Alkira, the US-based operator of an on-demand cloud service, emerged from stealth on Wednesday with $30m in funding from investors including internet and technology group Alphabet’s GV subsidiary.
The funding consisted of a series A round co-led by venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia Capital that preceded a follow-on investment by GV. Sequoia partner Bill Coughran and Mamoon Hamid, a general partner at Kleiner Perkins, both have seats on Alkira’s board.
Founded in 2018, Alkira offers multi-cloud services and networking on demand through its Cloud Services Exchange (CSX), meaning enterprises can create a point-and-click multi-cloud network that can be switched on or off depending on their requirements.
Amir Khan, Alkira’s founder and chief executive, said: “Alkira CSX reinvents cloud networking, delivering as-a-service consumption of a global multi-cloud network with unified services, security, intent-based policy, visibility and governance.
“Alkira CSX seamlessly connects to your corporate infrastructure and enables customers to secure and connect a multi-cloud environment in minutes, providing businesses the agility they need to navigate through volatile market conditions.”
Khan also founded Viptela, a wide-area network technology developer acquired by Cisco for $610m in 2017, following almost $110m from investors including Sequoia.
Although it only announced the funding this week, the company said on its website that it was “funded in six weeks from inception” by Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins and GV.
