Tova Eberhardt is the operator half of Cottage AI, a two-person studio based in Camden, Maine that ships small bespoke agentic systems for operator-class customers who would otherwise be writing the prompts and orchestration glue themselves. Her partner, Henrik Vass, runs the technical work. They do not advertise.
Eberhardt is one of the only operators in our archive whose customer list is acquired by word of mouth alone and who has gone on record saying she has no intention of changing that. Cottage AI's average engagement is small — three to six weeks — and its average customer is a regional small-business owner who has read about agentic AI somewhere unexpected and concluded, correctly, that they could use one.
Eberhardt was the first operator profiled in our 'small studios doing real work' beat. We expect her to be a recurring subject.