Lara Networks

Lara Networks Inc. was a semiconductor company specializing in high-performance, silicon-based packet-processing solutions for wide area network (WAN) infrastructure equipment. Founded in 2000 by Kamal Gunsagar, Jayan Ramankutty, and Ajit Medhekar, the San Jose-based firm quickly established itself in the networking market. The founding team's expertise was synergistic; Gunsagar, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, served as CEO, while Ramankutty was the President and COO.

The company focused on developing network search engines and co-processors that addressed the core functionality of network processors, which are the 'brains' of a networking subsystem. Its products, which included network database search engines and packet classification processors, utilized associative processing technology to offload and accelerate the processing of network requests. This technology enabled network switches to handle millions of transactions per second, a critical capability for its client base of networking original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Cisco Systems, Ericsson, NEC, and Fujitsu. Lara Networks' business model centered on supplying these specialized integrated circuits to manufacturers of routers, switches, and multiservice gateways.

A significant milestone for Lara Networks was the acquisition of WarpCom Technologies in August 2000, which expanded its offerings into Internet protocol-based packet-switching applications for high-speed Ethernet networks. The company successfully raised over $57.5 million in venture funding, including a $40 million round in October 2000. In July 2001, Cypress Semiconductor Corporation acquired Lara Networks for approximately $225 million, primarily in cash. The acquisition was a strategic move for Cypress to bolster its communications division and expand its portfolio of solutions for networking line cards. Following the acquisition, Lara Networks initially operated as a separate unit within Cypress's communications division. The parent company, Cypress Semiconductor, was later acquired by Infineon Technologies in a deal that closed in April 2020.

Keywords: packet processing, network search engines, network co-processors, WAN infrastructure, semiconductors, associative processing, line-card solutions, silicon-based solutions, network switching, communications ICs