Aina raises $5.5M to build hardware that commands AI agents instead of just capturing your voice

What happened

Aina — a Bengaluru- and San Francisco-based startup whose name means "mirror" in Hindi — has raised $5.5 million to build a new class of human-computer interface device designed to control AI agents, not just passively capture what you say or do. The round was led by Redstart Labs (Infoedge, India) and 360 ONE, with participation from MIXI Global Investments, Antler, and Blume Founders Fund. Notable individual investors include newly appointed WhatsApp head Kunal Shah, Razorpay co-founders Harshil Mathur and Shashank Kumar, and Scribd founder Tikhon Bernstam.

The company was previously known as Project Mirage. It was founded by Apoorv Shankar, who served as VP of Hardware at Ultrahuman, the smart ring maker. Before joining Ultrahuman, Shankar ran LazyCo, a hardware interface design startup that built a ring allowing users to control other devices such as smartphones. Ultrahuman acquired LazyCo, bringing Shankar in-house before he eventually left to start Aina.

Aina says it will pilot a new device in the coming weeks, though specific form-factor and feature details remain limited.

Why it matters

The wearable AI hardware space is crowded but still unsettled. Devices like the Sandbar ring, Plaud's AI pin and desktop notetaker, and Pocket's credit card-sized pucks focus largely on capturing what users say and do. Bee and Friend take the wearable route, while Meta Ray-Bans and Even Realities are betting on smart glasses. Aina's pitch is different: rather than just recording context for an AI to process later, its devices aim to let users actively command and steer AI agents.

That distinction matters because the industry is gradually shifting from AI as a passive assistant — transcribing meetings, summarizing notes — toward AI agents that take actions on a user's behalf across apps and services. If Aina can deliver hardware that makes controlling those agents feel natural and low-friction, it could carve out a niche distinct from both capture-first wearables and screen-based chatbot interfaces.

Shankar's background is a key asset here. His work at LazyCo on input-oriented hardware, followed by his tenure at Ultrahuman building consumer health wearables, gives him experience in both interaction design and shipping compact, battery-constrained devices — the exact skill set this category demands.

What to watch

• The pilot details. Aina has said a device pilot is coming in weeks but hasn't disclosed the form factor, price, or exact capabilities. Watch for whether it's a ring, a pin, a wristband, or something new — and whether it integrates with specific agent frameworks or remains platform-agnostic.
• Agent integration partnerships. Controlling AI agents requires deep software integration. Whether Aina partners with major agent platforms (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or open-source frameworks) or builds its own agent layer will shape its developer and consumer appeal.
• Differentiation in a crowded field. With Humane's Ai Pin struggling, Rabbit's R1 facing criticism, and smart glasses gaining traction, Aina needs a clear answer to "why this device instead of my phone or glasses."
• Investor signal. The participation of operators like Kunal Shah (WhatsApp) and Razorpay's founders suggests confidence from leaders in consumer and fintech scale, which could help with distribution and enterprise pilots.