DevAI Secures $6M in Seed Funding to Advance AI-Powered IT Infrastructure Automation

DevAI Solutions Inc., a Palo Alto-based artificial intelligence startup founded by former Cisco Systems Inc. executives, has successfully raised $6 million in a seed funding round. The oversubscribed round was led by Emergence Capital, a firm known for its investments in prominent enterprise tech companies such as Box Inc. and Salesforce Inc.. Additional participation came from Pear VC, Base10, and Benchstrength, highlighting strong investor interest in the company’s AI-driven approach to IT infrastructure management.

The startup was founded by CEO Susie Wee and CTO Edwin Zhang, both of whom played key roles at Cisco’s DevNet platform before establishing DevAI. Wee previously held the position of senior vice president and chief technology officer for DevNet, a platform that provided developers with access to APIs and resources to build applications for Cisco products. Zhang was the director of software development and user experience at DevNet, overseeing critical aspects of software design and functionality.

At the core of DevAI’s offering is the Network Intelligence Engine, a platform designed to streamline IT operations by reducing manual tasks through the use of AI agents. These agents are engineered to operate autonomously, with the company claiming they can shorten IT ticket resolution times by 40% to 70%. The platform’s first AI agent, named Neo, focuses on automating key functions such as incident response, cybersecurity management, and regulatory compliance. It also assists IT teams in planning and preparing for system upgrades or changes.

The system leverages a combination of internal organizational data and industry best practices to generate actionable insights. It integrates with existing IT management tools to analyze large datasets and recommend steps to address potential issues before they escalate. Job listings on DevAI’s website suggest that the platform relies on large language models (LLMs) powered by retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), a machine learning technique that enhances an LLM’s knowledge base without requiring extensive retraining. This innovation allows for more cost-effective scaling while ensuring the AI agents remain up to date.

“IT professionals are the unsung heroes of modern enterprises,” said Susie Wee, emphasizing the critical role they play in ensuring system reliability and security. She highlighted that DevAI’s AI agents provide IT teams with the insights necessary to address challenges efficiently and eliminate operational inefficiencies, allowing them to focus on strategic business initiatives.

According to Zeus Kerravala, principal analyst at ZK Research, many AI agent providers primarily cater to business functions like sales and customer support, leaving IT professionals underserved. “Despite advances in technology, managing IT infrastructure hasn’t significantly improved. Most IT resources—about 71%—are still used to maintain current operations, leaving minimal capacity for innovation,” he stated. DevAI’s approach, he added, is unique because it offers a unified AI agent capable of working across various platforms, including Wi-Fi networks, security systems, and campus networks.

The company is currently collaborating with several enterprises to test and refine its platform. The $6 million seed funding will be directed towards product development and expanding its user base as the company moves to establish itself within the enterprise IT sector.