DriveNets

DriveNets Competitive Intelligence & Landscape

drivenets.com ·

DriveNets
ForesightIQ Predictions

What is DriveNets likely to do next?

ForesightIQ connects DriveNets's hiring, product, web, ad, and market signals to forecast strategic moves — often months before they're announced.

Hiring signal

Senior hiring patterns point to a planned enterprise product line launching within two quarters.

High confidence · Next 1–2 quarters
Product signal

Quiet changes to docs and pricing pages signal an upcoming usage-based pricing tier and new API surface.

Likely · Next quarter
Market signal

Ad spend and partnership activity indicate a push into the mid-market segment across two new regions.

Plausible · Next 2–3 quarters
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Overview

DriveNets Overview

DriveNets is a leading software company specializing in large-scale networking solutions for AI infrastructure and service providers [drivenets.com/company/]. The company has pioneered a radical new approach to network construction, similar to how hyperscalers build their cloud infrastructure, by disaggregating the network [drivenets.com/resources/collateral/drivenets-company-overview/]. This innovative full-stack networking solution [drivenets.com/] includes hardware, software, cluster orchestration, and deployment and optimization services, all designed to maximize performance, utilization, and operational efficiency while reducing costs for large-scale infrastructures [drivenets.com/company/]. Their high-performance AI fabric specifically optimizes the AI stack end-to-end, accelerating deployments and maximizing GPU utilization [drivenets.com/company/].

DriveNets offers comprehensive services and support, leveraging its expertise in hundreds of large-scale deployments across Europe, North America, India, and Japan [drivenets.com/services-and-support/]. The company's core mission is to redefine operational models and business resilience for service providers through end-to-end network convergence, operational automation, and cyber resilience [drivenets.com/]. Founded in January 2021 [drivenets.com/blog/drivenets-2025-the-inflection-point/], DriveNets has quickly disrupted the traditional high-scale networking market, securing significant funding totaling over $585M, including a $208 million Series B round in 2021 and a $410 million Series D round to meet the surging demand for its AI Ethernet Fabric [drivenets.com/careers/][drivenets.com/news-and-events/press-release/drivenets-raises-208-million-funding-to-build-the-network-cloud-infrastructure-of-the-future/][drivenets.com/news-and-events/].

Headquartered in Ra’anana, Israel, at 1 Zarhin Street [get.drivenets.com/download-drivenets-company-overview-now][drivenets.com/contact-us/], DriveNets also maintains offices in Red Bank, New Jersey, USA; Bucharest, Romania; and Tokyo, Japan [drivenets.com/contact-us/]. The company is actively expanding its team across various departments including Network QA, R&D, Operations, AI Tools, Enablement, Hardware, IT, Finance, HR, Product & Solutions, driven by growing opportunities in disrupting worldwide communication network infrastructure and AI data workloads [drivenets.com/careers/].

DriveNets aims to provide customer-proven solutions, notably powering AT&T’s core network and facilitating the growing adoption of network disaggregation [drivenets.com/resources/collateral/drivenets-company-overview/][drivenets.com/news-and-events/press-release/drivenets-raises-208-million-funding-to-build-the-network-cloud-infrastructure-of-the-future/].

Competitors

DriveNets Competitors

DriveNets operates in a highly competitive market, contending with both established networking giants and innovative emerging players in the realm of network disaggregation. Traditional market leaders like Cisco, Juniper Networks, and Arista Networks offer comprehensive networking solutions, but DriveNets differentiates itself through its software-defined solutions and network disaggregation approach, which provides a competitive advantage in terms of cost and scalability. While these incumbents have significant market share and brand recognition, DriveNets focuses on delivering full-stack AI networking fabric, encompassing hardware, software, cluster orchestration, and deployment services, particularly for AI infrastructures and service providers [drivenets.com].

One significant competitor is Zenlayer, a venture capital-backed company specializing in global networking and edge cloud services [pitchbook.com]. While DriveNets emphasizes its AI networking fabric and disaggregated routing for service providers, Zenlayer focuses on providing on-demand infrastructure with a global reach, catering to enterprises requiring low-latency access to users worldwide. Their market positioning often overlaps in serving large-scale network needs, with Zenlayer potentially offering a broader array of colocation and bare metal services in addition to networking, whereas DriveNets is deeply integrated into high-performance AI and core network disaggregation.

