At the HumanX AI conference taking place in San Francisco this week, thousands of tech enthusiasts gathered at the Moscone Center, where the focus was on how agentic AI is transforming business practices. Agents that streamline business and programming tasks are now being implemented across various sectors — primarily through chatbots aimed at both enterprises and consumers.

Naturally, I inquired about which chatbot was leading in popularity, and I repeatedly heard the same name: Claude.

Anthropic received mention in numerous panels throughout the week, and it was also a topic during my conversations with vendors while exploring the exhibition floor. The chatbot that didn’t come up frequently? ChatGPT. One vendor emphasized that he and his team relied heavily on Claude, expressing his sentiment that ChatGPT and OpenAI had seen a decline — or, as commonly phrased online, “fell off.”

Recently, this doesn’t seem to be an uncommon viewpoint. In fact, it remains uncertain what could change the belief that, despite a recent $122 billion funding influx and its impending IPO, OpenAI may have lost its edge—or at least, appears increasingly uncertain about its next steps.

Part of the issue could be a belief that the company lacks a clear direction. Last month, OpenAI discontinued several long-standing side projects (including its AI video generator Sora and a controversial plan to introduce a “sexy” version of ChatGPT), instead concentrating on business and coding solutions. Meanwhile, various developments, including a recent New Yorker article questioning the trustworthiness of the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, have sparked some negative attention surrounding the firm. The organization’s affiliations with the Trump administration haven’t garnered favor either, nor has its decision to incorporate advertising into ChatGPT.

During one of HumanX’s discussions, Sierra co-founder and CEO Bret Taylor (who also serves as the chairman of OpenAI’s board) defended Altman when questioned by Alex Heath about the New Yorker article. “I believe Sam is one of the most prominent leaders and executives globally,” Taylor remarked. “If you seek out critics of him, you will find them, and they will be quite vocal,” he continued, adding: “I find Sam to be outstanding. I consider him an exceptional AI leader, and I greatly trust his character as a person who has collaborated with him.”

The controversies and shifts may make OpenAI appear reactive rather than proactive, as if it is merely reacting to circumstances rather than influencing them. However, in terms of visibility and revenue, OpenAI and Anthropic seem to be closely matched — or at least, that’s the impression, with some data indicating that Anthropic is gaining traction among business clients. The Wall Street Journal recently assessed their financials, revealing that the two firms were “the fastest-growing enterprises in tech history.” In that light, perhaps “falling off” for OpenAI simply indicates it’s no longer the undisputed leader. It now faces competition — which is standard in most sectors.

If anything, it remains evident that OpenAI is committed to maintaining its dominance. This week, the company revealed a new $100 subscription plan for ChatGPT that offers considerably more access to Codex, its coding utility. This initiative clearly appears aimed at enhancing the widespread use of the tool while hopefully attracting users away from Claude Code.

During a HumanX discussion with Bloomberg’s reporter Rachel Metz, OpenAI CTO of B2B applications Srinivas Narayanan highlighted how rapidly the technological landscape has been evolving.

“We are in a remarkable moment in technology, where each month, and sometimes daily, we all anticipate something new,” Narayanan stated. Highlighting agentic coding as an example, he added, “We knew AI would influence software engineering; people have been using assistive coding for the past year, but even in just the last few months, the entire field has shifted dramatically.”

Agentic achievements seem to be a focal point for the tech community at present since other AI applications (such as creative uses) have yet to fully materialize. Nevertheless, the extent of tasks that companies have started to delegate to their new automated assistants is somewhat astonishing—and, as Narayanan noted in his comments, all of this has occurred in a relatively brief time frame. In such an unpredictable landscape, the future remains open-ended.

In April 2025, a new venture named Slate Auto emerged from secrecy, making waves in the automotive sector. This startup aimed to develop an affordable, highly customizable electric pickup truck, backed by Jeff Bezos, while secretly operating for three years in Troy, Michigan—the domain of significant automakers like Ford and General Motors.

TechCrunch was the first to report on this revelation, sharing details in early April regarding the company’s existence, its connections with the Amazon founder, and its intriguing business model. The period between our initial report and Slate’s official unveiling in late April was filled with activity, as prototypes of the startup’s truck started appearing across California.

