MTN Group has invested in ORAN Development Corporation (ODC), a pioneer in AI-Native Radio Access Networks (AI-RAN) and the architect of the U.S.-based Odyssey RAN technology platform, which recently closed 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 existing seed investment from affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. (“Cerberus”).
This collaboration accelerates the deployment of the world’s first AI-native, open-architecture platform the definitive U.S.-based RAN stack which 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 AI processing engine for the world’s digital and physical infrastructure.
By integrating NVIDIA Aerial RAN Computer Pro the industry-standard platform for high-performance, software-defined 5G ODC is moving beyond traditional connectivity to enable Robotic AI RAN autonomous, sense-and-respond networking at the forward edge.
This infrastructure serves as the sovereign fabric for the AI-Native era, transforming today’s cell sites into high-performance compute hubs capable of orchestrating everything from autonomous Agentic AI and real-time generative inference to the Physical AI applications that secure and 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, 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.”
Cisco, a cornerstone of global networking, sees the ODC platform as the vital link between cloud intelligence and edge execution across all sectors.
The global scale of the ODC syndicate is further underscored by the participation of leading operators across Africa, Europe, and the United States.
“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,” said Pallavi Mahajan, Chief Technology and AI Officer at Nokia. “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.”
Mazen Mroue, CEO of MTN Digital Infrastructure, added:
“For Africa, AI-RAN represents a leapfrog opportunity to deliver world-class intelligence from our largest cities to our most remote rural villages. 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.
“Maintaining technological superiority in a complex global environment requires a fundamental shift from single-use systems to an interconnected, high-velocity infrastructure fabric,” said Bill Vass, Chief Technology Officer at Booz Allen. “By integrating ODC’s AI-RAN architecture into our mission-critical solutions, we are accelerating the modern technology flywheel where communication, sensing, and edge compute converge. This unified ‘Nervous System’ provides the resilient, software-defined foundation necessary to deploy Sovereign AI at speed and scale, protecting critical national infrastructure and ensuring our nation stays ahead of emerging threats.”
Industry Perspective: The Road to Artificial Super Intelligence (“ASI”)
The announcement 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 raise of our Series A allows us to scale our engagement with global partners who recognize that the wireless edge is the ultimate frontier for AI,” said Dr. Kheradpir. “This is more than a technical deployment; it is a technological odyssey to build a U.S.-based nervous system of the physical world. Our platform transforms 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 makes the physical world intelligent and sovereign.”
