The 10 Hottest Networking Startups Of 2024

The hottest networking startups of 2024 focused their energies on the edge, private 5G, multi-cloud networking and AI.

Networking newcomers are carving out a niche for themselves as several trends take hold and enterprises look to refresh their infrastructure.

For starters, edge, multi-cloud and private networking capabilities are quickly becoming requirements for many enterprises grappling with hybrid work or changing up their physical office blueprints to better match the reality of how their employees are working and conducting business today. At the same time, AI has become a new reality -- not just a buzzword. As AI use cases become more prevalent, especially in operational environments, networking infrastructure often needs to change to accommodate the new computing and storage needs, or to be able to connect AI in new places on the network and at the edge of the network.

Edge and private networking startups have exploded onto the scene, as have cloud networking upstarts that are serving up a new way for enterprises to obtain secure networking through as-a-service- and consumption-based models so that businesses don't have to break the bank while modernizing their networks. To that end, many of these market newcomers are raising new rounds of funding to help them expand their reach and continue their innovative work.

From those specializing in multi-cloud-based offerings and networking-as-a-service to edge networking and AI, here are 10 of the hottest networking startups of 2024.

Alkira

Upstart Alkira specializes in agentless, multi-cloud networking. The San Jose, Calif.-based company emerged from stealth mode in 2020 with its consumption-based Cloud Services Exchange (CSX), a unified, on-demand offering that lets cloud architects and network engineers build and deploy a multi-cloud network in minutes. Since then, the company has unveiled a collaboration with the Microsoft for Startups program, as well as a deeper relationship with Amazon Web Services, whose Marketplace includes Alkira CSX.

The network infrastructure-as-a-service specialist in October introduced its cloud-based Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) service, an offering that will further simplify security and networking for enterprises, according to the network infrastructure-as-a-service startup.

Alkira in May announced the closing of a $100 million Series C funding round, bringing the company’s total funding raised to date to $176 million.

Aviz Networks

Founded in 2019, Aviz Networks has been hard at work innovating on its brand of open networking software for cloud-scale infrastructures. The company specializes in building open, cloud, and AI-first networks that prioritize choice, control, and cost savings, according to San Jose, Calif.-based Aviz.

The company earlier this year introduced its One Data Lake, launched a generative AI conversational Network Copilot and upgraded its packet broker offerings for applications and 5G General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) use cases, among other advancements.

Aviz, who counts many prominent investors as backers, including Cisco Investments, also has a partner program for reseller and distributor partners.

Cape

Cape, founded two years ago, bills itself as a privacy-first mobile carrier focused on connecting people without compromising security and privacy. The carrier offers nationwide 5G and 4G coverage while blocking hackers and spam.

Cape competes with existing U.S.-based carriers, including AT&T and Verizon. The company partners with U.S. Cellular on physical infrastructure, running its voice service over the top, and it and runs its own mobile core.

Cape in April raised a $61 million round of financing from A*, Andreessen Horowitz, XYZ Ventures, ex/ante, Costanoa Ventures, Point72 Ventures, Forward Deployed VC and Karman Ventures.

Celona

Wireless specialist Celona burst onto the networking scene four years ago with a platform that lets enterprises build and deploy 5G/4G LTE private networks, which filled a major gap in the wireless connectivity market at the time, especially with interest around private networking increasing dramatically for enterprises over the last couple of years.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company goes to market via a strategic partnership with HPE Aruba for the reselling of Celona’s cellular products. The channel-friendly company also works with partners via its solution provider partner program. In October, Celona announced Aerloc, a new suite of security capabilities for private 5G wireless network security.

Celona's most recent -- and oversubscribed -- funding round was its $60 million Series C round in 2022.

Elisity

Elisity is a specialist of network segmentation that goes to market with its IdentityGraph technology.

The San Jose, Calif.-based startup’s identity-based microsegmentation technology helps to enforce granular control over users and devices, which allows organizations to employ network segmentation to defend against threats and limit the blast radius, according to the company.

Elisity was founded in 2018. The company's CEO James Winebrenner joined the company in 2020 after about a year with multicloud networking player Aviatrix Systems. Elisity also has a partner program for solution providers and system integrators.

In April, Elisity raised a $37 million Series B round of funding from Insight Partners. The company said it is using the money toward AI capabilities to anticipate and pre-empt cyber threats.

Highway 9 Networks

Santa Clara, Calif.-based upstart Highway 9 Networks offers a cloud-native platform that the company said has been purpose-built for enterprise mobile users, applications and AI-driven devices.

The startup’s edge product offers distributed network functions with integration with enterprise IT and major telcos, according to Highway 9.

Highway 9 also works with partners via its Mobile Cloud Alliance program to bring its connectivity and private 5G to end customers.

Highway 9 this year in February launched from stealth mode and revealed that it raised $25 million in funding from Mayfield, General Catalyst and Detroit Ventures.

NetAlly

NetAlly has been on a journey. The company got its start as a business unit of Fluke Networks. It was then part of NetScout Systems and became a standalone player as of 2019. Today, NetAlly comes to the market with its portfolio of switching, wireless, IP surveillance, storage and security products.

NetAlly has about 50,000 global customers across 70 countries. The company does 100 percent of its business through channel partners, which consists of about 300 solution provider partners globally, about 30 percent of which are MSP partners, the company told CRN in October. NetAlly in the same month brought on Jeff McCullough, a 25-year channel veteran, as its new vice president of sales for North America.

Nile

Nile, the next-gen networking services platform provider backed by former Cisco CEO John Chambers, exited stealth mode in 2022 with its “reimagined” wired and wireless service that is delivered entirely as a service. The company's enterprise Network as a Service (NaaS) offering aims to bring another option to the market for businesses that's different than what many of the market heavyweights, like Cisco, is bringing today.

The San Jose, Calif.-based startup in March launched its full-fledged AI services platform with AI applications aimed at automating network design, configuration and management. The Nile AI architecture includes the Nile Services Cloud, which includes AI-based network design; the Nile Service Blocks, which automates network deployment including access point configuration and Nile Copilot and Nile Autopilot applications for AI-based network monitoring and operations.

In 2023, Nile raised $175 million in a Series C funding round, bringing its total funding to $300 million.

Prosimo

Multi-cloud networking disrupter Prosimo emerged from stealth in 2021 with its Application eXperience Infrastructure (AXI) platform that is modernizing and simplifying application delivery and experience across multi-cloud environments. The Prosimo platform can coexist with existing vendors in a customer’s environment or can be used to replace certain tools and features, such as zero trust or cloud peering, according to the company.

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based startup in June joined forces with security specialist Palo Alto Networks to further secure application access across multi-cloud environments. The partnership was critical because the company is engaging with more Fortune 500 companies, Prosimo's head of marketing told CRN.

The company in its latest funding round in 2022 raised $30 million in Series B funding.

Recogni

Upstart Recogni, which focuses on AI-based computing, builds compute systems that can deliver multimodal GenAI inferencing for data center environments. The company said that it saw a problem in that many generative AI systems today are inefficient and consume too much power. San Jose, Calif.-based Recogni’s technology, however, is helping to address the large compute needs of AI workloads.

Recogni’s latest $102 million Series C funding was co-led by Celesta Capital and GreatPoint Ventures in February. Juniper Networks in November revealed that it had invested in the startup as part of its Series C funding round.