6WIND

6WIND develops DPDK-based Virtual Service Router (VSR) software that turns standard x86 servers into high-performance routers, border routers, IPsec VPN gateways, and CG-NAT devices, positioned as a software alternative to purpose-built networking hardware from vendors like Cisco and Juniper. Its Virtual Security Gateway product line provides carrier-grade IPsec VPN gateway functionality, encrypting site-to-site and remote traffic at throughput levels the company advertises at up to 12 million packets per second and 18 Gbps of IPsec per CPU core.

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Montigny-le-Bretonneux near Paris, France, with additional offices in Santa Clara, California and Singapore, 6WIND has around 110 employees and has raised roughly $6.3M across several early-stage and grant rounds from investors including Sofinnova Partners and Cisco Investments, with its most recently disclosed funding dating to 2015. The company’s customer base spans communications service providers, mobile network operators, cloud providers, data centers, and enterprises deploying network functions as software rather than fixed appliances.

6WIND’s security relevance centers specifically on its IPsec VPN gateway and secure routing capability, which is a legitimate network security offering for telecom and critical infrastructure operators needing encrypted connectivity at scale. It is fundamentally a networking software company, however, where security is one of several product lines (alongside general-purpose routing and CG-NAT) rather than the company’s sole focus, and its long operating history reflects a mature, incrementally evolving product rather than a fast-growing challenger.