The 10 Hottest Networking Startups Of 2025
This year, the most cutting-edge networking startups have their sights set on AI networking, NaaS, private 5G connectivity and multi-cloud networking.
AI-powered networking was no buzzword in 2025. Rather, it was table stakes.
AI and automation drove network transformation for many businesses large and small. It’s safe to say that it’s a trend that isn’t bound by customer size or vertical. As a result, AI networking tools gained considerable traction this year as AI use cases became more commonplace. However, as these use cases emerged, so did the need to upgrade networking infrastructure to accommodate new computing and storage needs, or to be able to connect AI in new places on the network and at the edge of the network.
Trends like AI, automation and multi-cloud networking are shaping a new generation of startups that are working to simplify complex environments. Many of these upstarts are also dabbling in new consumption models, such as Network as a Service (NaaS), and emerging forms of connectivity, such as private 5G. The networking newcomers are seeing the market with fresh eyes and are offering new ways to take on the requirements of enterprises today that will help these businesses modernize.
From those specializing in networking-as-a-service and multi-cloud networking, to private 5G and AI, here are 10 of the hottest networking startups of 2025.
Alkira
Upstart Alkira specializes in agentless, multi-cloud networking. The San Jose, Calif.-based company emerged from stealth mode five years ago with its consumption-based Cloud Services Exchange (CSX), a unified, on-demand offering that lets cloud architects and network engineers build and deploy a multi-cloud network in minutes. The company has since revealed a collaboration with the Microsoft for Startups program, as well as a deeper relationship with Amazon Web Services, whose Marketplace includes Alkira CSX.
The network infrastructure-as-a-service specialist came off a record-breaking 2024 fiscal year and entered 2025 with the company’s channel ecosystem serving as a driving force as businesses turn to their trusted advisers for agile, AI-powered networking solutions. Last month, Alkira revealed that Cisco’s former COO Maria Martinez had joined its advisory board.
Alkira in 2024 announced the closing of a $100 million Series C funding round, bringing the company’s total funding raised to date to $176 million.
Aviz Networks
Founded in 2019, Aviz Networks has been innovating on its brand of full-stack AI networking software for cloud-scale infrastructures. The “networking disruptor” company specializes in building open, cloud, and AI-first networks that prioritize choice, control, and cost savings, according to San Jose, Calif.-based Aviz.
Aviz, who counts many prominent investors as backers, including Cisco Investments, also has a partner program for reseller and distributor partners. The company in late 2024 closed a $17 million Series A funding round that was earmarked for expanding the company’s partner ecosystem, Aviz said.
Celona
Wireless specialist Celona has been helping enterprises build and deploy 5G/4G LTE private networks since 2019. The upstart filled a major gap in the wireless connectivity market at the time, especially as interest around private networking increased dramatically for enterprises over the last couple of years.
The Campbell, Calif.-based company works with partners via its Celona Frequency Program that it revamped in September. The refreshed, three-year-old partner program features a new tiered system for incentivizing early-stage partners around private 5G and rewarding partners that upskill and form longer-term commitments with the company, Celona said.
Celona’s most recent — and oversubscribed — funding round was its $60 million Series C round in 2022.
Cloudbrink
Founded in 2019, Cloudbrink comes to the market with its Hybrid Access as a Service offering that the upstart said “instantly transforms any home Internet or cellular connection to deliver business-grade in-office performance” via personal SASE. The offering is built on an AI-based protocol and thousands of points of presence, the company said.
Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Cloudbrink’s competitors include Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks and Zscaler.
Cloudbrink’s most recent Series A funding round pulled in $25 million, led by Highland Capital Partners and The Fabric, which helps entrepreneurs incubate ideas and develop technologies.
EdgeQ
5G wireless infrastructure upstart EdgeQ is helping businesses scale private and public networks with its Base Station-on-a-chip offering. In February, San Jose, Calif.-based EdgeQ announced that it will power new indoor and outdoor small cells from Mavenir that will allow customers to switch seamlessly from 4G to 5G without any hardware change, redesign or reinstallation.
EdgeQ’s most recent funding round in 2023 raised $75 million in Series B funding to further 5G wireless technology.
Highway 9 Networks
Upstart Highway 9 burst onto the scene in 2024 with its cloud-native platform that the company said has been purpose-built for enterprise mobile users, applications and AI-driven devices. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based startup’s Mobile Cloud offering uses private cellular (5G/LTE) technology to deliver mobile services on-premises for enterprises. Mobile Cloud also integrates existing enterprise IT network and security infrastructure – including firewalls — and major telecom service providers, according to Highway 9.
The startup works with partners via its Mobile Cloud Alliance program to bring its connectivity and private 5G to end customers, the company said.
Highway 9 last year raised $25 million in its first funding round led by Mayfield, General Catalyst and Detroit Ventures, and a few key customers, including MIT.
NetBox Labs
Two-year-old NetBox spun out of DNS platform provider NS1 offering what the company calls “the world’s most popular ecosystem for operating, automating, and securing networks and infrastructure.”
The upstart seeks to make it easier for enterprises to build and manage complex networks with its open-source, AI-powered platform. NetBlox partners with Cisco-backed CoreWeave, a specialized GPU cloud provider in the AI infrastructure market.
The New York City-based upstart in July raised $35 million in a Series B funding round aimed at helping enterprises build and manage complex network infrastructure at a time in which AI is placing new burdens on existing infrastructure, the company told CRN.
Nexthop
A newer startup to the scene is one year old Nexthop, which is building the most efficient Al infrastructure for the world’s largest cloud operators, according to the company.
Santa Clara, Calif-based Nethop, which launched publicly in 2025, specializes in customized AI-powered networking hardware and software for hyperscalers. The startup was founded by a team of networking veterans that hail from Arista Networks and Broadcom, with its CEO Anshul Sadana who was the former COO of Arista.
Nexthop in April raised $110 million in a Series A funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners.
nEye Systems
Five-year-old nEye Systems is focused on revolutionizing AI infrastructure with optical circuit switches (OCS) for data centers. The startup, founded by UC Berkeley technologists, is developing a chip that uses light to transmit data between AI chips, aiming to reduce power consumption in data centers, according to the Emeryville, Calif.-based upstart.
nEye Systems in April raised $58 million in a Series B funding round that was led by Alphabet’s independent growth fund, CapitalG, with participation from M12, Microsoft’s venture fund; Micron Ventures; NVIDIA; and Socratic Partners.
Nile
Nile, the next-gen networking services platform provider backed by former Cisco CEO John Chambers and led by Cisco’s former chief development officer Pankaj Patel, exited stealth mode three years ago with its “reimagined” wired and wireless service that is delivered entirely as a service. The company’s differentiated enterprise Network as a Service (NaaS) offering gives enterprises another option that’s different than what many of the market heavyweights, like Cisco, is bringing to the market, according to the company.
The San Jose, Calif.-based startup in June was named a Visionary in the 2025 Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure by Gartner.
Nile raised $175 million in its most recent Series C funding round in 2023, bringing its total funding to $300 million, according to Crunchbase.