Edge Computing Startup Pensando Raises $145M, Takes on AWS Nitro
Founded by former Cisco engineers, Pensando emerges from stealth mode with $278 million in total funding to challenge Amazon Web Services Nitro. The startup claims its edge computing platform performs up to nine times better than its biggest rival.
Pensando, an edge computing startup founded by former Cisco engineers, emerges from stealth mode today with a $145 million Series C funding round. Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Lightspeed Venture Partners lead the investment, which brings the company's total raised capital to $278 million. The startup also welcomes HPE chief technology officer Mark Potter and Lightspeed partner Barry Eggers to its board of directors.
The company builds software and hardware technology designed to give data centers the same flexibility as cloud computing servers. Pensando positions its platform as a direct competitor to Amazon Web Services Nitro, claiming it performs five to nine times better in terms of productivity and scale. This infrastructure prepares data centers to handle massive workloads from 5G, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things applications.
Despite its recent public debut, Pensando already boasts an impressive list of enterprise customers, including HPE, Goldman Sachs, NetApp, and Equinix. Former Cisco CEO John Chambers serves as the company's chairman and an investor through JC2 Ventures. While the chief financial officer notes that an initial public offering is the current aspiration, he acknowledges that other acquisition possibilities remain on the table for the four-year-old startup.