The hum of servers filled the air, a familiar sound in the Mirai offices. It was February 19th, 2026, and the team was huddled around a table, poring over thermal tests. The air conditioning struggled to keep up, but the energy in the room was palpable.

Earlier that day, news broke of Mirai’s $10 million seed round. A significant investment, especially considering the company’s focus on optimizing AI model inference directly on devices like smartphones and laptops. The co-founders of Reface and Prisma, known for their work in facial modification and photo editing, were now joining forces to push the boundaries of on-device AI.

The core challenge, as explained by lead engineer Anya Sharma, is the computational cost. “Running complex AI models on devices is still a bit like fitting a supercomputer into your pocket,” she said, adjusting her glasses. “We’re focusing on making that process more efficient, reducing power consumption, and improving speed.”

The funding news was met with a mix of excitement and cautious optimism in the industry. As per reports, analysts at JP Morgan highlighted the potential, forecasting a 30% increase in demand for on-device AI capabilities by 2027. This surge, they noted, is driven by the desire for enhanced privacy and reduced latency.

Mirai’s approach involves a blend of software and hardware optimization. They’re working on algorithms that can intelligently scale AI models to fit the processing power available on various devices. This is a crucial step, as the market is still very fragmented, with different chip architectures and processing capabilities.

Meanwhile, the supply chain remains a critical factor. The availability of advanced chips, manufactured by companies like TSMC and potentially SMIC, directly impacts Mirai’s ability to execute its vision. Export controls and domestic procurement policies in countries like China add another layer of complexity, influencing everything from access to the latest GPUs to the overall pace of innovation.

One of the key strategies is to improve the efficiency of model inference. This means making AI models run faster and with less energy on devices. The company is also working on a new framework that will allow developers to easily integrate AI features into their apps.

“The goal is to provide a seamless AI experience for users,” said a company spokesperson in a brief statement. And, for once, that seemed like a realistic goal.

Still, the road ahead is long. The team knows that. But the $10 million seed round provides a crucial runway, allowing them to push forward, one optimization at a time.

The hum of the servers was almost a constant presence in the Mirai lab, a low thrum that vibrated through the floor. Engineers hunched over screens, their faces illuminated by the cool glow, running simulations. It was early February 2026, and the team was pushing to finalize the architecture for their on-device AI model inference platform.

Earlier this year, Mirai, the brainchild of the co-founders behind Reface and Prisma, closed a $10 million seed round. The goal? To make AI models run smoother, faster, and more efficiently on your phone or laptop. No more waiting for cloud processing; the future, they hoped, was immediate.

“We’re seeing an incredible surge in demand for on-device AI,” said Dr. Anya Sharma, lead analyst at Deepwater Research, during a recent briefing. “The market is projected to reach $50 billion by 2028. It’s a land grab, and Mirai is positioning itself to be a key player.”

The core challenge, as any engineer will tell you, is efficiency. Mobile devices have limited processing power and battery life. Running complex AI models on these devices requires clever optimization. That’s where Mirai comes in, promising to squeeze every last drop of performance from the silicon. The initial focus is on smartphones and laptops, but the long-term vision includes everything from smart home devices to autonomous vehicles.

The Mirai team is particularly focused on optimizing for the latest generation of mobile processors. They’re working with chip manufacturers to ensure their platform can take full advantage of new hardware features. It’s a complex dance, balancing performance gains with power consumption, a field where every milliwatt matters. The goal? To deliver experiences that are both powerful and battery-friendly.

The founders, veterans of the face-swapping app Reface and the photo-editing app Prisma, have a strong background in this very area. They understand how to build consumer-facing AI products that are both fun and demanding from a technical perspective. And they have the experience to back them up.

The company is targeting a public launch of its platform by the end of 2026. The race is on, and the clock is ticking. The market is hungry for this, or maybe that’s how the supply shock reads from here.

Still, the industry is watching closely. The success of Mirai will depend not only on its technology but also on its ability to navigate the complex landscape of chip shortages and geopolitical tensions. The supply chain remains a huge question mark.

For now, though, the team is focused on the immediate task at hand: making AI, truly, mobile. And that, in itself, is a huge challenge.