Poke launches text‑based AI assistant with $10M funding
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- Poke launched a text‑based AI assistant that works through iMessage, SMS, Telegram and, in some markets, WhatsApp, handling tasks like calendar management, health tracking, smart‑home control, and photo editing.
- Poke raised $10 million in new funding, adding to a $15 million seed round and valuing the startup at $300 million.
- Poke offers a no‑app‑install onboarding via phone number and can route queries to any major AI model or open‑source model, unlike rivals tied to a single provider.
- Poke provides a library of “recipes” that integrate with services such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Notion, Strava, Philips Hue, and others, enabling automated workflows across health, productivity, finance, and smart‑home categories.
- Poke employs a multi‑layered security model with regular penetration testing and default token privacy, requiring user opt‑in for any access to token data.
- Poke uses a usage‑based pricing model, offering free non‑real‑time features and charging $10‑$30 per month for real‑time inference, while emphasizing growth over immediate profitability.
- Regulators in the EU, Italy, and Brazil opened antitrust probes into Meta’s WhatsApp chatbot fees, which could enable Poke to expand WhatsApp support in those regions.
Why it matters: Consumers get a plug‑and‑play AI helper that automates scheduling, health, and smart‑home chores via familiar messaging, while developers can monetize shareable automations; the low‑cost, provider‑agnostic model challenges entrenched agentic AI platforms and could reshape WhatsApp’s chatbot ecosystem amid regulatory scrutiny.
