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Cisco Systems named most active buyer of venture-backed companies

Cisco Systems has been identified as the most prolific buyer of venture-backed companies over the past two years, according to the newly released Venture Capital Analyst of Corporate Acquirers released by Alternative Investor.

‘Cisco is not acquiring as many start-ups, or paying as much for them as it was in the late 1990s, but it, like so many other technology and health care leaders, still appears to be willing to make an acquisition when it makes sense,' said David Barry, editor of the directory and vice president of Alternative Investor.

According to the directory Cisco has bought six venture-backed companies since September 2001. Other companies that have acquired multiple venture-backed companies in this period include EMC, Sun Microsystems and IBM.

‘Clearly a few of the acquisitions that have occurred in recent years have been for rock-bottom prices,' said Barry. ‘But, with the upturn in the stock market, corporations seem to be getting more interested in acquisitions as a mean of staying ahead of the competition and VCs seem to be more open to consider selling some of their more promising companies.'

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