Arrcus is another key competitor in the disaggregated networking space, also venture capital-backed and based in San Jose, CA [pitchbook.com].

Arrcus offers multi-cloud networking solutions and a routing platform built on an open software architecture. Similar to DriveNets, Arrcus promotes network disaggregation, but their core differentiation might lie in their emphasis on multi-cloud connectivity and use cases, providing flexibility for customers to build and operate networks across diverse cloud environments.

DriveNets, with its strong focus on AI networking fabric and large-scale service provider deployments, offers a specialized solution for high-demand, high-performance environments, as evidenced by its deployments with major carriers like AT&T [leadiq.com].

IP Infusion presents itself as a competitor specializing in accelerating network disaggregation for service providers and data centers [bouncewatch.com/compare/drivenets/ip-infusion]. Both companies share the vision of disaggregated networking, separating hardware from software.

IP Infusion provides an independent network operating system that runs on various white-box hardware platforms, offering flexibility in hardware choice.

DriveNets, however, provides a more comprehensive full-stack AI networking fabric solution, including hardware, software, and orchestration, which can simplify deployment and management for customers seeking an end-to-end solution for their AI and service provider needs [drivenets.com]. Their approach targets highest end-to-end performance with integrated hardware and software offerings, including collaborations with AMD for AI clusters [drivenets.com].

Alternatives

DriveNets Alternatives

Product & Pricing

DriveNets Product and Pricing Intelligence

DriveNets offers a comprehensive suite of networking solutions centered around its Network Cloud platform, which includes a network operating system (NOS), networking white-box hardware, and automation and orchestration tools [drivenets.com/products/]. This approach allows service providers and cloud providers to build highly efficient, converged, and automated network infrastructures. The company focuses on disaggregation, enabling customers to pay only for the network capacity actually used and incrementally upgrade capacity by stacking low-cost white boxes, which contrasts with traditional lift-and-shift methods of upgrading entire hardware boxes when utilization nears capacity [drivenets.com/resources/ebook/5-reasons-to-include-drivenets-in-your-next-network-rfp/].

DriveNets does not publicly list specific pricing plans, tiers, or a free versus paid feature breakdown on its website. Instead, it positions its Network Cloud as a holistic solution spanning networking, orchestration, and security, designed to drive OpEx reduction and network convergence [drivenets.com/solutions/service-provider-routing/]. The company emphasizes a full-stack offering that includes hardware, software, cluster orchestration, and deployment and optimization services [drivenets.com]. Customers interested in specific pricing or solution details are directed to "Contact Us" [drivenets.com/solutions/ai-networking-solutions/, drivenets.com/resources/eguide/drivenets-ai-fabric-solution-overview/, drivenets.com/resources/collateral/drivenets-network-cloud-ai/].

A significant part of DriveNets' product strategy revolves around its AI Networking Fabric, a full-stack Ethernet-based solution for AI clusters' back-end fabric, as well as front-end and storage connectivity [drivenets.com/solutions/ai-networking/]. This AI Fabric includes hardware, software, and services, supporting any AI infrastructure networking use case and GPU type, and is touted for its high efficiency and performance, delivering InfiniBand-level performance over Ethernet [drivenets.com/solutions/ai-networking/]. The company recently secured a $410M Series D funding round to meet the surging demand for its AI Ethernet Fabric, indicating a strong focus on this high-growth area [drivenets.com].

Hiring & Layoffs

DriveNets Hiring and Layoffs

DriveNets is actively expanding its team, signaling a strong growth trajectory and a strategic focus on AI networking and disaggregated networking solutions. The company has successfully raised over $585 million in funding, underscoring its significant market presence and potential to disrupt the high-scale networking sector [drivenets.com/careers/]. This substantial investment is fueling an aggressive hiring push, particularly in research and development, to meet the burgeoning demand for its innovative technologies. There is no public information indicating any recent layoffs at DriveNets.

