JIP Exclusive
Mighty excited, obsessed with ‘Modi, Modi…’ , John T. Chambers, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the $47.1 billion company Cisco, which has over 75,000 employees globally, in India operations has invested in 3 Indian start-ups ; and, more are on the way immediately.
(New Delhi: Upbeat on the rapidly evolving entrepreneurial environment in the country, Cisco has created a $40 million {over Rs 240 crore} fund, a first by the networking solutions giant in any of its present geographies.
The US-based firm’s $2 billion venture capital arm, Cisco Investments, said it will invest $40 million over the next 12-18 months to fund early-stage firms in India with a focus on products and technologies relevant to emerging markets.
Earlier this year, Cisco had announced an allocation of $250 million towards tapping next generation technologies and the India fund is a part of this initiatived)
Under its India Innovation theme, Cisco will focus on start ups working on including big data & analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), connected mobility, storage, silicon, content technology ecosystem among others.
Cisco also announced its first investment under this theme in Covacsis, a Mumbai-based real-time analytics platform software provider catering to manufacturing production floors.
“The start up ecosystem in India has really come up ion a big way. There is a large talent pool, which is now focusing on starting their own firms as well as there has been a growing acceptance for entrepreneurship,” Cisco President Sales (India and SAARC) Dinesh Malkani said in a concall.
Besides, the new government is also concentrating on the agenda of a technology driven governance, he added.
Cisco Managing Director, Corporate Development (APJ) Joydeep Bose said the fund will focus on early stage companies with products offering either cost optimised designs, industry vertical solutions or application of cloud.
“This underscores our commitment to India, as it is the only geography to have such a fund covering next generation products and technologies,” he added.
Investments will range from $500,000 to anywhere up to $12 million, Bose said adding “The amount can exceed $40 million depending upon the opportunities present.”
In the last 7-10 years, Cisco has invested in about 15 companies in India including Mobstack, Qyuki, Apalya, Comviva and Indiagames.
“While we will directly invest in early-stage companies, we will also look at partnering angel networks, accelerators and incubators,” Bose added.
Besides contributing capital to these firm’s, Cisco also helps accelerate their development by connecting them to expertise and resources such as Cisco IT, its business leaders and network of partners and customers through major industry events, like the annual Cisco Live, he said.
The move will help the company strengthen its product portfolio as it aims to increase its India revenues to five percent in the next five years.
Cisco has over 10,000 employees in India and the company gets about two percent of its over $48 billion global revenues from the country.
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50 top Indian start-ups
Company Vertical
Xactly Corporation
xactlycorp.com
Software Product
Development
Yodlee Infotech
yodlee.com
Financial Product
Development
Livestream Technologies
new.livestream.com
Media Software – Product
Development
Esko
esko.com
Printing & Packaging
Product Development
Sanovi
sanovi.com
Storage – Product
Development
Aryaka Networks
aryaka.com
Networking – Product
Development
Allstate Solutions
allstate.com
Insurance – Product
Development
Amitysoft Technologies
amitysoft.com
IT Services
Antenna Software
antennasoftware.com
Mobile Technology Services
Appnomic Systems
appnomic.com
Software Product
Development
Aruba Networks
arubanetworks.com
Networking Security
Product Development
Avankia Software
avankia.com
Saas
Data Pattrerns
datapatternsindia.com
Product Design &
Architecture
Divum
divum.in
Mobile Technology Services
Dot Com Infoway
dotcominfoway.com
Mobile Technology & IT
Services
Einfochips
einfochips.com
Semiconductor Services
Embytes
embytes.com
IT Services
Emulex
emulex.com
Storage – Product
Development
Fossilshale
fossilshale.com
IT Services
GlamIndia
glammedia.com
Media
Happiest Minds
happiestminds.com
IT Services
Impecsoft
impecsoft.com
ERP – Product Development
Integra Micro Software Services
integramicroservices.com
IT Services
Keste
keste.com
Software Product
Kronos
kronos.in
Software Product
Company Vertical
Netweb Technologies
netwebindia.com
Product Development
Razorsight
razorsight.com
Product Development
Real Image
realimage.com
Product
Rearden Commerce
reardencommerce.com
Product
Rossel Techsys
rosselltechsys.com
Embedded & Networking
Sandvine
sandvine.com
Networking – Product Development
Seclore
seclore.com
Software Product
SiliconEmbsys
siliconembsys.com
Outsourced Product Development
SM Netserv
smnetserv.com
IT Services
Smartplay
smartplayin.com
Semiconductor Services
SoftwareAg
softwareag.com
IT Product & Services
Sokrati
sokrati.com
Media
Source Edge
sourceedge.com
Software Product Development
Stoke
stoke.com
Telecom & Networking
Product
Talisma
talisma.com
Product Software
Techjini
techjini.com
IT Services
Technologia – Etisala Software Solutions
technologiaworld.com
Telecom & Mobile Product
TeleDna
teledna.com
Telecom & Mobile
Tessolve
tessolve.com
Semiconductor Services
The Digital Group
thedigitalgroup.com
IT Services
Toboc
toboc.com
SAS
Trigent Software
trigent.com
IT Services
Velankani Software
velankani.com
IT Services
Vmoksha
vmokshagroup.com
IT Services
Xora
xora.com
Software Product
BOX
WHAT’RE START-UP Cys?
START-UP Company what? : A startup company or startup is a company, a partnership or temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of developmentand research for markets. The term became popular internationally during the dot-com bubble when a great number of dot-com companies were founded. Evolution of a startup company[edit]
Startup companies can come in all forms and sizes. A critical task in setting up a business is to conduct research in order to validate, assess and develop the ideas or business concepts in addition to opportunities to establish further and deeper understanding on the ideas or business concepts as well as their commercial potential. Business models for startups are generally found via a bottom-up or top-down approach. A company may cease to be a startup as it passes various milestones,[2] such as becoming publicly traded in an IPO, or ceasing to exist as an independent entity via a merger or acquisition. Companies may also fail and cease to operate altogether.
Investors are generally most attracted to those new companies distinguished by their risk/reward profile and scalability. That is, they have lower bootstrapping costs, higher risk, and higher potential return on investment. Successful startups are typically more scalable than an established business, in the sense that they can potentially grow rapidly with limited investment of capital, labor or land. S tartup Financing Cycle – Startups encounter several unique options for funding. Venture capital firms and angel investors may help startup companies begin operations, exchanging seed money for an equity stake. In practice though, many startups are initially funded by the founders themselves. Factoring is another option, though not unique to startups. Some new funding opportunities are also developing incrowd funding.]
BOX : Who Founded Start-Up?
Co-founders ::Co-founders are people involved in the cultivation of startup companies. Anyone can be a co-founder, and an existing company can also be a co-founder, but frequently co-founders are entrepreneurs, engineers, hackers, venture capitalists, web developers, web designers and others involved in the ground level of a new, often high tech, venture. The language of Securities regulation in the United States considers co-founders to be “promoters” under Regulation D.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission definition of “Promoter” includes: (i) Any person who, acting alone or in conjunction with one or more other persons, directly or indirectly takes initiative in founding and organizing the business or enterprise of an issuer;[8]
Not every promoter is a co-founder. In fact, there is no formal, legal definition of what makes somebody a co-founder.[9][10] The right to call oneself a co-founder can be established through an agreement with one’s fellow co-founders or with permission of the board of directors, investors or shareholders of a startup company. When there is no definitive agreement, disputes about who the co-founders were can arise