In a world where your toaster might be a hacker’s next best friend, Alex Zenla realized something alarming while diving into internet-of-things security back in the mid-2010s: smart devices were often dumber than a rock when it came to security. Those tiny chips in IoT devices? They couldn’t handle the same cloud protections that keep your high-end gaming rig safe from virtual chaos. So, these gadgets were hanging out directly on local networks, practically throwing a party for cybercriminals.

Fast forward a decade, and Zenla, now an ambitious entrepreneur, has teamed up with two other fierce female cofounders to launch Edera. Their mission? Shake up the world of cloud infrastructure with security tech that promises to keep our digital essentials safe and sound.

Edera specializes in cloud workload isolation tech. It might sound like a techy buzzword salad, but what they’re really doing is fortifying the walls of our increasingly shared cloud landscapes. With AI applications piling on workloads and demanding GPU power, traditional security measures feel like putting a band-aid on a gaping networking wound. Zenla tackles this head-on, saying, “These problems are very hard… but I think people were too willing to accept trade-offs that were not actually acceptable”.

To prove they mean business, Edera recently secured a $15 million Series A round, led by Microsoft’s venture fund, M12. In a time when finding funding feels like spotting a unicorn in Golden Gate Park, their success is absolutely worth a fist pump, and maybe even a celebratory vegan latte.

It’s a proud moment for the cofounders, not just for their breakthrough tech, but also for smashing the ‘boys club’ narrative in the venture capital world. Statistically, female founders have it rough, and the numbers continue to favor men when it comes to VC dollars. Edera’s success is a much-needed battle cry: “We can’t ignore that we are a small minority in our industry,” says CEO Emily Long. “But by existing and being different, you are showing what’s possible”.

At the end of the day, Edera isn’t just selling tech; they’re also paving the way for meaningful change in the industry. Their container isolation technology lets network engineers safeguard their systems against breaches without sacrificing performance for security.

So, while we’re repurposing our old electronics into DIY art projects, Zenla and her crew are hard at work ensuring our tech doesn’t turn against us. Talk about a glow-up for the cloud!