Alkira Raises $100M for Cloud Network Management
Alkira Raises $100M for Cloud Network Management Solution
A startup named Alkira has secured $100 million in a Series C funding round, with Tiger Global Management taking the lead, to support its "network infrastructure as a service" solution. This funding round also saw participation from new and existing backers, including strategic backer Koch Industries, S&P, and Warner Music. Alkira's platform aims to simplify and streamline cloud network management for end users, offering services such as cloud backbone, extranet, cloud insights, and secure connectivity. The company's solution addresses the challenge of managing a hybrid cloud approach across multiple vendors, leveraging orchestration and virtualization capabilities.
Key Takeaways
- Alkira raises $100M for its "network infrastructure as a service" to manage hybrid cloud assets.
- Tiger Global Management leads Series C funding round, with other new and previous backers participating.
- Alkira's solution addresses the challenge of managing complex hybrid cloud networking infrastructure through orchestration and virtualization.
- The startup offers various services, including cloud backbone, extranet, cloud insights, and secure connectivity.
- Alkira claims to reduce years of integration and management work into hours, as demonstrated with a two-year project completed in four hours for a customer who became an investor.
Analysis
The funding round highlights the increasing demand for simplified hybrid cloud network management. The involvement of Tiger Global Management and Koch Industries suggests strong support for Alkira's network infrastructure as a service, potentially putting pressure on competitors like VMware and Cisco to enhance their cloud service offerings.
The success of co-founders Amir and Atif Khan, previously of Viptela, indicates a potential trend of successful SD-WAN entrepreneurs transitioning to the cloud networking market. Alkira's streamlined cloud network management is expected to save costs and time for enterprises across various industries, including S&P and Warner Music, driving further investment in digital transformation. However, integrating Alkira's solution with existing systems may cause short-term disruptions for some clients.
In the long term, Alkira's growth may lead to industry consolidation, with potential acquisitions by major cloud service providers or infrastructure companies. This funding round could encourage further innovation in hybrid cloud network management, ultimately benefiting businesses by reducing complexity and costs in managing multi-vendor environments.
Did You Know?
- "Network Infrastructure as a Service" (NIaaS): Alkira's offering represents a new paradigm in cloud networking by providing network infrastructure as a service, enabling organizations to build, manage, and deploy network infrastructure in a more agile, scalable, and cost-effective manner.
- Hybrid Cloud Asset Management: Alkira's platform helps address the challenge of managing a hybrid cloud approach across multiple vendors by enabling orchestration, virtualization, and automation of assets, simplifying the process for end-users.
- Co-founders' Previous Success with Viptela: Amir and Atif Khan, Alkira's co-founders, previously founded Viptela, showcasing their expertise in the networking domain, which is instrumental in tackling hybrid cloud networking challenges with Alkira.