What Anuket does

Anuket is an open source project hosted under the Linux Foundation Networking (LFN) that delivers standardized reference infrastructure specifications, reference implementations, and conformance and performance frameworks for virtualized and cloud native network functions (VNFs and CNFs). The project was formed in January 2021 through the merger of two pre-existing LFN projects, CNTT (Cloud iNfrastructure Telco Taskforce) and OPNFV (Open Platform for NFV), combining CNTT's reference model and architecture work with OPNFV's verification and conformance testing capabilities. Anuket serves three primary customer segments — network operators, infrastructure vendors, and network function vendors — with an ecosystem of more than 100 participating organizations globally, including tier-1 telecom operators (Verizon, AT&T, Orange, Vodafone, KDDI, STC, Telstra) and technology vendors (Huawei, Intel, Mirantis, Nokia).

The technical portfolio is anchored by the technology-agnostic Reference Model (RM), with two reference architectures: RA1 for OpenStack-based IaaS and RA2 for Kubernetes-based container orchestration. Reference Implementations (RI1, RI2) validate practicality, Reference Conformance frameworks (RC1, RC2) provide automated testing, and the Anuket Assured verification program enables commercial certification. Supporting sub-projects include Barometer (telemetry/monitoring), ViNePerf (data-plane network performance testing), CIRV (infrastructure validation), Functest (~3,000 functional tests), and Thoth (AI/ML for NFV failure prediction). Strategic partnerships with GSMA, CNCF, ETSI, O-RAN Alliance, Open Infrastructure Foundation, ITU, and LF-Edge extend the specifications into broader telecom and cloud-native standards bodies.

Anuket does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded indirectly through LF Networking membership fees and participants join through the Linux Foundation. The project follows a community-led go-to-market motion with the Anuket Ambassador program, LFN Developer & Testing Forum events, and a Slack/YouTube/wiki ecosystem. The most recent specification release is Pieman (May 2024), continuing the project's roughly twice-yearly release cadence. Governance is provided by a Technical Steering Committee currently co-chaired by Beth Cohen (Verizon) and Gergely Csatari (Nokia).

Name

Anuket

Legal name

Anuket

Website

https://anuket.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Anuket is an open source Linux Foundation Networking project delivering standardized reference infrastructure specifications, implementations, and conformance frameworks for virtualized and cloud native network functions. It serves telecom operators, infrastructure vendors, and network function vendors across 100+ participating organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees (Linux Foundation): Anuket is part of LF Networking (LFN). Organizations join through LF Networking membership which connects them with technical projects, companies, and developer communities transforming the networking industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Anuket delivers standardized reference infrastructure specifications, reference implementations, and conformance and performance frameworks for virtualized (VNF) and cloud native (CNF) network functions. The offering is organized around a Reference Model (RM), two Reference Architectures (RA1 for OpenStack, RA2 for Kubernetes), corresponding Reference Implementations (RI1, RI2) and Reference Conformance test suites (RC1, RC2), and the Anuket Assured industry verification program. Supporting sub-projects include ViNePerf (data-plane benchmarking), Barometer (telemetry/monitoring), CIRV (infrastructure validation), Thoth (AI/ML for NFV), and Functest (functional test suites), all released as open source under the Linux Foundation Networking umbrella.

Product overview

Anuket is an LF Networking open source project that delivers a unified suite of cloud infrastructure reference specifications, implementations, and conformance frameworks for telecommunications. The portfolio includes the Reference Model (RM) as the foundational technology-agnostic specification, with two Reference Architectures: RA1 for OpenStack-based IaaS and RA2 for Kubernetes container orchestration platforms. These architectures are validated through Reference Implementations (RI1, RI2) and tested via Reference Conformance frameworks (RC1, RC2). Anuket Assured provides the industry verification program. Supporting sub-projects include Barometer (telemetry/monitoring), CIRV (infrastructure validation), ViNePerf (network performance testing), Thoth (AI/ML for NFV), and Functest (test suites). The project emerged from the 2021 merger of CNTT (Cloud iNfrastructure Telco Taskforce) and OPNFV (Open Platform for NFV).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reference Model (RM)

