Premier Syndicate of Investors Join Together to Accelerate ODC’s Deployment of an AI-Native Open-Architecture Platform Unifying Communication, Sensing, and Edge Intelligence
NEW YORK, March 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ORAN Development Company, LLC (“ODC”), a pioneer in AI-Native Radio Access Networks (AI-RAN) and the architect of the U.S.-based Odyssey RAN software platform, today announced the successful closing of a $45 million Series A funding round. The investment was led by a premier syndicate of global technology and infrastructure powerhouses, including Booz Allen, Cisco Investments, Nokia, and NVIDIA, alongside Tier-1 telecoms AT&T, MTN, and Telecom Italia. This strategic round joins these industry leaders with Phoenix Venture Partners and a prior seed investment made by affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. (“Cerberus”).
This collaboration accelerates the deployment of an AI-native, open-architecture platform—and the definitive U.S.-based RAN stack—that structurally unifies communication, sensing, and edge intelligence. ODC is currently partnering with top-tier global customers and expects to ramp these and other commercial engagements throughout 2026.
ODC is architecting the “Distributed Compute Grid”—the essential Token Factory for the world’s digital and physical infrastructure. By integrating NVIDIA AI Aerial—the platform for high-performance, software-defined 5G—ODC is moving beyond traditional connectivity to enable AI-RAN at the forward edge. This infrastructure serves as the essential fabric for the AI-Native era, transforming today’s cell sites into high-performance compute hubs capable of orchestrating everything from Agentic AI and real-time generative inference to the Physical AI applications that define national infrastructure resilience.
A Unified Syndicate for the AI-Native Frontier
“The industry is moving toward software‑defined, AI‑native Telecom networks, which will be essential for the Physical AI era,” said Ronnie Vasishta, Senior Vice President of Telecom at NVIDIA. “ODC’s AI‑RAN stack is a key enabler of this shift, turning today’s 5G networks into a distributed AI computing fabric at the wireless edge. By leveraging the NVIDIA Aerial platform to unify high‑performance 5G with sensing, ODC is helping to raise the innovation bar for AI-RAN and creating a strong on‑ramp to 6G.”
Masum Mir, SVP and GM at Cisco Provider Mobility, commented: “As AI intelligence and decision-making moves to the edge, the mobile network becomes the central fabric of the digital economy. We are excited to invest in ODC as AI-RAN has the potential to drive a critical infrastructure transformation, moving the industry beyond simple connectivity and towards simplified, secure and open platforms that can support AI workloads and unlock new services opportunities.”
Pallavi Mahajan, Chief Technology and AI Officer at Nokia added: “AI is a fundamentally new workload that is reshaping network architecture—driving the need for software-driven platforms, intelligence at the edge, and continuous innovation. That shift is putting real pressure on infrastructure and requires architectural change across the network. ODC’s approach to AI-RAN reflects where the industry is heading, moving the RAN toward a more software-driven, AI-ready platform. Nokia’s investment reflects that direction and our focus on enabling AI-native networks across 5G and 6G.”
The global scale of the ODC syndicate is further underscored by the participation of leading mobile operators across Africa, Europe, and the United States.
“For Africa, AI-RAN represents a leapfrog opportunity to deliver world-class intelligence from our largest cities to our most remote rural villages,” said Mazen Mroue, CEO of MTN Digital Infrastructure. “By partnering with ODC, we are taking a leadership role in enabling advanced, precision-driven digital solutions across industry landscape in Africa. This isn’t just about connectivity. It’s about building the distributed AI compute foundation required to accelerate financial inclusion, industrial autonomy, and local innovation, serving as a true force-for-good and supporting the development of Sovereign AI across the continent.”
Leonardo Capdeville, Chief Technology Officer at Telecom Italia, commented: “ODC is the platform that unlocks the power of AI-RAN—turning the access network into a seamless extension of AI, purpose-built for mission-critical applications that demand ultra-low-latency inference, from eVTOL control to advanced robotics and the intelligent systems that will shape our future.”
As the convergence of AI and connectivity becomes a matter of national security and economic resilience, Booz Allen sees ODC as a critical component of secure, sovereign infrastructure.
“Staying ahead in today’s complex global environment requires an integrated, software-defined infrastructure to meet the speed and scale of modern threats,” said Chris Christou, senior vice president and Edge/NextG lead at Booz Allen. “Through this investment, we’re working with ODC to engineer AI-RAN into our mission solutions to deliver faster, more resilient capabilities that strengthen national security and maintain U.S. technological advantage.”
Industry Perspective: The Road to Artificial Super Intelligence (“ASI”)
The announcement of this funding round comes as the industry reaches a pivotal turning point in the convergence of AI and telecommunications. SoftBank Corp., a pioneer in the AI-RAN ecosystem, highlighted ODC’s vision for transforming traditional networks into intelligent compute hubs.
“We are on our way to a new era of Artificial Super Intelligence where robotics will revolutionize every industry on Earth,” said Ryuji Wakikawa, Vice President and Head of the Research Institute of Advanced Technology at SoftBank Corp. “ODC’s platform is a critical link in the autonomy stack. Their ability to provide low-latency command and control through existing infrastructure enables autonomous systems to scale globally. We have been working tirelessly to nurture a global ecosystem where ASI is delivered to society on a simple, accessible and trustworthy platform. The emergence of AI-native players like ODC is a powerful validation of this vision and the path toward ASI.”
Concluding the announcement, Dr. Shaygan Kheradpir, Chairman of ODC, noted the broader potential for civilizational impact of its platform:
“The successful completion of our Series A round will allow us to scale our engagement with global partners who recognize that the wireless edge is the next frontier for AI. This is more than a technical deployment. Our platform is designed to enable transformation of the network from a communication pipe into a Distributed Compute Grid—a global network of Token Factories capable of everything from general AI inference to the real-time spatial sensing required for autonomous systems. We are now focused on ramping our engagements and accelerating the commercial deployment of this intelligent infrastructure throughout 2026. From powering industrial robotics to protecting critical national infrastructure, ODC is enabling the fabric that will make the physical world intelligent and sovereign.”
About ODC
ODC is a leader in AI-Native Radio Access Network (“AI-RAN”) technology and the architect of the U.S.-based Odyssey technology platform. By integrating advanced AI sensing and inference into the RAN, ODC enables telecommunications providers to unlock new revenue streams and mission-critical capabilities across the industrial, commercial, and public sectors. Learn more at www.orandevco.com.
About Cerberus
Founded in 1992, Cerberus is a global alternative investment firm with approximately $70 billion in assets across complementary credit, real estate, and private equity strategies. Through its dedicated Supply Chain strategy and its venture investing platform, Cerberus Ventures, Cerberus seeks to unlock advantages for companies reimagining the critical components transforming industries and societies. For more information, visit www.cerberus.com and www.cerberus-ventures.com.
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SOURCE ORAN Development Company