Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly referred to as Cisco, is a multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in San Jose, California. Founded in 1984 by Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner, who were computer scientists at Stanford University, Cisco initially specialized in networking hardware, specifically routers that supported multiple network protocols. The company's development of Internet Protocol (IP) based networking technologies significantly contributed to the growth of the internet.

Cisco has since expanded its offerings to include a wide range of technology solutions and services in networking, cybersecurity, the Internet of Things (IoT), collaboration tools, and cloud computing. Their products and services are designed to transmit data, voice, and video traffic across networks around the world. Cisco is also known for its extensive certification program, which includes the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), among others.

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The Cisco Mafia

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The Cisco Mafia has founded 735 companies and raised $19 billion.

PS: Are you a Cisco Mafia member interested in bringing your community together to invest in innovative ventures (and enjoy potential profits and other perks along the way)? Or perhaps you're part of another dynamic group that could be a fantastic source of startup investments? 😉 Then sign up to our waitlist.

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List of all the amazing companies covered:
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• ChargePoint
• Five9
• Bloomreach
• Drip Capital
• Altiostar Networks
• Vectra Networks
• Nexthink
• Kodiak Robotics
• Nile
• BankBazaar.com
• Plex
• Minute Media
• Qwilt
• WorkRamp
• MainStreet
• Arevo
• RevenueCat
• Fable
• Paga
• Aira
• Reclaim.ai
• C2A Security
• Mapped
• Anvil
• Flume
• Arista Networks
• Aviator
• Argent

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ChargePoint

Founder: Richard Lowenthal

Cisco Role: VP and General Manager

Capital Raised: $1.4B

Investors: Kleiner Perkins

Stage: Grant

ChargePoint develops and manufactures technology for their network of electrical vehicle charging stations.

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Five9

Founder: James Southworth

Cisco Role: Sales Engineer

Capital Raised: $861.6M

Investors: Sapphire Ventures

Stage: Series D

Five9 is a cloud-based call center software company that specializes in sales, marketing, and customer service.

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Bloomreach

Founder: Raj De Datta

Cisco Role: Director, Product Marketing

Capital Raised: $452M

Investors: Bain Capital Ventures

Stage: Debt Financing

Bloomreach is a developer of a cloud-based software that connects both customer and product data to personalize all customer touch-points.

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Drip Capital

Founder: Neil Kothari

Cisco Role: Corporate Development

Capital Raised: $415.1M

Investors: Y Combinator

Stage: Debt Financing

Drip Capital offers trade financing product targeted towards SMEs in developing markets.

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Altiostar Networks

Founder: Pierre Kahhale

Cisco Role: VP Sales

Capital Raised: $357.5M

Investors: Rakuten

Stage: Series C

Altiostar Networks designs equipment focused on deploying and expanding mobile network operator’s LTE networks.

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Vectra Networks

Founder: Hitesh Sheth

Cisco Role: Sr Dir/GM

Capital Raised: $352.5M

Investors: IA Ventures

Stage: Series F

Vectra is a cybersecurity platform that uses AI to detect attackers in real time and perform conclusive incident investigations.

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Nexthink

Founder: Vincent Bieri

Cisco Role: Product Marketing Manager

Capital Raised: $345.9M

Investors: Index Ventures

Stage: Series D

Nexthink allows enterprises to create highly productive digital workplaces for their employees by delivering optimal end-user experience.

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Kodiak Robotics

Founder: Paz Eshel

Cisco Role: Corporate Development Associate - Acquisitions, Investments & Strategy

Capital Raised: $319.9M

Investors: CRV

Stage: Convertible Note

Kodiak Robotics develops autonomous technology for long-haul trucking.

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Nile

Founder: Pankaj Patel, Sri (Srikanth) Hosakote, Suresh Katukam

Cisco Role: Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President, Senior Manager

Capital Raised: $300M

Investors: ICONIQ Capital

Stage: Series C

Nile provides secure connectivity and network independence through a fully automated, wired and wireless LAN deployed entirely as a service.

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Minute Media

Founder: Asaf Peled

Cisco Role: Senior Manager, Corporate Development

Capital Raised: $160M

Investors: Battery Ventures

Stage: Venture - Series Unknown

Minute Media is a global technology and content company specializing in sports and culture.

