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Cisco Investments

Balance-sheet investor and prolific LP in venture funds.

Corporate VC & StrategicsFirmGlobal
Target market
Enterprise infrastructure, security and AI companies
Geography
Global

Overview

Cisco Investments has invested off Cisco's balance sheet since the 1990s in enterprise infrastructure, security, AI and collaboration — categories where Cisco is also a serial acquirer, which makes its presence on a cap table a genuine exit signal. Unusually for a CVC, it is also a limited partner in dozens of venture funds worldwide, making it worth knowing on both layers of the capital stack.

Key facts

  • Investing off Cisco's balance sheet since the 1990s
  • Also an LP in dozens of venture funds globally
  • Portfolio investments often precede Cisco M&A interest

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