Network Security Startup ConSentry Bags $17 Million

Network security startup ConSentry Networks is expected to announce today [July 18] that it has secured an additional $17 million in venture funding, in advance of an expected product introduction later this year.

ConSentry, formerly known as Tidal Networks, has been creeping out of stealth mode recently by talking publicly in general terms for its expected network security appliance, which will apparently lean heavily on proprietary silicon to overcome the traditional performance hit often associated with security-measure processing. According to ConSentry, its goal is to allow for wire-speed security at any port on the LAN, at a cost of around $30 per port.

While the Milpitas, Calif.-based company still doesn't have a set product announcement date, that didn't keep prominent venture capitalist outfits like Accel Partners and Sequoia Capital from participating in the latest round of financing, which is ConSentry's Series C round. Both Accel and Sequoia have a long history in backing successful networking startups, with Cisco, 3Com and NetScreen among Sequoia's winners and Foundry, Avici and Redback on Accel's short list. With the new round, ConSentry's funding total is at $31.1 million, according to the company.