Startup profile · funding coverage
Barefoot Networks
Programmable Ethernet switch ASICs and P4 networking software for data centers.
Stage
acquired
Status
acquired
Coverage
full
Why Barefoot Networks is interesting
Barefoot pioneered P4-programmable switching — a16z and Sequoia backed Nick McKeown's Stanford team before Intel acquired it in 2019.
Key facts
- Acquired by Intel (Jun 2019): P4/Tofino programmable switching (TechCrunch)
- Series C (2016): $57M+ with Google, Goldman Sachs; a16z, Sequoia, Lightspeed in prior rounds
- Raised ~$155M total; founded by Nick McKeown (Stanford networking researcher)
- Product: Tofino ASIC + P4 language for programmable data center switches
Investors in our directory
Funds linked from Barefoot Networks's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.
Industries
Infrastructure & Cloud Hardware & Semiconductors
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Related funding articles
Venture Capital Tracker pieces that cover Barefoot Networks's financing or category context.
FAQs about Barefoot Networks
Funding context and why this company shows up in venture coverage.
Barefoot Networks built programmable Ethernet switch chips (Tofino) and P4 networking software, letting data center operators customize packet processing in hardware rather than fixed-function ASICs.
Directory-linked investors include Andreessen Horowitz (/fund/andreessen-horowitz), Sequoia (/fund/sequoia), and Lightspeed Venture Partners (/fund/lightspeed-venture-partners-nyc).
Barefoot raised ~$155M through Series C and was acquired by Intel in June 2019.
Barefoot pioneered P4-programmable switching — a paradigm shift from fixed-function network chips. Founder Nick McKeown is a leading Stanford networking researcher; the acquisition validated programmable data center networking.
Barefoot Networks was acquired by Intel in June 2019.
Last updated: 2026-07-24