Silicon Valley venture capital firm VantagePoint Venture Partners has made some big bets recently, as venture bets go. The latest was announced today: a $75 million lead financing of Santa Clara's Entrisphere, a network equipment supplier. The round included eight other investors, several in Silicon Valley.

The firm defines itself as "multi-stage," meaning it doesn't shy away from investing in bigger, later-stage companies, so this isn't out of character. Last month, the San Bruno firm injected $60 million into Datran Media, an online marketing company.

Here's more on Entrisphere. And alarm:clock calls it high stakes poker.