Nistica, a US-based provider of optical networking equipment, has raised $5.5m in its series D round of equity with a further $3m of debt from MMV Financial.
Battelle Ventures, a $220m venture capital (VC) fund managed on behalf of the National Laboratories that Battelle Memorial Institute, and peer Technology Venture Partners (TVP) co-led the round.
They were joined by VCs Novitas Capital (formerly known as PA Early Stage Partners) and MMV Investment Partners, and Japan-based manufacturers Fujikura and NTT Electronics (NEL).
Ralph Taylor-Smith, general partner of Battelle Ventures, said: "We are delighted that our corporate strategic partners Fujikura and NEL have joined us in this investment round."
In March last year, Battelle and its $35m affiliate fund Innovation Valley Partners led Nistica’s $6.5m series C round, which included NTT as a new investor alongside Novitas and TVP and Fujikura.
At the time, Hiroshi Yoshimura, executive president of NEL, said: "As a strategic investor, NEL will team up with Fujikura, Nistica’s manufacturing partner, to help facilitate new solutions for Japan and other targeted markets."
Battelle had also led Nistica’s $9m B round in February 2008, which included Fujikura as a new investor. The $5.2m series A round closed in 2006.