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced vendor on-boarding time through Anuket conformance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GSMAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2021GSMA publishes Anuket's Reference Model work as permanent reference document NG.126 v.2.0, and Reference Architecture 1 (OpenStack based) as NG.133. GSMA Fraud and Security Group (FASG) work on 5G security references the Anuket Reference Model. GSMA operator Platform Group (OPG) and Telco Edge Cloud (TEC) collaboration for edge computing.
• CNCF (Cloud Native Computing Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnuket maintains relationship with CNCF for alignment on cloud native technologies, Kubernetes ecosystem, and containerization principles that are drivers behind cloud native network function evolution.
• ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with ETSI on NFV standards including ETSI NFV, ETSI MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing). Anuket specifications reference ETSI NFV terminology, architectural framework, testing specifications, and security guidance.
• O-RAN AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with O-RAN Alliance on front haul interoperability testing, cloudification and orchestration specifications, and acceleration abstraction layer for alignment with open radio access network requirements.
• Open Infrastructure FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with OpenStack Edge Computing Group on defining various architectures that fit RA1 and RA2. Alignment on edge computing architecture, design, and testing standards.
• ITU (International Telecommunication Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with ITU-T on IMT-2020 (5G standards), precision time protocol specifications, energy efficiency measurement methodologies, and network functions virtualization guidelines.
• Linux Foundation Edge (LF-Edge)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarmonization with LF-Edge on edge computing initiatives, common cloud infrastructure principles, and ecosystem collaboration for telecom edge deployments.
• Telecom Infra Project (TIP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with TIP for requirements gathering to be adopted from Telco Edge cloud infrastructure perspective.
• LF Networking (LFN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnuket is hosted under LF Networking which facilitates collaboration and operational excellence across open source networking projects. LFN provides governance, compliance and verification committee (CVC), and hosts LFN Developer & Testing Forum events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GSMA: GSMA publishes Anuket's Reference Model as permanent reference document NG.126 and RA1 as NG.133. As the global operator trade body, GSMA is both a partner and a venue through which Anuket specs become de facto procurement standards.
• Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF): CNCF hosts Kubernetes and the broader cloud-native ecosystem. Anuket RA2 builds on Kubernetes and aligns with CNCF projects, making CNCF the upstream platform Anuket extends and references for telco workloads.
• Open Infrastructure Foundation (OpenStack): OpenStack underpins Anuket's RA1 reference architecture. The foundations collaborate on edge computing architectures, and the two are mutually foundational layers for telecom cloud infrastructure.
• ETSI (NFV ISG): ETSI's Industry Specification Group for NFV defines the foundational NFV architectural framework and testing specifications that Anuket's specs reference. They are complementary standards bodies with overlapping telecom membership.

Emerging players

• Magma: Magma is an open source mobile core network platform under the Linux Foundation. It addresses a different layer (mobile packet core) than Anuket's NFVI focus but shares the telco-cloud open source community and Linux Foundation governance.
• CAMARA: CAMARA is a Linux Foundation project defining telco network APIs. It overlaps with Anuket's telco cloud standardization scope at the service/API layer rather than the infrastructure layer, addressing adjacent parts of the telco cloud stack.
• Sylva: Sylva is a Linux Foundation Europe project for telco edge cloud infrastructure. It addresses similar reference architecture and conformance goals for edge deployments, making it a peer initiative targeting overlapping telco cloud use cases.

Direct peers

• ONAP (Open Network Automation Platform): ONAP is a sibling Linux Foundation Networking project focused on network orchestration and automation. Anuket Assured includes ONAP components for compliance, making ONAP a tightly coupled peer within the same LF Networking ecosystem.
• LF Edge (Linux Foundation Edge): LF Edge harmonizes edge computing initiatives with Anuket, particularly for telco edge deployments. Both projects operate under Linux Foundation umbrellas with overlapping member ecosystems focused on distributed cloud infrastructure.
• O-RAN Alliance: O-RAN Alliance collaborates with Anuket on fronthaul interoperability, cloudification, and orchestration. Both are operator-led consortia standardizing open telecom infrastructure, increasingly overlapping as RAN becomes cloud-native.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/cntt-n/CNTT
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=5CgLwxfHmu8
• Xx.com/LF_Networking

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Anuket