During her work on internet-of-things security in the mid-2010s, Alex Zenla encountered a concerning issue.
Unlike traditional PCs and servers equipped with cutting-edge processors, the modest chips in IoT devices lacked the capacity to support the cloud protections that other computers utilized to ensure their security and isolation. Consequently, most embedded devices were directly linked to local networks, which raised their susceptibility to attacks. At that time, Zenla was a gifted teenager immersed in IoT platforms and open-source initiatives, and she was actively engaging with communities on Minecraft IRC channels. After grappling with this challenge for several years, she embarked on creating technology that would enable a wide range of devices to operate within their own isolated cloud environments, referred to as “containers.” Fast forward a decade, and she is now one of the three female cofounders of a security firm that is reshaping how cloud infrastructure allocates resources.
The company, Edera, specializes in cloud workload isolation technology, which may initially seem like a niche solution, yet it addresses a prevalent security concern as numerous applications or different clients utilize shared cloud infrastructure. Take the burgeoning AI workloads, for instance, which depend on GPUs for substantial processing power instead of traditional CPUs. These GPUs are designed for optimal efficiency and capacity rather than incorporating safeguards to segregate and protect varying processes. This design vulnerability means that an attacker who successfully compromises one area of the system is significantly more likely to escalate their access from there.
“These challenges are quite complex, both concerning GPU capabilities and container isolation. However, I believe that many were overly willing to accept compromises that were, in fact, unacceptable,” Zenla states.
Following a $5 million seed round in October, Edera has now declared a $15 million series A funding led by Microsoft’s venture arm, M12. While this latest funding round might not stand out at first glance, the momentum behind Edera is particularly significant given the current subdued landscape for venture capital and, importantly, the company’s all-female founding team, which includes two trans women.
In both the United States and globally, funding for tech startups has historically been dominated by men, with a large percentage of VC investments favoring male entrepreneurs. Female founders who secure initial funding typically encounter more hurdles when attempting to raise follow-up rounds compared to their male counterparts, and face even more daunting challenges if they try to launch new companies after experiencing a failure. These barriers have only intensified with recent political shifts in the US and a concerted pushback from Big Tech against diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts aimed at raising awareness of these disparities and promoting a more inclusive environment.
“We cannot overlook the fact that we are a small minority within our field, and many of the changes occurring around us are not benefitting us,” remarks Edera CEO and cofounder Emily Long. “We take immense pride and responsibility in leading the charge on this front. Since our inception, I cannot count how many highly skilled, technical women have reached out asking to join us from larger organizations. It’s clear that by simply existing and being different, we are demonstrating what is achievable.”
For Zenla, Long, and cofounder Ariadne Conill—who possesses extensive experience in open-source software and security—their mission in developing Edera’s container isolation technology is to simplify the implementation of effective safeguards and separations across systems for network engineers and IT managers. This way, they aim to prevent a compromised vulnerability in one aspect of the network or a rogue insider scenario from escalating into a catastrophic data breach.
“Organizations often have outdated applications in their systems and continue to operate with end-of-life software; it’s impossible to ensure security while believing that it’s feasible to patch every existing vulnerability,” Long explains. “This reality inherently creates a significantly high-risk profile. Moreover, containers were never initially designed for isolation from one another, forcing a trade-off between innovation, performance, and security—one that we believe should no longer be necessary.”
