AI Funding & Investment

Era Raises $11M to Build AI Infrastructure for Next-Gen Smart Devices

Era, an AI platform startup, has secured $11 million in funding to power a new wave of intelligent hardware devices. Founded by Liz Dorman, Alex Ollman, and Megan Gole, the company provides a software layer enabling hardware makers to build AI-powered gadgets — from glasses and jewelry to home speakers.

Rather than building devices itself, Era offers access to over 130 AI models from 14-plus providers, handling multimodal inputs and intelligent orchestration for third-party creators. Dorman, a Humane alumna, said the platform was designed to replace the traditional app model entirely with an AI intelligence layer.

The seed round was led by Abstract Ventures and BoxGroup, with angel investors including Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake and iPhone keyboard creator Ken Kocienda.

Featured image: Credit: Era

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