Slate represents a deviation in the U.S. electric vehicle landscape, where failures, bankrupted companies, and product revisions have become prevalent. Although its current investors, leadership team, initial offering, and business plan present a persuasive future, the path ahead is still fraught with possible challenges as production aims for a late 2026 rollout. 

Here is a timeline detailing everything essential about Slate Auto, from its inception and financial backers to its product offerings, business strategy, and production goals.

Inside the EV startup secretly backed by Jeff Bezos

April 8 – Following a year-long investigation, TechCrunch published an article disclosing that a clandestine EV startup, Slate Auto, had been functioning for three years with the financial support of Jeff Bezos and LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter. 

In contrast to other electric vehicle startups, Slate focused on creating a remarkably low-cost electric pickup truck priced around $25,000. This vehicle would offer significant customization, utilizing the expertise of numerous former employees from Harley-Davidson and Chrysler, both of which have considerable accessory and aftermarket parts segments.

Slate Auto’s pickup truck spotted in the wild

April 10 – The following day, an image of an unremarkable electric truck began circulating on the r/whatisthiscar subreddit, with Reddit users speculating it could potentially be Slate’s secret EV. 

TechCrunch confirmed that the image depicted a prototype of Slate’s truck parked outside the company’s design center in Long Beach, California.

An EV that can change like a ‘Transformer’

April 21 – Slate began showcasing conceptual versions of their EV on public roads to create marketing excitement prior to its anticipated launch event on April 24. Interestingly, some models seemed to resemble SUVs or hatchbacks, rather than solely pickup trucks. 

TechCrunch confirmed that the company designed the EV to possess “Transformer-like” modular features, and that this initiative served as a promotional tease of such customization.

The analog EV pickup truck that is decidedly anti-Tesla

April 24 – Slate officially introduced its customizable electric pickup truck at a launch event in Long Beach, California. During this event, it was also disclosed that the truck would be priced below $20,000 when factoring in the $7,500 federal EV tax rebate. 

The entry-level model of the truck was disclosed to be quite basic, featuring just 150 miles of range, no power windows, a lack of a central infotainment display, and even no paint. Slate pledged that virtually every aspect of the truck would be customizable, including the seating arrangement and overall design.

A former Indiana printing plant eyed for EV truck production

April 25 – TechCrunch reported that Slate had pinpointed a former printing facility in Warsaw, Indiana as the site for its truck manufacturing. The 1.4 million-square-foot plant was constructed in 1958 and had remained inactive for approximately two years. 

Slate Auto crosses 100,000 refundable reservations in two weeks

May 12 – Slate informed TechCrunch that it had surpassed 100,000 refundable $50 reservations for its budget-friendly EV truck. This indicated that the company’s concept resonated with a broad audience, despite most people being unaware of Slate just two months earlier. 

Slate Auto drops ‘under $20,000’ pricing after Trump administration ends federal EV tax credit

July 3 – The Trump administration pushed through significant tax legislation that, among other changes, established a September expiration for the $7,500 federal EV tax rebate. Consequently, Slate’s truck would no longer be able to utilize that rebate to achieve the “under $20,000” pricing that the startup had been promoting. Thus, Slate removed that phrasing from its website before the legislation was officially signed.

Why this LA-based VC firm was an early investor in Slate Auto

July 8 – Slate’s 2023 funding round included at least 16 investors, with Bezos among them. While most of these investors remain unnamed, Los Angeles-based Slauson & Co. discussed with TechCrunch the reasons behind their early investment in the EV startup during that initial funding stage, as well as Slate’s Series B.

Slate Auto appears on the TechCrunch Disrupt main stage

October 30 – Slate Auto’s CEO Chris Barman participated in an interview on the main stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, addressing Jeff Bezos’ involvement, the obstacles of establishing a new automaker, and how the company intends to create a marketplace for customization.  

Slate passes 150,000 reservations

December 16 – While the growth of EVs has slowed in the U.S., Slate Auto has reached 150,000 refundable reservations for its truck and SUV, demonstrating substantial interest in the vehicle in spite of the loss of the federal tax incentive. Furthermore, with fewer EVs anticipated to enter the U.S. market, it seems that the startup will face limited competition at the lower end of the segment. 

