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Kamiwaza co-founders Luke Norris (right) and Matt Wallace. (Kamiwaza Photo)
AI adoption in the enterprise continues to grow but many companies face hurdles in figuring out how to take advantage of new automation tools within their existing infrastructure.
Kamiwaza wants to lend a helping hand with its software platform that enables generative AI capabilities and doesn’t require a massive workflow overhaul or moving large amounts of data.
The company, based near Denver, recently raised cash from several Seattle-based investors, including Pioneer Square Labs, Ascend, and Community Access Fund.
Kamiwaza’s pitch is to let companies run AI models where their data already exists — across cloud, on-premise, and edge locations — and not be tied to a single hardware solution or hosting provider.
The company’s tools help customers with rapid data analysis, coding automation, AI agents, and text translation, among other services.
Vivek Ladsariya, managing director at Pioneer Square Labs, described Kamizawa as a “Docker for generative AI.”
“The real power is that it respects existing security and compliance rules, letting enterprises unlock advanced AI at scale without migrating sensitive data to an external SaaS model,” he said via email. “It’s all about giving enterprises total control and flexibility while enabling developers to innovate faster.”
The company has Fortune 500 customers as well as government clients, according to Luke Norris, CEO and co-founder of Kamiwaza.
Norris is a veteran technologist who previously founded Faction, a multi-cloud data services firm.
He co-founded Kamiwaza in 2023 with CTO Matt Wallace, a former exec at Faction who previously worked at Level 3 Communications, ViaWest, and VMware.
Kamiwaza is aiming to boost its headcount to 30 employees this year.
The company raised a $2.5 million pre-seed round and a $8.5 million seed round, which was led by Austin-based S3 Ventures and Pioneer Square Labs. Other backers include the Greater Colorado Venture Fund, SVK Capital, and FirstMile Ventures.
Norris said Seattle will be a “major hub” for the company with support of its investors.
Pioneer Square Labs doesn’t typically make investments beyond the Pacific Northwest. Ladsariya said the firm, which runs a venture fund and startup studio, invests in companies outside the region when there is a strong connection with a founder. “The PNW is still the central pillar of our strategy and a significant advantage for our portfolio companies,” he noted.
