{"id":744493,"date":"2013-04-02T00:00:08","date_gmt":"2013-04-02T04:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gigaom.com\/?p=626098"},"modified":"2013-04-02T00:00:08","modified_gmt":"2013-04-02T04:00:08","slug":"keen-on-proving-its-sdn-with-iaas-providers-midokura-raises-17-3m","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.com\/index\/744493","title":{"rendered":"Keen on proving its SDN with IaaS providers, Midokura raises $17.3M"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2010, the founders of Midokura set out to become the top provider of public Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) clouds in Japan, but they realized networking challenges stood in the way. So they decided to focus on networking, and in the meantime the software-defined networking (SDN) space got hot<\/a>. Now Midokura is trying to rack up more large-scale customers, particularly existing IaaS clouds, to validate its software’s capabilities. <\/p>

Toward that end, the company has secured $17.3 million in Series A funding, bringing the total the company has raised to $18.6 million. The Innovation Network Corporation of Japan led the round, which also included participation from NEC Capital Solutions and NTT Docomo Innovations Ventures.<\/p>

Midokura’s software virtualizes the network to let OpenStack cloud-management software rapidly create virtual networks and manage virtual routing and switching. Unlike some SDN startups, Midokura’s software does not use the OpenFlow networking protocol. Midokura executives see Nicira as a major competitor, and to a lesser extent Big Switch, even though those companies incorporate OpenFlow in varying degrees. Since releasing a beta version of its overlay in October, the company has found a customer in one large unnamed technology company in the United States, said Midokura’s chief strategy officer, Ben Cherian.<\/p>

Midokura executives are changing roles. Dan Mihai Dumitriu, chief technology officer and a co-founder, is becoming CEO, while the CEO until this point, co-founder Tatsuya Kato, is becoming board chairman.<\/p>

Midokura has managed to develop a product and take on venture funding after realizing its IaaS dreams weren’t going to pan out — not immediately, anyway — and changing course. Now, with Microsoft, Rackspace and especially Amazon becoming larger IaaS providers, the move looks like a good one. If Midokura can sign up a few IaaS customers, it could capture a foothold in the SDN market, which does not yet have clear leaders.<\/p>
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