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Qwilt

Founder: Alon Maor

Cisco Role: Engineering Manager

Capital Raised: $135.1M

Investors: Bessemer Venture Partners

Stage: Series E

Qwilt develops pioneering video delivery technology to power the online entertainment revolution.

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Plex

Founder: Cayce Ullman, Scott Olechowski

Cisco Role: Director of Engineering, IronPor, Manager, Business Development

Capital Raised: $121M

Investors: Kleiner Perkins

Stage: Series C

Plex offers streaming of movies, TV shows, and music, plus personal media organization across devices.

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BankBazaar.com

Founder: Adhil Shetty

Cisco Role: Engineer

Capital Raised: $115M

Investors: Experian Ventures

Stage: Series D

BankBazaar is India’s largest fintech co-branded credit card issuer and online platform for free credit score with 50Mn registered users.

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Arevo

Founder: Wiener Mondesir

Cisco Role: Sr. Manager, Strategy and Business Development

Capital Raised: $69.5M

Investors: Founders Fund

Stage: Venture - Series Unknown

Arevo develops technology to enable direct digital additive manufacturing of parts for end use applications in high volume.

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WorkRamp

Founder: Ted Blosser

Cisco Role: Account Executive

Capital Raised: $67.2M

Investors: Y Combinator

Stage: Series C

WorkRamp is the Learning Cloud that your employees and customers will love. Design learning programs for your business in one platform.

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MainStreet

Founder: Jackson Moses

Cisco Role: Market Research Analyst

Capital Raised: $64.7M

Investors: SignalFire

Stage: Series B

MainStreet is a financial platform that helps startups and small businesses discover and claim tax credits and government incentives.

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Paga

Founder: Tayo Oviosu

Cisco Role: Manager, Acquisitions and Venture Investments

Capital Raised: $36.7M

Investors: Global Innovation Fund

Stage: Series C

Paga is a mobile payment company building an ecosystem to enable people digitally send and receive money, creating simple financial access.

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Fable

Founder: Padmasree Warrior

Cisco Role: Strategic Advisor

Capital Raised: $36M

Investors: Redpoint

Stage: Series A

Fable provides a platform for online book clubs.

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Aira

Founder: Sujeeth Kanuganti

Cisco Role: OSS Solution Architect

Capital Raised: $35.6M

Investors: Lux Capital

Stage: Series B

Aira provides tech-enabled services for the 300 million visually impaired people around the globe.

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Reclaim.ai

Founder: Patrick Lightbody

Cisco Role: Software Engineer

Capital Raised: $13.3M

Investors: Index Ventures

Stage: Seed

A smart friend for your calendar that automatically makes time for the things you want to get done.

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C2A Security

Founder: Michael Dick

Cisco Role: VP Service Delivery

Capital Raised: $13.2M

Investors: MassChallenge

Stage: Series A

C2A Security is the first DevSecOps Platform provider that addresses the specific needs of car makers and mobility companies.

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Anvil

Founder: Mang-Git Ng

Cisco Role: CDO Software Engineer

Capital Raised: $10M

Investors: Menlo Ventures

Stage: Series A

Anvil is a paperwork automation platform that helps businesses simplify their paperwork processes.

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Mapped

Founder: Shaun Cooley

Cisco Role: VP and CTO, IoT and Industries

Capital Raised: $9.5M

Investors: Greycroft

Stage: Seed

Mapped automates the discovery, extraction, and normalization of data from building systems, sensors, devices, and vendor APIs.

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Flume

Founder: Jeffrey Hufford

Cisco Role: Software Development Intern

Capital Raised: $7.5M

Investors: Augment Ventures

Stage: Venture - Series Unknown

Flume eliminates water waste and protects homes by helping homeowners and communities with real-time water usage data.

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Arista Networks

Founder: Kenneth Duda

Cisco Role: Software Engineer

Capital Raised: $7.4M

Investors: Greylock

Stage: Post-IPO Debt

Arista Networks is a computer networking firm delivering cloud networking solutions for large data center and computer environments.

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Aviator

Founder: Ankit Jain

Cisco Role: Software Engineer

Capital Raised: $2.3M

Investors: Y Combinator

Stage: Seed

Aviator is a software provider that provides assistance towards workflows and PR's.

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