Phaze Secures $8.75 Million Seed Round Led by a16z
The Utah-based company provides remote computing infrastructure for both human employees and autonomous AI agents.
By Julia Novak ·
Phaze, a Utah-based technology firm, closed an $8.75 million seed financing round led by a16z. The investment includes participation from Indie, NextView, Makers, and Lerer Hippeau. The capital will support engineering expansion, product development, and customer growth.
The company provides remote access to high-performance computers for two distinct user groups. Human users in fields such as 3D design, software development, and IT operations connect to powerful workstations that function with local responsiveness. AI agents connect to the same machines to execute tasks, including software testing and IT troubleshooting, without requiring specific computer-use software installed on the host.
Phaze was founded by the creators of Parsec, a high-performance remote access company acquired in 2021. The founders established Phaze after observing that both human workers and AI systems require access to demanding hardware. They built the platform to allow companies to treat expensive workstations, which often cost upwards of $10,000, as shared infrastructure rather than individual assets.
A recent product release included a Model Context Protocol server that enables computer-use agents to operate remote machines. This allows agents to interact with graphical interfaces and applications directly. The system supports background work, where an agent processes tasks on a separate computer while a human user continues on their own device. It also permits collaborative sessions where humans and agents can pass control back and forth.
In one operational model, an IT support agent connects to an employee's computer to diagnose issues. If the agent encounters a problem it cannot solve, an authorized IT employee takes over the remote session. The employee can then return control to the agent to complete the task. This setup allows companies to centralize access controls, including directory synchronization and audit logging.
Martin Casado, a general partner at a16z, stated that high-end compute resources are too costly to remain idle on individual desks. He noted that Phaze is converting those machines into shared infrastructure for people and AI agents. Casado added that the team has been building in this space for more than a decade.
Phaze is headquartered in Utah. The company will use the new funds to expand its engineering staff and accelerate the development of its remote access platform.
