Startup profile · funding coverage
Nicira Networks
Nicira pioneered software-defined networking (OpenFlow/NVP) before VMware acquired it for $1.26B in 2012.
Stage
acquired
Status
acquired
Coverage
full
Why Nicira Networks is interesting
Martin Casado’s SDN thesis disrupted Cisco’s hardware moat — Lightspeed and NEA backed the company that defined network virtualization for the cloud era.
Key facts
- Series B (Sep 2010): $11.3M led by a16z (Grokipedia)
- Series C (Jan 2011): $25.9M; Lightspeed, NEA, Spark participated (TechCrunch)
- Exit (Jul 2012): Acquired by VMware for $1.26B
Investors in our directory
Funds linked from Nicira Networks's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.
Industries
Generalist Technology
Industry hub pages are rolling out from our fund-derived baseline taxonomy.
Related funding articles
Venture Capital Tracker pieces that cover Nicira Networks's financing or category context.
Last updated: 2026-07-24