Aina raises $5.5M to build physical controls for AI agents
The startup’s first product is a programmable keypad that can trigger workflows and supervise AI agents without keeping users inside a chat interface.
Aina has raised $5.5M around the idea that AI agents need a physical interface. Instead of building another recorder or chatbot, the startup wants users to launch and supervise automated work through dedicated hardware.
What happened
The Bengaluru- and San Francisco-based company raised $5.5M in a round led by Redstart Labs and 360 ONE, with participation from MIXI Global Investments, Antler and Blume Founders Fund.
Aina was founded by Apoorv Shankar, formerly a senior hardware executive at Ultrahuman. Its first product, Dune, is a compact programmable keypad that can control meeting functions, execute shortcuts and trigger AI workflows based on the application currently in use.
The company says future devices will focus on invoking and controlling agents rather than continuously recording a user’s surroundings. That positioning attempts to distinguish Aina from the wave of wearable AI devices built mainly around capture and transcription.
Why it matters
Most AI tools still operate through chat windows, even as users begin managing several agents across coding, research and productivity workflows. Dedicated controls could make it easier to start tasks, approve actions and monitor status without repeatedly switching applications.
The bigger picture
The category remains experimental. A physical device must provide enough convenience to justify additional hardware when keyboards, phones and software shortcuts already exist. Aina also enters a market where several companies are testing new agent interfaces and form factors. Its opportunity is to become a neutral control layer across multiple models and applications rather than a peripheral tied to one AI provider.