Neetta Shetty, global head, portfolio development at Cisco Investments, is one of our top 50 Rising Stars in corporate venturing for 2025.
Neetta Shetty plays a pivotal role at Cisco Investments, leading its Global Portfolio Development Group, which grows the CVC portfolio within the Cisco ecosystem. Her role requires a deep understanding of new technologies and a broad view of priorities for Cisco and its customers.
Shetty was a primary author of Cisco Investments’ portfolio development playbook, which drives synergy for each portfolio company. One of the main features of Cisco Investments is that it places a strong emphasis on giving portfolio companies the opportunity to sell to Cisco and through Cisco to the wider community.
With a career spanning 16 years, three countries and five job titles at Cisco, Shetty has a deep understanding of the company’s needs, which helps her build the relationships between startups and corporate business units. “Partnering with these passionate founders and being at the cutting edge of innovation is an absolute highlight,” she says. “As is bringing that innovation directly to the customer.”
“Partnering with these passionate founders and being at the cutting edge of innovation is an absolute highlight”
One of the investment areas Shetty is mostly excited by is AI, where Cisco has made a number of large investments recently.
Despite her experience, the role presents challenges. Prioritising the portfolio to achieve impact and aligning startups with Cisco’s goals is essential. “As a corporate investor, it is the learning that is the biggest value. And how do you measure learning?” she reflects.
A significant aspect of Shetty’s impact is orchestrating commercial agreements, providing startups unparalleled access to Cisco’s network and allowing them to scale rapidly. Her ability to secure these partnerships underscores her organisational skills and strategic foresight.
For those entering CVC, Shetty recommends the three ‘C’s – connection, credibility and confidence. “Build a deep, trusted network, collaborate and develop credibility. Be consistent in how you show up. And most importantly, project self-confidence every day.”
See the full list of Rising Stars 2025 here.