The current hiring trends at DriveNets reveal a clear emphasis on bolstering its engineering capabilities, especially in areas critical to its AI networking fabric and cloud-native networking software. Notable job openings include specialized roles such as Full Stack Engineer - AI Datacenter Orchestration [drivenets.com/job/?id=FA.560], GPU Senior Software Engineer [drivenets.com/job/?id=D8.E56], and AI Data Center - E2E QA Network Engineer [drivenets.com/job/?id=51.859]. These positions, predominantly hybrid roles located in Tel Aviv and Ra'anana, highlight the company's commitment to advancing its core product offerings and supporting its rapidly expanding client base.

Further reinforcing this strategic direction, DriveNets is also seeking Senior Backend Developer / Tech Lead [drivenets.com/job/?id=81.369], Senior Software Engineer Infra [drivenets.com/job/?id=0B.160], and GPU Communication - Team Lead [drivenets.com/job/?id=D9.E5C]. These roles indicate a focus on robust software development and the integration of cutting-edge technologies like GPUs into their networking solutions. The continuous recruitment for diverse engineering talents, including a Senior Frontend Developer [drivenets.com/job/?id=A1.66F-92.601] and a Network Engineer [drivenets.com/job/?id=60.A48], demonstrates DriveNets' comprehensive approach to building a full-stack team capable of supporting its complex, high-scale network architectures. The open position for a Solutions Validation Engineer – OSS Platform in Middletown, New Jersey [drivenets.com/job/?id=0B.550], also points to a focus on operational support and platform validation, crucial for their service provider and hyperscaler clients.

Leadership

DriveNets Management and Leadership Team

DriveNets is led by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs and industry veterans, with Ido Susan serving as CEO and Co-Founder, and Hillel Kobrinsky as Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder [drivenets.com/company/]. Susan previously co-founded Intucell, which was acquired by Cisco, while Kobrinsky founded Interwise, acquired by AT&T [drivenets.com/news-and-events/press-release/drivenets-raises-110m-series-a-funding-to-revolutionize-service-provider-networks/]. Their combined entrepreneurial experience forms the core of DriveNets' leadership, guiding the company's technological and business vision [drivenets.com/author/idosusan/].

Supporting this vision are key C-suite executives including Mike Lilo as Chief Financial Officer, Inbar Lasser-Raab as Chief Marketing Officer, and Naama Ofek Arad as Chief Operating Officer [drivenets.com/company/]. Lasser-Raab, who joined in 2019, brings extensive marketing experience from Cisco and Nokia, contributing to DriveNets' brand awareness and growth [drivenets.com/author/inbarlr/]. The leadership team also includes Rani Finkelstein as General Manager of Cybersecurity Solutions and Tali Itzhar as SVP Engineering, Network Cloud [drivenets.com/company/].

DriveNets has actively expanded its leadership, particularly in sales and infrastructure. In June 2022, the company added three industry veterans: James Morgan as Senior Vice President of Sales for Europe, Ryan Donnelly as Senior Vice President of Infrastructure, and John Sweeney as Executive Vice President of Sales for the Americas [drivenets.com/news-and-events/press-release/drivenets-adds-cloud-and-networking-industry-veterans-to-leadership-team/]. These strategic hires, all from major global cloud and networking companies, underscore DriveNets' commitment to scaling its market reach and operational capabilities. The company's board of directors also includes notable figures such as Steve Luczo, Chairman of Seagate's Board of Directors, as a strategic investor [drivenets.com/news-and-events/press-release/executives-from-microsoft-palo-alto-networks-and-seagate-named-as-strategic-investors-in-drivenets-117m-series-a-funding-round/].

Financials

DriveNets Financial Performance, Fundraising, M&A

DriveNets, a prominent leader in cloud-native networking solutions and AI infrastructure, has demonstrated robust financial performance through significant fundraising rounds. The company initially emerged from stealth mode in February 2019, securing a Series A funding of $110 million DriveNets Raises $110M Series A to Transform Networks, which was later reported as $117 million with strategic investors from Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, and Seagate Executives from Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks and Seagate Named as Strategic Investors in DriveNets’ $117M Series A Funding Round. This initial investment was led by Bessemer Venture Partners and Pitango Growth, setting the stage for their ambitious goal to revolutionize service provider networks.

