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Indian American-run Zepton creates ripples in US

Ela Dutt in New York

Zepton Networks Inc, an optical fibre networking company, is making waves in the US. And the association with venture capital guru Vinod Khosla is not the only reason why.

Run by New Delhi-born Jagdeep Singh, Zepton has already raised $60 million in the first round of financing from top investors like Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Benchmark Capital, Accel Partners and Sprout Group.

It also features in the top 10 list of Red Herring magazine, which is considered essential reading for leaders using technology to build or expand their business.

Zepton CEO Singh, who has also co-founded Lightera Networks and AirSoft, said: "This record amount ($60 million) is an indicator of the size of the opportunity, the quality of the ideas and the ability of the team to execute these ideas."

Khosla, a partner in Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, said: "We are very excited to be a part of Zepton Networks. We believe this company is on its way to changing the landscape of optical networking."

Singh's history stands him in good stead. The US-educated computer science post-graduate and master of business administration founded his first company at 26 and his second at 30.

At 34, he seems poised for another success. "I would like to think starting and running a business is my forte," Singh said. "The goal is to start a company that will create long-term value."

Singh's principles for success are simple. "If you take an important problem and assemble the right team, you can pull it off."

And that is what he is banking on with Zepton, which is yet to announce what its optical networking technology is.

Apparently, Khosla and investors believe in this mantra, considering their support to the venture during an economic slump.

Indo-Asian News Service

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