Eridu
Category: AI Infrastructure
An AI networking startup building purpose-built networking hardware (silicon, systems, and software) from scratch to accelerate AI workloads and break the data center 'network wall'. Eridu was founded in 2023. The company is led by Drew Perkins. Based in Saratoga, United States. Team size: 100. Total funding raised: $230.0M. Latest round: Series A. Key investors include ["Socratic Partners","John Doerr","Hudson River Trading","Capricorn Investment Group","Matter Venture Partners","Kleiner Perkins"].
- Founded
- 2023
- Headquarters
- Saratoga, United States
- Team size
- 100
- Total funding
- $230.0M
Value proposition
Delivers an order-of-magnitude advance in performance, radix, and efficiency to increase GPU utilization while simultaneously reducing capex and power costs.
Products and solutions
["Purpose-built AI network switch","Custom networking silicon and optics","AI networking software and systems"]
Unique value
Employs a clean-sheet design across silicon, systems, and software specifically for AI workloads, rather than adapting existing legacy cloud networking systems.
Target customer
Hyperscalers, AI data centers, and cloud service providers
Industries served
["Artificial Intelligence","Data Centers","Cloud Computing","Semiconductors","Networking Infrastructure"]
Technology advantage
Introduces multiple industry-first innovations across semiconductors, optics, software, and systems to overcome the 'network wall' bottleneck, maximizing data center efficiency and GPU utilization.
How they differentiate
Fundamental silicon re-architecture with a clean-sheet network switch built around custom silicon, consolidating optical connections into on-chip communications to eliminate the AI network bottleneck.
Main competitors
["Cisco","Arista Networks","Nvidia","Broadcom"]
Key partnerships
["Solutions and value proposition validated by several leading hyperscalers","Backed by major investors including Kleiner Perkins (John Doerr)"]
Notable customers
["Hyperscalers","Neoclouds","Sovereign cloud operators"]
Major milestones
["Founded in 2023 by serial entrepreneur Drew Perkins","Emerged from stealth in March 2026 with an oversubscribed $200M+ Series A funding round to commercialize an all-new network switch"]
Growth metrics
Emerged from stealth with an oversubscribed $200M+ Series A; expanding local workforce to target the $200B AI networking market.
Market positioning
AI networking infrastructure provider targeting hyperscalers, neoclouds, and sovereign cloud operators.
Geographic focus
Global (Headquartered in Saratoga, California, North America)
Patents and IP
No registered patents publicly disclosed as of latest update
About Drew Perkins
Serial entrepreneur and inventor; previously Co-founder and CEO at Gainspeed, Co-founder and CTO at Infinera, Co-founder and CTO at OnFiber Communications, Co-founder and CTO at Lightera Networks, and CEO at Mojo Vision.
Official website: https://eridu.ai/