Aina, a Bengaluru– and San Francisco-based startup, has raised $5.5 million in seed funding to build a new kind of hardware interface designed for the age of artificial intelligence. The round was led by Redstart Labs and 360 ONE Asset, with participation from global investors and prominent Indian founders. The company is also opening a waitlist for its private pilot, as it prepares to bring its flagship interface developed in stealth to market.
Apoorv Shankar’s design-led journey
Apoorv Shankar, a hardware-focused product builder is the founder and CEO of Aina, with a strong background in human-computer interaction. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, where he pursued a Master’s in Design, and with additional exposure to marketing at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Shankar’s career has consistently sat at the intersection of design, hardware, and human behaviour. He began with a degree in Instrumentation and Control Engineering from JSS Academy of Technical Education before moving into product design.
Shankar first gained traction with Lazy Co., a hardware startup he co-founded with a clear philosophy, make everyday digital interactions faster and easier by embracing “laziness” as a design principle. The company built experimental products including an AI-powered smart ring that allowed users to control smartphone functions like booking cabs or managing music without touching their screens. Lazy Co. was eventually acquired by Ultrahuman, where Shankar went on to serve as Vice President of Hardware, contributing to the development of advanced wearable devices such as sleep-tracking rings.
Experimenting with interfaces beyond screens and keyboards
Through his work, Shankar has consistently questioned the limitations of existing interfaces. His earlier project, Handkey, created during the Covid-19 pandemic, showcased his ability to identify real-world problems and rapidly build solutions, it became an award-winning product featured internationally. With Aina, that same curiosity has scaled into ambition, rethinking how humans interact with software altogether.
His journey at Aina
Since its incorporation in May 2025, Aina has operated as a human-computer interaction lab under the name “Project Mirage.” The company showcased early prototypes at CES 2026 and later introduced Dune, a context-aware keypad for Mac that adapts its functions based on the active application. Hundreds of these devices have already been shipped to early users, helping the team refine its approach. Now, Aina is building a broader, general-purpose interface that aims to go beyond keyboards and touchscreens entirely.
With fresh funding and a growing team across Bengaluru and San Francisco, Aina is positioning itself at the frontier of hardware for AI-native interactions. Though, details of its flagship product remain under wraps, the company’s vision is to create an interface that understands intent, reduces friction, and allows users to act instantly without dealing with layers of apps or menus. If successful, Shankar’s latest venture could change how people interact with technology in an AI-driven world.
