Lumana

What is Lumana?

Lumana is an enterprise video surveillance platform that adds AI monitoring, search and analytics to the IP cameras an organisation already owns. Its proprietary VIA-1 model learns what is normal for each scene, flags unusual activity and lets staff find footage by typing a plain-language description.

The system is hybrid. A Lumana Core appliance replaces the NVR on site, recording up to 4K video and running the AI locally, while the cloud-based VMS+ software handles viewing, alerts and management across sites from a browser or the mobile app. Core comes in standard and rack-mounted 1U versions, and one vendor profile describes models sized for roughly 12 to 64 cameras.

The company is based in Los Gatos, California. Reports name Sagi Ben Moshe, formerly of Intel RealSense, as chief executive, and a $40M Series A in July 2025 took total funding to a reported $64M. Lumana says more than 50,000 cameras run on the platform, and its site and pricing page loaded normally in early October 2026.

Key Features

Plain-language search and scene-aware alerts matter most in Lumana, because together they cut the hours staff spend scrubbing through recorded footage.

• Camera-agnostic AI: Lumana works with most IP cameras that stream over ONVIF or RTSP, including Axis, Bosch, Hanwha and Avigilon models. Older estates therefore gain AI search and alerts without a full camera replacement project.
• Four AI agents: Monitor, Response, Investigate and Insight agents split the work into alerting, incident handling, footage search and analytics. Each one automates a routine task that a security operator would otherwise do by watching screens.
• Text and smart search: Staff can type a request such as everyone who entered a server room on a given day and get matching clips across cameras. Attribute filters for people and vehicles narrow results further during an investigation.
• Custom alert triggers: More than 100 trigger types are listed, covering people, vehicles, PPE, weapons, falls, fire and smoke. Rules are written in plain language, and per-camera training controls let you lock or reset what the model learns.
• Face and plate recognition: Facial recognition and licence plate reading are offered among the identification features. Both create biometric or personal data, so they should only be switched on where local law permits and after a privacy review.
• Hybrid recording and backup: Core keeps recording and analysing locally if the internet connection drops. Cloud backup of up to 365 days and unlimited cloud archiving of clips are listed, alongside a low-bandwidth mode for weaker links.

Pros

Keeping existing cameras is Lumana’s biggest selling point, since the Core box and software layer AI onto hardware many sites have already paid for.

• Reuses hardware: Existing ONVIF and RTSP cameras can stay on the wall. Organisations with mixed brands across several sites avoid a costly rip-and-replace and can modernise one location at a time.
• Fewer false alarms: Lumana claims its scene learning cuts false alerts by up to 90 per cent. Operators then spend less time dismissing shadows and passing cars, although this figure comes from the vendor.
• All features included: Licences are not split into feature tiers, and users, locations and devices are unlimited. Hardware carries a lifetime warranty for active customers, which simplifies budgeting for replacements.
• Strong security credentials: The site lists SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, NDAA, HIPAA and GDPR compliance, with encryption, SSO and multi-factor sign-in. That list helps with procurement in healthcare, education and government.
• Keeps working offline: Because AI runs on the Core appliance, alerts and recording continue during internet outages. Remote access returns once the link recovers, so a WAN failure does not blind the site.

Cons

Opaque pricing is the main catch with Lumana, because every deployment needs a custom quote and each camera feed carries its own annual licence.

• No public prices: There are no published rates, free plan or self-service trial. You must book a sales call before you can compare total cost against rivals such as Verkada or Spot AI.
• Per-camera licences: Review summaries say the subscription can feel expensive because every feed needs a licence. Longer retention periods also raise the price, so large estates should model costs carefully.
• Setup and indexing effort: Core appliances must be sized up front, and indexing archived footage during migration can take time. Professional services are quoted separately, which adds to the project timeline.
• Biometric legal duties: Face and plate recognition can fall under GDPR and US state biometric laws. Organisations must run privacy impact assessments, post signage and set strict retention rules before enabling them.
• Thinner integration catalogue: One vendor profile notes that its public integration list is smaller than long-established video management systems. Event Tags help connect other signals, but confirm your access-control partner is supported.

Who is Using Lumana?

Multi-site organisations with mixed camera brands make up Lumana’s typical customer base, and its site names Meta, Salesforce, McDonald’s and the University of Miami.

• Retailers: Store chains use alerts and search to investigate theft and track queues and footfall. Insight analytics help compare busy periods across many locations from one dashboard.
• Healthcare sites: Hospitals and clinics want HIPAA-aligned monitoring of entrances, wards and car parks. Fall and weapon triggers support staff responding to incidents quickly.
• Schools and campuses: Universities and colleges watch entrances, corridors and outdoor areas for safety incidents. Text search helps staff find a specific event without reviewing whole days of footage.
• Warehouses and industry: Operators check loading bays, PPE use and restricted zones. Timelapse summaries and smoke detection support safety audits and compliance reporting on large sites.

Pricing

Lumana is contact for pricing, sold as annual licences per camera feed and storage period (official pricing page, October 2026).

Licence cost depends on the number of camera feeds, days of retained storage and contract terms, with yearly or upfront payment. No directory we checked gave a per-camera rate.

Ask for a written quote that separates software licences, Core hardware, retention and any professional services, so you can compare like for like.

What Makes Lumana Unique?

An on-site GPU appliance does the analysis instead of relying only on the cloud, so alerts continue during outages and cameras from many brands gain the same AI search. VIA-1 then learns each scene over time, which is how Lumana aims to reduce false alarms.

The agent approach is the other difference. Rather than one analytics add-on, Lumana splits work into monitoring, response, investigation and insight agents, and adds optional human-verified alarm monitoring with emergency dispatch. That combination suits teams that want fewer screens to watch rather than more dashboards.

Compatibilities and Integrations

Lumana connects to most standard IP cameras and links video to door, sensor and alarm events from other systems.

• Platforms: Browser access to VMS+, plus a Lumana app for iPhone and Mac.
• Cameras: ONVIF and RTSP cameras, including Axis, Bosch, Hanwha and Avigilon, with fisheye dewarping and audio support.
• Access control: A Kisi integration links door events to video, and Event Tags bring in other signals.
• Automation: API and GPIO hooks for alarms, sensors and workflows.
• Identity: Okta single sign-on and multi-factor authentication.

Lumana Tutorials

Rollout runs through the vendor rather than self sign-up, and the steps below reflect a typical deployment.

1. Book a demo and share your camera count, sites and retention needs.
2. Agree a quote and choose the right Core model for each site.
3. Install Core, connect cameras and set retention periods.
4. Create alerts in plain language and test them on live scenes.
5. Set user roles, privacy notices and rules for any face or plate recognition.
6. Train staff on text search and review false alerts in the first weeks.

How We Rated It

Lumana earns 3.9 out of 5, with strong search and hybrid reliability offset by quote-only pricing and the privacy duties its biometric features bring.

Summary

Lumana suits multi-site organisations that want AI search and alerts without replacing their cameras. Its hybrid Core design keeps recording during outages, and plain-language search speeds up investigations. Hidden per-camera pricing and the legal duties around face and plate recognition are the main limits. Ask whether a short pilot on a few cameras is possible, so you can test alert accuracy first. Before enabling any biometric feature, complete a privacy impact assessment and post clear signage.