US-based computing technology startup Pensando Systems emerged from stealth yesterday having raised up to $145m in a series C round co-led by enterprise technology producer Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).
Venture capital firm Lightspeed Venture Partners is co-leading the round, which includes data centre operator Equinix, and which is set to value Pensando at $645m post-money according to VentureBeat.
Founded in 2017, Pensando has created a software-defined edge services platform that offers cloud services providers networking, storage, compute and security services, enabling organisations to convert their current network infrastructure into a cloud-like environment.
HPE’s chief technology officer, Mark Potter, is joining the company’s board of directors along with Lightspeed’s Barry Eggers. It said it had previously received $71m in a founder-led series A round before adding $62m in a customer-led series B, without giving dates.
John Chambers, founder and CEO of VC firm JC2 Ventures, is Pensando’s chairman, indicating the firm was likely among the series A backers. The company named Goldman Sachs as an investor and data services provider NetApp as a customer but did not confirm the latter’s status as an investor.
Mark Potter, also director of corporate research initiative Hewlett Packard Labs, said: “Today’s rapidly transforming, hyper-connected world requires enterprises to operate with even greater flexibility and choices than ever before.
“HPE’s expanding relationship with Pensando Systems stems from our shared understanding of enterprises and the cloud. We are proud to announce our investment and solution partnership with Pensando and will continue to drive solutions that anticipate our customers’ needs together.”
