Ditto lands $82M to synchronize data from the edge to the cloud
https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/12/ditto-lands-82m-to-synchronize-data-from-the-edge-to-the-cloud/

Ditto, a company that’s setting out to bring “resilient” connectivity to edge devices, has raised $82 million in a Series B round of funding at a post-money valuation of $462 million, more than double its Series A valuation from 2023.

“Edge,” in the context of Ditto’s industry, refers to a distributed computing model that brings data processing and storage closer to where it’s generated (e.g. IoT sensors, 5G routers, or smartphones) rather than having to rely on centralized data centers and cloud platforms. It’s all about reducing latency and optimizing bandwidth requirements by processing data either on a device itself, or on dedicated “edge servers” located near where the data is generated.

In the age of AI and computationally intensive machine learning models, this can be vital, particularly when real-time decisions are paramount, or any situation where connectivity is patchy. Speed is the name of the game.

Ditto bypasses physical edge servers, which its CEO and co-founder Adam Fish says is a costly, labor-intensive endeavor that customers can do without.

Instead, Ditto uses the hardware that companies’ workforce already employ, such as smartphones.

“We replace hardware with software — a no-brainer choice,” Fish added.

Ditto’s platform constitutes a core “edge sync” component, which is an embeddable software development kit (SDK) that device-makers can integrate with their application. This allows companies to tap into devices’ built-in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or local LAN capabilities to create “ad-hoc mesh networks,” whereby apps can discover and communicate with each other independently of a centralized cloud server. Ditto serves as a mobile database that apps read and write to locally.

It’s this approach that has led Ditto to attract several major airlines as customers, including Delta, Japan Airlines, and Lufthansa.

“Airlines require constant crew collaboration, especially while in-air, but cabin connectivity is often unstable,” Fish said. “This means the apps [that] cabin crew use to stay in touch during takeoff, in-flight, and landing can often be disrupted, leading to poor communication among the team and, at times, a poor customer experience.”

Delta, for example, has built a mobile app for its flight attendants that integrates Ditto’s SDK and works on standard company-issued iPhones.

“Flight attendants can now chat with each other from anywhere in the cabin, making it easy to collaborate with team members consistently during the flight and provide the best customer experience,” Fish added.

From the edge to the cloud

There’s no ignoring the power of modern cloud computing, though, and certain functions require the kind of computing power only a remote server can provide. For instance, autonomous vehicles pack a bunch of sensors and cameras to capture real-time data on their surroundings, and they need to be able to process this data locally in real time to safely maneuver around vehicles rather than relying on cloud connectivity.

At the same time, an AV company will also need to pool vast swathes of data to perform more advanced machine learning tasks and improve its AI models. Such tasks would typically require the company to pass data to the cloud.

The same principle applies to myriad other industry verticals, from point-of-sale (POS) systems in retail to IoT sensors in factories.

Ditto bridges edge devices and the cloud, letting developers store and sync data “peer-to-peer” (P2P) across their systems while remaining synchronized with data stored elsewhere. As such, Ditto offers distinct pricing for customers that only want to sync between the cloud and their edge devices, without the mesh networking element.

Ultimately, it’s all about creating resilient software infrastructure, where bottlenecks or bandwidth issues don’t impede a company’s ability to operate.

“The goal is that your architecture does not rely on the cloud, but it doesn’t mean the cloud and centralized systems don’t have a place,” Fish said. “Instead with Ditto, they can do what they are best at — large-scale data integration and long-term storage, but not act as a bottleneck for operational data.”

Pilvipalveluiden latenssin ongelmaan ratkaisuksi on povattu reunalaskentaa (edge computing) viimeisten 10–15 vuoden ajan. Käytännössä ideana on ollut, että pilven ja käyttäjän väliin syntyisi pienempiä saarekkeita, jotka välittäisivät dataa lyhyemmän matkan päästä.