2026 

A surprise CEO swap

 March 9 – Slate executed an unexpected move, appointing a new CEO: former Amazon Marketplace VP Peter Faricy. Chris Barman, the former CEO and Slate’s first employee, will remain with the company, transitioning to a “President of Vehicles” position. Slate selected Faricy to prepare the startup for its year-end commercial launch, beginning with the conversion of the reservation list into as many completed orders as feasible. 

India’s rapid commerce sector is experiencing significant growth, with demand more than doubling for certain participants. However, the aggressive delivery initiatives by Flipkart and Amazon are increasing competition in an already saturated market where profitability is still a challenge.

Flipkart, a major player in India’s e-commerce landscape, entered the quick commerce arena later than local competitors like Blinkit, Swiggy, and Zepto. Yet, it has surpassed 800 dark stores (online shopping distribution centers) this week, according to information obtained by TechCrunch, and aims to double that figure by the close of 2026, as per UBS.

This expansion aligns with the intensified competitive phase of India’s quick commerce sector. Noteworthy recent events include the resignation of a co-founder at Swiggy this week. Companies in the sector are also reassessing their strategies in light of increasing competition and costs.

The Walmart-owned business made its quick commerce debut with Flipkart Minutes in August 2024, providing delivery services across various categories in as little as 10 minutes. Since then, the sector has grown quickly. More than 6,000 dark stores are now operational, resulting in considerable overlap among competitors in major urban areas and heightening competition, according to a Bernstein report released earlier this week.

Beyond major cities

Flipkart’s footprint in India is still smaller than that of market leader Blinkit, which boasts over 2,200 dark stores, according to Bernstein. Nonetheless, Flipkart is focusing on expanding beyond major cities to stimulate growth. This contrasts with Blinkit’s plan to scale to 3,000 dark stores by 2027 while concentrating on its leading 10 cities.

“Flipkart embodies the Walmart ethos,” stated Satish Meena, founder of Gurugram-based consumer insights firm Datum Intelligence. “Walmart’s approach is always about enlarging the overall market potential to dominate by expanding the market.”

Flipkart is already observing traction outside major urban centers, with sources informing TechCrunch that 25–30% of its quick commerce orders are now originating from smaller towns. Orders per dark store have also increased by approximately 25% month-over-month, the source revealed.

However, the expansion in quick commerce remains predominantly centered in larger cities. According to Bernstein, most demand still stems from major urban areas, where denser populations foster quicker deliveries and better utilization of dark stores, even as growth into smaller towns accelerates.

This dynamic is also crucial for profitability. The eight largest cities in India account for over 3,800 dark stores managed by the top five players, with around 3,600 of them having the capability to be profitable, as reported by Bernstein.

“Metro areas clearly offer superior return ratios and profitability due to enhanced throughput,” remarked Karan Taurani, executive vice president at Elara Capital, a London-based investment bank and brokerage. “This business thrives on higher throughput, and for the moment, that largely comes from metro regions.”

Nonetheless, some analysts perceive a long-term opportunity beyond metropolitan areas. “Non-metros (smaller towns) can provide a boost if businesses broaden their offerings beyond groceries and present a wider selection of products at quicker speeds,” stated Datum’s Satish Meena. “Flipkart is placing its bets on that.”

Nonetheless, scaling up outside urban hubs will require time. Currently, quick commerce is feasible in roughly 125 cities, with dark stores typically needing six to twelve months to achieve maturity and profitability, as mentioned by Aditya Soman, a senior research analyst at CLSA, a Hong Kong-based brokerage. Many of the newer stores in smaller towns are still in a ramp-up phase, he emphasized.

Amazon, which entered India’s quick commerce sector in late 2024 shortly after Flipkart’s launch, is also accelerating its footprint. The e-commerce giant has established around 450–500 dark stores to date, with between 330–370 currently operational, according to UBS, as it seeks to capitalize on the growing demand for quicker deliveries.

Pressure mounting on incumbents

Flipkart is not solely dependent on dark-store expansion to stay competitive but is also implementing aggressive pricing strategies. The company is providing some of the most substantial discounts in the sector — about 23–24% across various categories, based on an analyzed sample basket by Jefferies last month — as it aims to draw customers in a market where pricing and convenience are key demand factors.

The impact of such strategies appears to be effective. The brokerage firm JM Financial recently cautioned that Swiggy’s quick commerce operation is trapped in a “growth-versus-profitability predicament” and risks undermining shareholder value, suggesting that a takeover by a larger, well-capitalized entity may be the optimal resolution for investors.