Building on this momentum, DriveNets raised a substantial $208 million in a Series B funding round in January 2021 DriveNets Raises $208M to Build Future Network Cloud. This pivotal round elevated the company's valuation to more than $1 billion, solidifying its position as a significant player in the networking software industry DriveNets Raises $208M to Build Future Network Cloud. The funding was earmarked to continue offering a radical new way for service providers and hyperscalers to build their network infrastructure. Their Network Cloud solution is already deployed as the core routing solution for global Tier-1 operators like AT&T and Comcast, underscoring its viability and market acceptance DriveNets Company Overview: Innovative Solutions.

Further demonstrating investor confidence and market demand, DriveNets secured an impressive $262 million in a Series C venture capital funding round in August 2022 DriveNets Secures $262 Million in Series C Funding. This round considerably increased the company's valuation beyond its Series B, signaling strong growth and continued disruption in the telecommunications and cloud infrastructure industry. The company plans to strategically invest this capital into its focus on virtualization software and innovative solutions for its service provider customers, aiming to reduce the total cost of ownership and drive innovation DriveNets Co-founder on the White Box Way to Lower TCO. In a more recent development, DriveNets secured an additional $410 million Series D to meet the surging demand for AI Ethernet Fabric, further emphasizing its leadership in large-scale networking solutions for AI infrastructure Full-Stack AI Networking Fabric | DriveNets.

While specific revenue figures are not publicly detailed, the company has indicated significant financial success, with an internal projection suggesting “more than a billion dollars in bookings” and “winning large AI networking projects” in 2025, according to a VP of Product Marketing DriveNets 2025: The Inflection Point. This robust fundraising history and strategic market penetration, particularly in AI networking solutions and disaggregated networking, highlight DriveNets' strong financial health and promising outlook for continued growth and market leadership.

Partnerships

DriveNets Partnerships, Clients and Vendors

DriveNets actively cultivates a robust ecosystem of partnerships and client relationships, essential for delivering its innovative networking solutions. The company collaborates with Certified Resellers, Distributors, and System Integrators to expand its market reach globally, combining DriveNets' advanced technology with partners' local expertise and value-added services DriveNets Partners: Collaboration for Networking Innovation. Additionally, DriveNets partners with technology companies to create comprehensive networking solutions and works with hardware vendors, including silicon providers, ODMs, and optics manufacturers, to ensure compatibility and performance for its offerings DriveNets Partners: Collaboration for Networking Innovation.

DriveNets serves a distinguished roster of enterprise clients, including major telecommunication companies and service providers globally.

AT&T, for example, has deployed DriveNets Network Cloud as its software-based core routing solution in its next-generation core network AT&T deploys DriveNets Network Cloud in their Next-Gen Core.

Comcast is utilizing DriveNets' Network Cloud to expand its Janus initiative, aiming to virtualize and embed AI innovation throughout its network Comcast Accelerates Virtualization and AI Technologies Throughout the Nation’s Largest and Fastest. Furthermore, KDDI has signed a strategic partnership with DriveNets to deploy DriveNets software in its commercial backbone network to support increasing data demands in the AI era KDDI and DriveNets Signed A Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Open Network Architecture - DriveNets.

Orange has also successfully tested and deployed DriveNets’ Network Cloud solution on its live international IP network, carrying significant traffic Ra’anana Israel – Feb 26, 2025 – DriveNets, a leader in cloud-native networking solutions, today announced the successful testing and deployment of DriveNets’ Network Cloud solution on peering and core nodes on Orange’s live international IP network. The proof-of-concept (PoC) was seamlessly deployed, fully operational, and is carrying significant live traffic in fewer than 45 days, demonstrating the operational maturity of network disaggregation in a live production environment.. A tier-1 operator headquartered in APAC has also selected DriveNets Network Cloud to power its global IP transport backbone, making it the first global service provider to deploy a disaggregated networking solution for its worldwide network A tier-1 operator headquartered in APAC selected the DriveNets Network Cloud solution to power its global IP transport backbone. In doing so, the tier-1 operator became the first global service provider to deploy a disaggregated networking solution as the backbone of its worldwide network. This extensive agreement names DriveNets as the sole vendor to support the tier-1 operator’s network, which carries 30% of the world’s internet routes across India, APAC, EMEA and the Americas..

