Milan-based Akamas, a company specializing in AI-driven cloud optimization, has raised $10 million in its first institutional funding round led by United Ventures. The investment aims to support Akamas’ expansion into the North American market, enhance its product offerings, and strengthen its position in cloud and Kubernetes optimization. With increasing complexity in cloud environments, businesses are looking for solutions that improve performance while controlling costs. Akamas’ AI-powered platform addresses this need by optimizing infrastructure and applications together, rather than focusing solely on cost reduction.
When Akamas was founded in 2019 as a spin-off from Moviri, it aimed to tackle a core challenge in cloud optimization. Earlier discussions on cloud cost management primarily centered on controlling expenses without considering performance trade-offs. Unlike traditional approaches, Akamas introduced an AI-driven model that continuously learns and adapts to workload changes. Competitors have often relied on static rules or historical data, whereas Akamas emphasizes real-time optimization. Over time, the industry has evolved, with more enterprises recognizing the value of balancing performance, reliability, and cost in cloud environments.
How will the funding be used?
A significant portion of the newly raised funds will be allocated toward expanding Akamas’ presence in North America. The company plans to open its first U.S. office in Boston to enhance brand recognition and customer engagement. Additionally, hiring efforts will be focused on growing the team from 10 to 35 employees within the first year, particularly in engineering, sales, and marketing roles in both Italy and the U.S.
Product development will also be a priority, with new features such as Kubernetes Insight, a SaaS version of the Akamas platform, and integrations with cloud providers like AWS and Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Cloud set to launch. These enhancements aim to improve optimization capabilities and provide organizations with more efficient cloud operations.
What makes Akamas different from other cloud optimization tools?
Unlike conventional FinOps tools that primarily focus on reducing cloud costs, Akamas takes an “application-aware” approach. This means that optimization efforts consider both infrastructure and applications simultaneously to ensure that performance is not compromised in pursuit of cost savings. The AI engine continuously adjusts settings based on real-time workloads, a method that traditional tools relying on static rules cannot achieve.
Luca Forni, CEO and co-founder of Akamas, stated,
“The US market is highly competitive, with well-established cloud management and FinOps players. However, Akamas applies a unique patented approach: we don’t just optimise costs—we optimise applications and infrastructure together, ensuring companies get maximum systems efficiency, resulting in better performance and cost reduction.”
The company has also secured its first seven-figure contract in North America, indicating strong early traction in the region. Businesses using Akamas have reported improvements in application response times, stability, and operational efficiency, in addition to cost reductions.
Beyond financial savings, Akamas measures its success through multiple key metrics, including improved performance, scalability, and adherence to service-level objectives. Organizations utilizing the platform have seen faster applications, reduced manual tuning efforts, and greater reliability in their cloud operations.
Security is another focus area for Akamas. The platform incorporates role-based access controls, compliance with regulations such as GDPR, and integrations with major cloud providers to ensure secure optimization processes. Additionally, on-premises deployment options are available for businesses with strict security requirements.
As AI-driven cloud optimization continues to gain traction, Akamas’ expansion into North America is expected to bring increased competition to established players in the industry. The company’s approach aims to provide a balance between cost, performance, and scalability, addressing a key challenge for enterprises managing complex cloud environments. With the latest funding, Akamas is positioning itself to strengthen its capabilities and market presence in a sector where efficiency and adaptability are becoming increasingly critical.