Eternal, the parent company of Blinkit, has seen its shares drop by about 15% this year, while Swiggy’s shares have declined over 29%, even as Zepto gears up for an IPO on Indian stock exchanges later this year.

The arrival and growth of major players like Flipkart and Amazon are transforming the competitive environment. “Quick commerce has transitioned out of a startup phase — it has evolved into a game for major players,” commented Ankur Bisen, a senior partner at retail consultancy Technopak Advisors.

He added that the sector’s financial dynamics and limited differentiation may eventually lead to consolidation, as companies vie for the same customer base in a heavily discount-driven market.

Requests for comments from Amazon, Flipkart, and Swiggy went unanswered. Eternal opted not to provide a statement, while Zepto indicated it could not comment due to a silent period following its IPO application.

The legal challenge posed by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes against the prediction market Kalshi seems to be facing an obstacle.

On Friday, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission revealed that it has secured a temporary restraining order that halts the state’s criminal case against Kalshi (whose CEO Tarek Mansour is featured above).

“Arizona’s choice to leverage state criminal laws against compliant companies under federal law creates a troubling precedent, and today’s court ruling clearly indicates that coercion is not a permissible strategy to bypass federal regulations,” stated CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig.

While the CFTC typically comprises five commissioners, Selig presently stands as the sole member following his confirmation in December and the exit of former acting chairperson Caroline Pham (who transitioned to crypto firm MoonPay).

Arizona has charged Kalshi, alleging that the company has been running an unlicensed gambling operation in the state. The announcement regarding the restraining order follows just days after a federal judge permitted Arizona’s case to proceed, as reported by Bloomberg.

Additionally, the CFTC has initiated lawsuits aiming to block similar actions from advancing in Connecticut and Illinois.

Though it’s commonplace for networks to publicize new programs by posting full episodes on YouTube, AMC is taking a unique approach for its comedy “The Audacity,” centered around Silicon Valley.

The debut of the show will be accessible on TikTok, beginning Sunday morning. It will be divided into 21 segments, each approximately three minutes long, as reported by Deadline. The segments will be numbered, giving viewers the option to watch the premiere in its entirety if they wish.

This may be a clever method to generate excitement among younger audiences for a series that AMC’s chief marketing officer has labeled the network’s most significant launch of the year. Alternatively, it could just be an unusual effort to mimic Quibi.

Produced by Jonathan Glatzer and featuring Billy Magnussen and Sarah Goldberg, “The Audacity” does not portray real firms or executives, but aims to deliver a darkly humorous perspective on various challenges posed by modern technology.

For those not interested in watching in three-minute chunks, the complete premiere will be available on AMC and its streaming platform AMC+. It will also be streamed simultaneously on Samsung’s free service, Samsung TV Plus.

OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, released a blog entry on Friday night addressing both an apparent assault on his residence and an extensive New Yorker profile that questioned his reliability.

In the early hours of Friday, an individual reportedly launched a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s home in San Francisco. Luckily, no injuries occurred, and a suspect was subsequently apprehended at OpenAI’s headquarters, where he was allegedly threatening to set the building ablaze, as stated by the SF Police Department.

Though the police have not publicly named the suspect, Altman remarked that the attack followed shortly after “a provocative article” was published about him. He pointed out that someone had indicated that the timing of the article’s release “during a period of significant anxiety over AI” might increase the danger for him.

“I dismissed it,” Altman shared. “Now, I find myself awake in the dead of night, frustrated, and realizing that I underestimated the impact of language and the narratives surrounding it.”

The article in question was a detailed investigative piece authored by Ronan Farrow (who received a Pulitzer for exposing various sexual abuse allegations surrounding Harvey Weinstein) and Andrew Marantz (who has extensively covered technology and politics).

Farrow and Marantz noted that during their discussions with over 100 individuals familiar with Altman’s business practices, most characterized him as a person with “an unyielding desire for power that, even among industrialists involved in space travel, distinguishes him.” 

In line with other journalists who have reported on Altman, Farrow and Marantz suggested that numerous sources expressed doubts regarding his trustworthiness, with one unnamed board member stating he possesses “a strong urge to gain approval, to be liked in any given interaction,” coupled with “a sociopathic indifference to the repercussions that may arise from deceiving someone.”

