At a Glance
Cisco Investments is the strategic venture arm of Cisco Systems, established in 1993 to identify and invest in innovative technology companies that complement Cisco's core networking and infrastructure business. With over $2 billion in assets under management, the firm has made more than 400 investments and achieved over 100 successful exits. Led by senior investment professionals, Cisco Investments focuses on early to growth-stage companies in networking, security, collaboration, cloud computing, IoT, and AI. The firm provides both financial capital and strategic value through access to Cisco's global customer base, distribution channels, and technical expertise. Notable investments include AppDynamics (acquired for $3.7B), Duo Security (acquired for $2.35B), and Jasper (acquired for $1.4B). Cisco Investments differentiates itself by offering portfolio companies unique go-to-market opportunities and the potential for strategic partnerships or acquisitions, making it a preferred investor for enterprise technology startups.
“Investing in companies that are transforming how we work, live, play and learn through secure, intelligent platform technologies.”
Derek Idemoto is senior vice president of Cisco Investments and corporate development, which places the venture program and mergers and acquisitions under a single executive. That is the practical reason a Cisco check is often read by management teams as a possible acquisition path rather than a purely financial investment. Idemoto was named to Global Corporate Venturing's Powerlist in 2025.
Janey Hoe is vice president of Cisco Investments and leads investment activity, and Prasad Parthasarathi sits in the leadership group. Roughly forty investment and operating professionals work across five countries, sitting alongside Cisco's business units, which is how portfolio companies reach Cisco customer and channel conversations. The team is staffed for strategic diligence, with investors organised around Cisco product areas rather than purely by stage.
Cisco Investments has operated since 1993 as the corporate venture arm of Cisco Systems, making it one of the longest-running corporate venture programs in technology. It does not raise discrete limited partner funds. It invests off Cisco's balance sheet on an evergreen basis, which removes fund-life exit pressure and lets it hold positions until a strategic outcome makes sense.
The program carries more than $2 billion in assets under management and deploys roughly $200 million a year. Cumulatively it has made more than 400 direct investments and recorded over 100 exits. It currently holds more than 120 active direct positions plus limited partner stakes in over 40 venture funds, a fund-of-funds layer that functions as a sourcing network into deals the direct team would not otherwise see. Investment coverage maps to Cisco's business areas: cloud, collaboration, data centre and enterprise networking, mass-scale infrastructure, internet of things, security, and emerging technologies and incubation.
Cisco Investments primarily invests at the Series A, Series B+ stages. This means they focus on companies that are scaling their go-to-market after proving product-market fit.
Cisco Investments is headquartered in San Jose, CA. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
Cisco Investments focuses on investments in Enterprise, Cybersecurity, AI, SaaS. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
Cisco Investments's typical investment check size ranges from $2M to $50M. Actual amounts may vary based on the stage, sector, and specific opportunity.
Cisco Investments manages approximately $2B in assets under management (AUM) across their funds.
Running a fund like Cisco Investments? Independent guides to the software and processes emerging managers use to operate.
Best Fund Administration Software
Independent breakdown of fund administration platforms by fund size.
LP Reporting Software
Tools for capital account statements and investor updates.
Portfolio Monitoring Tools
How GPs track company performance across the portfolio.
VC CRM Software
Deal-flow and relationship management for investors.
The operating system for private capital.
Archstone runs the back office for venture, PE, real estate, and credit funds — LP reporting, capital calls, portfolio tracking, and fund accounting, in one platform. Now in alpha.
