Insieme was founded in January by three Cisco employees, Mario Mazzola, Luca Cafiero, and Prem Jain, to address issues in advanced networking. The company develops software-defined networking (SDN) products intended to simplify and lower the cost of deploying cloud computing systems. Cisco’s memo describes Insieme’s product development as complementary to Cisco’s current and planned internal investments and says Insieme and other internal programs will be components of Cisco’s broader programmability framework. Cisco has invested $100 million in the company and holds an option to acquire Insieme for $750 million. Because it was created with Cisco’s backing, Insieme would be considered a “spin-in” if acquired, a structure the article says can help create innovative products faster than complex organizations can. Coverage of the arrangement also noted spin-ins can risk hurting company morale by making some star employees multimillionaires with little risk.

Total raised

$100M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Apr 2012