sustainability. Cisco Investments prioritizes strategic alignment and long-term value creation over purely financial returns, leveraging Cisco’s global salesforce, technical expertise, and ecosystem to accelerate portfolio company growth and market impact[1][3].
Originating as Cisco’s strategic investment vehicle, Cisco Investments has evolved to encompass direct investments, fund partnerships, and strategic M&A worldwide, with offices in North America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Key partners include Cisco’s corporate development and domain business teams, which collaborate closely with portfolio companies to provide operational support and market access. The launch of a $1 billion AI-focused investment fund in 2024 highlights its commitment to advancing secure, reliable AI technologies and expanding the AI startup ecosystem[1][6].
Cisco Investments rides the wave of digital transformation trends such as AI adoption, cloud migration, cybersecurity, and next-generation networking (including 5G and quantum). The timing is critical as enterprises demand secure, scalable, and intelligent infrastructure to support hybrid work, multi-cloud environments, and AI-driven applications. Cisco’s investments influence the ecosystem by accelerating innovation in foundational technologies (e.g., silicon photonics, quantum networking) and enabling startups to collaborate with a global technology leader, thus shaping the future of enterprise IT and connectivity[1][3][4][5].
Looking ahead, Cisco Investments is poised to deepen its focus on AI, sustainability, and emerging infrastructure technologies, leveraging its $1 billion AI fund and expanding partnerships with startups like Cohere, Mistral AI, and Scale AI. Trends such as generative AI, secure AI deployment, and circular economy initiatives will shape its investment strategy. Cisco’s role as a strategic partner and platform provider will likely grow, enabling startups to scale rapidly while integrating into Cisco’s broad customer ecosystem, reinforcing its influence in the evolving tech landscape[6][7]. This positions Cisco Investments not just as a capital provider but as a catalyst for innovation that aligns with Cisco’s mission to connect and secure the future.
Key people at Cisco Investments.
Cisco Investments was founded in 1993 by Nicholas Brathwaite (Co-Founder, Partner).
Cisco Investments has more than 26 tracked investments across 25 companies. The latest tracked deal is $15.0M Other Equity in Aliro Technologies in February 2026.
