Open networking software startup Aviz Networks Inc. announced today that it hs raised $17 million in new funding to modernize and transform the networking stack to meet the growing needs of data centers and edge networks as they expand and integrate artificial intelligence.

Founded in 2019, Aviz Networks specializes in developing AI-driven networking solutions tailored for data centers and edge networks. The company’s main focus is on modernizing the networking software stack to accommodate the increasing integration of artificial intelligence.

Among its offerings are AI Networking Stack, a service that provides vendor-agnostic solutions, SONiC-based products and a large language model-powered network assistant. SONiC is an open-source network operating system used in cloud and data center environments to provide a versatile and scalable network management and automation solution. The suite allows enterprises to build flexible, efficient networks and simplifies daily networking tasks, according to the company.

Aviz’s solutions support a wide range of switch and ASIC vendors, giving customers the freedom to select the best infrastructure components while reducing costs. By integrating AI into network operations, Aviz aims to enhance network visibility, performance monitoring and real-time alerts, all while remaining committed to open-source software and vendor neutrality.

The Aviz AI Network Stack has been adopted by leading e-commerce companies, telecommunications firms, retailers, graphics processing unit providers, cloud service providers and various other enterprises.

Alter Technologies Ltd. led the Series A round, with existing investors Cisco Investments, Moment Ventures Inc., Wistron Corp. and Accton Technology Corp. and new investors Celestica Inc. and Qualcomm Ventures also participating.

“Aviz Networks Series A funding is a testament to their strong position in the market and the potential of their technology,” said 650 Group analyst Alan Weckel. “Their efforts in AI-enabled networking focus on the high-growth part of the data center market.”

Including the new funding, Aviz Networks has raised approximately $31 million to date, according to data from PitchBook, including a round of $10 million in November 2023.

Image: Aviz Networks