Technology integrations are a cornerstone of DriveNets' strategy. The company has completed joint testing and certification with Ciena for its 400G coherent pluggable transceivers integrated into the DriveNets Network Cloud platform, enhancing network efficiency for service providers DriveNets and Ciena Complete Joint Testing of ZR+ / ZR Solution.

DriveNets has also partnered with Radisys to focus on network scaling projects, new services rollout, and end-to-end network orchestration for European service providers DriveNets and Radisys Partner to Enable Network Transformation Projects with European Service Providers. In Japan, DriveNets and NESIC have joined forces to expand disaggregated, cloud-native networking solutions, establishing DriveNets' first technical lab in the country for testing and integration DriveNets and NESIC Join Forces to Expand Disaggregated, Cloud-Native Networking Solutions in Japan. Furthermore, DriveNets and Accton Technology have successfully launched new white boxes based on Broadcom's Jericho-3-AI and Ramon-3 ASICs, specifically designed for high-performance Ethernet-based AI networking solutions DriveNets and Accton Technology Launch the Highest Performance Ethernet-based AI Networking Solution. These strategic collaborations highlight DriveNets' commitment to delivering comprehensive and high-performance networking solutions through a collaborative ecosystem.

Events

DriveNets Event Participations

DriveNets actively engages with the industry through a robust schedule of events, including major conferences, trade shows, and webinars, to showcase its AI Networking Fabric and disaggregated networking solutions. Notably, DriveNets regularly participates in significant gatherings like Mobile World Congress (MWC), where their MWC25 panel explored

Frequently Asked Questions

What does DriveNets's recent hiring pattern suggest about their product roadmap and strategic direction?

DriveNets's hiring patterns indicate a strong strategic focus on advancing its AI networking fabric and cloud-native networking software. The company is actively seeking specialized roles such as 'Full Stack Engineer - AI Datacenter Orchestration' and 'GPU Senior Software Engineer,' signaling significant investment in AI capabilities and the integration of cutting-edge technologies like GPUs into its solutions. This suggests a roadmap prioritizing high-performance AI infrastructure and complex, high-scale network architectures, likely fueled by over $585 million in funding.

What do DriveNets's latest partnerships signal about their go-to-market shift or expansion?

DriveNets's latest partnerships signal a strategic expansion into key international markets and a deeper integration with the hardware ecosystem. Collaborations with KDDI in Japan and NESIC for a new technical lab indicate a focused effort to grow in Asia-Pacific, while joint testing with Ciena for 400G coherent pluggable transceivers and partnerships with Accton Technology for Broadcom-based white boxes highlight a commitment to offering comprehensive, high-performance, and compatible solutions with leading technology providers. These moves underscore a go-to-market strategy that relies on robust channel partnerships and integrated technology stacks to deliver end-to-end solutions.

Is DriveNets's financial trajectory a turnaround or a warning sign given its fundraising history?

DriveNets's financial trajectory appears to be one of robust growth and strong investor confidence, rather than a warning sign or a turnaround. The company has secured over $585 million in total funding, including a recent $410 million Series D round specifically for its AI Ethernet Fabric. This consistent capital injection, which has elevated its valuation to over $1 billion, underscores significant market demand for its cloud-native networking and AI infrastructure solutions, indicating a healthy financial position and promising outlook.

How does DriveNets's AI Networking Fabric differentiate from established competitors like Arista Networks?

