Aina, co-founded by Apoorv Shankar, ex-VP of Hardware at Ultrahuman, has secured $5.5 million to pioneer AI interface devices designed not just to capture data but to enable hands-on control of AI workflows.
- Raised $5.5M led by Redstart Labs and 360 ONE
- First product Dune is a versatile AI control macro keypad
- New device to launch soon, focusing on agent activation
What happened
Aina, a startup formed by Apoorv Shankar, formerly VP of Hardware at Ultrahuman, announced a $5.5 million funding round led by Redstart Labs and 360 ONE. Other investors include MIXI Global Investments, Antler, Blume Founders Fund, and prominent individual backers such as Kunal Shah and Razorpay co-founders. The company is focused on creating AI hardware that transcends passive data capture and instead empowers users to control AI workflows.
The startup's initial product, Dune, is a three-key macro keypad that can manage microphone, camera, and app-related shortcuts during meetings. Aina also developed Radiance, a tabletop remote, and Shift, a one-touch AI task trigger, but early user feedback showed the keypad as the preferred form factor. The team is preparing to pilot a new device designed to activate AI agents actively, with testing scheduled to begin soon.
Why it matters
In a competitive field of AI interface hardware, many existing products primarily focus on passively recording or capturing context, such as smart rings and pins. Aina’s approach addresses the growing need for hardware that facilitates actual interaction and command over AI assistants, especially as AI-driven workflows and developer tools become more prevalent in professional environments.
This shift indicates an emerging market trend where control, not just context awareness, is the key feature in AI interface devices. As AI adoption increases across industries, devices like Aina’s Dune keypad and upcoming products could become integral tools for knowledge workers, boosting productivity by streamlining interaction with AI-powered agents.
What to watch next
Aina will soon begin testing its newest device with select users, aiming to gather real-world feedback on how people want to automate and control AI tasks through hardware interfaces. Details on this device remain limited, but its design will focus on enabling action-based workflows rather than merely capturing audio or contextual data passively.
The broader hardware AI interface market remains fragmented, with various form factors competing for adoption, including rings, pins, glasses, keypads, and speakers. How Aina’s products fare against these alternatives, particularly as other companies like OpenAI and Rabbit roll out similar offerings, will be critical to watch. Investors and users alike will be looking for clear winners in usability and effectiveness as AI integration deepens in daily work.