Rohit Giri, senior manager at Cisco Investments, is one of our top 50 Rising Stars in corporate venturing for 2026.
Rohit Giri joined the Cisco Investments team when it acquired software company Splunk in March 2024. He was part of the corporate development and corporate ventures team at Splunk and continued supporting it through the integration process, focusing on cyber security and observability.
Giri covers all things AI for Cisco Investments, focusing on emerging spaces that will shape enterprise technology. His role requires staying ahead of a rapidly evolving landscape, while identifying startups that can deliver clear value to Cisco and its customers.
He is focused on agentic tooling, especially around identity AI governance and security-for-AI – segments where enterprise demand is accelerating as companies move from AI experimentation to production.
“A lot of investment dollars have gone into AI and there needs to be a return. That is the shift that is taking place – a move from experimentation to accountability and demonstrable ROI.”
“Beyond that, I am also watching AI workload management and orchestration and AI platform-as-a-service,” says Giri. “It is about figuring out where the puck is going and that is really where we as a team want to be.”
Speaking on the transformative impact AI has had on all technologies, Giri says corporates, including Cisco, seek to invest in startups that can exemplify a clear ROI for their customers.
“A lot of investment dollars have gone into AI and there needs to be a return. I think that’s the shift that is currently taking place – a move from experimentation to accountability and demonstrable ROI. Founders who can address that shift are the forward-thinking ones and are the most attractive investment opportunity for us,” he says.
In his corporate venturing role, Giri particularly enjoys interacting with founders who are “using or leveraging AI to challenge the incumbent business practices”. In doing so, keeping pace with technological changes presents its own demands and rewards.
Giri especially enjoys mentoring young investors at the start of their careers in his corporate venturing role, guiding their early journeys.
“Stay curious,” he advises. “Continuously seek information to form your own opinions – a crucial habit for young investors building their foundation in investing.”
The Rising Stars are early-career corporate venture professionals who are making an outstanding contribution to their teams and the industry.
See the full list of Rising Stars 2026 here.