DriveNets's AI Networking Fabric differentiates by offering a full-stack Ethernet-based solution that encompasses hardware, software, and services specifically optimized for AI clusters, aiming to deliver InfiniBand-level performance over Ethernet. While Arista Networks also offers high-performance solutions with its Extensible Operating System (EOS) and switches designed for rack-scale AI infrastructure, DriveNets provides a comprehensive, integrated solution for building new AI networking fabrics from the ground up, in contrast to Arista's focus on deep tuning for hyperscale fabrics using merchant silicon and optimizing existing infrastructures.

What does DriveNets's leadership background, particularly its co-founders, imply about the company's strategic vision?

The background of DriveNets's co-founders, Ido Susan and Hillel Kobrinsky, implies a strategic vision rooted in serial entrepreneurship and successful exits within the networking and communications sectors. Susan previously co-founded Intucell (acquired by Cisco), and Kobrinsky founded Interwise (acquired by AT&T). This experience suggests a leadership team focused on disruptive innovation, a deep understanding of service provider needs, and a strategic trajectory aimed at significant market disruption and value creation through its disaggregated networking and AI infrastructure solutions.

What customer deployment signals indicate DriveNets's market acceptance and scalability for its disaggregated networking solutions?

Customer deployment signals indicate strong market acceptance and scalability for DriveNets's disaggregated networking solutions, particularly with Tier-1 service providers. AT&T has deployed DriveNets Network Cloud as its software-based core routing solution, and Comcast is utilizing it for its Janus initiative. KDDI has also signed a strategic partnership, and Orange successfully deployed the solution on its live international IP network, carrying significant traffic. These deployments by major global carriers demonstrate the operational maturity, scalability, and viability of DriveNets's technology in high-demand production environments.

How does DriveNets's disaggregated networking approach impact the total cost of ownership for service providers?

DriveNets's disaggregated networking approach aims to significantly reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) for service providers by allowing them to pay only for the network capacity actually used and to incrementally upgrade capacity by stacking low-cost white boxes. This contrasts with traditional methods that require replacing entire hardware boxes as utilization nears capacity, thus minimizing capital expenditure and optimizing operational efficiency.

What is the strategic significance of DriveNets's focus on 'AI data workloads' in its hiring and product strategy?

DriveNets's focus on 'AI data workloads' in its hiring and product strategy signifies a major strategic pivot towards the high-growth AI infrastructure market. The company's recent $410 million Series D funding specifically for its AI Ethernet Fabric, coupled with job openings like 'Full Stack Engineer - AI Datacenter Orchestration' and 'GPU Senior Software Engineer,' indicates a commitment to optimizing its full-stack networking solutions to accelerate AI deployments and maximize GPU utilization, addressing a critical need for high-performance AI compute.

What operational efficiencies does DriveNets's 'full-stack networking solution' promise for large-scale infrastructures?

DriveNets's full-stack networking solution promises enhanced operational efficiencies for large-scale infrastructures by integrating hardware, software, cluster orchestration, and deployment/optimization services. This approach is designed to maximize performance, utilization, and operational efficiency while reducing costs, similar to how hyperscalers build their cloud infrastructure. The end-to-end network convergence, operational automation, and cyber resilience offered aim to redefine operational models for service providers.

How do the strategic hires of James Morgan, Ryan Donnelly, and John Sweeney reflect DriveNets's market expansion goals?

The strategic hires of James Morgan (SVP Sales, Europe), Ryan Donnelly (SVP Infrastructure), and John Sweeney (EVP Sales, Americas) reflect DriveNets's aggressive market expansion goals, particularly in scaling its global sales and operational capabilities. These individuals, all veterans from major global cloud and networking companies, indicate a focused effort to deepen market penetration and strengthen client relationships across key geographical regions, supporting the company's growth trajectory and adoption of its disaggregated networking solutions.

Beyond large service providers, what specific customer segments is DriveNets targeting with its current offerings?

Beyond large service providers like AT&T and Comcast, DriveNets is specifically targeting hyperscalers and enterprises building AI infrastructure with its current offerings. The company's focus on its 'AI Networking Fabric' and solutions for 'AI data workloads,' along with its disaggregated network approach similar to how hyperscalers build clouds, indicates a clear strategy to address the growing demand for high-performance, cost-efficient networking in AI compute environments.

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