In addressing these issues, Altman reflected that he can see “numerous things I take pride in and several errors as well.”

Among his missteps, he mentioned his inclination towards “avoiding conflict,” which he felt has “caused considerable distress for both myself and OpenAI.”

“I regret my poor handling of a conflict with our previous board that resulted in a significant mess for the organization,” Altman stated, presumably alluding to his ousting and quick reinstatement as OpenAI CEO in 2023. “I have encountered numerous other mistakes throughout OpenAI’s tumultuous journey; I acknowledge being an imperfect individual amidst a remarkably complex scenario, striving to improve each year, and consistently focused on our mission.”

He continued, “I apologize to those I’ve harmed and wish I had acquired understanding more swiftly.”

Altman also recognized that there appears to be “a great deal of Shakespearean drama among the companies within our sector,” which he linked to a “‘ring of power’ dynamic” that “causes individuals to engage in irrational behavior.”

Naturally, the appropriate response to the ring of power is to eliminate it, hence Altman stated, “I don’t imply that [artificial general intelligence] is the ring itself, but rather the encompassing philosophy of ‘being the one to govern AGI.’” He advocates “a shift towards widely sharing the technology, ensuring that no one possesses the ring.”

Altman concluded by expressing his openness to “constructive criticism and discourse,” while reiterating his conviction that “technological advancements can lead to an extraordinarily positive future for both your family and mine.”

“During our discussions, we ought to reduce the escalation of rhetoric and tactics and aim for fewer confrontations in fewer homes, both figuratively and literally,” he remarked.

WireGuard, a prominent software project and VPN that forms the backbone of many security applications including Mullvad and others, has encountered a blockade in a significant segment of its Microsoft developer account, rendering it unable to release software updates to Windows users.

Jason Donenfeld, the inventor of the open source WireGuard VPN software, informed TechCrunch that he has been barred from accessing his Microsoft developer account, consequently hindering his ability to sign drivers or send updates for WireGuard to Windows users, which are essential for its operation. Donenfeld mentioned in a post on X on Wednesday that the account termination has prevented a WireGuard update from being released.

This marks the second occurrence of a prominent and widely utilized open source project being denied access to its users due to what appears to be an abrupt account termination by Microsoft, with the well-known encryption tool VeraCrypt experiencing a similar situation. Both developers claimed that Microsoft locked them out of their accounts without prior notification. 

In the situation concerning VeraCrypt, which is relied upon by hundreds of thousands of users to secure files and operating systems, its developer Mounir Idrassi conveyed to TechCrunch that being barred from his account means he cannot update the software in time for an important certificate authority expiration, which he stated might prevent certain users from starting up their systems.

Donenfeld, the WireGuard developer, told TechCrunch via email: “If there were an urgent vulnerability to fix at this moment — there isn’t! I’m just speaking hypothetically — then users would be completely vulnerable.”

WireGuard is a globally utilized open source VPN software that connects devices via the internet. Its code is well-regarded for its simplicity and security, serving as the basis for numerous VPN implementations and commercial services that depend on its code, such as Proton and Tailscale.

Donenfeld communicated to TechCrunch in an email that he has dedicated the last few weeks to modernizing WireGuard’s Windows code and was prepared to submit an updated copy to Microsoft for review prior to its release to users, but encountered an “access restricted” error when attempting to log into the developer section of his Microsoft account.

Despite completing the process to authenticate his driver’s license or passport with Microsoft (the third-party Microsoft employs for verification stated he was “verified”), Donenfeld reported that his access remained suspended.

Donenfeld found a page on Microsoft’s website indicating that the company had been conducting “mandatory account verification for all partners in the Windows Hardware Program who have not completed account verification since April 2024,” though the verification initiative has since concluded.

Microsoft’s Windows Hardware Program permits developers like Donenfeld and VeraCrypt’s Idrassi to “deploy hardware and device drivers for Windows PCs and other devices.” The ability to craft and distribute drivers for Windows users is confined to recognized and vetted developers, as drivers can provide extensive access to an operating system and its data, which are often exploited by hackers.

This account verification process necessitated that developers upload government-issued ID before they could publish potentially sensitive code to the larger Windows user community.

“Microsoft never sent me any notification whatsoever about this. I’ve checked every inbox, every spam folder, and every mail log, and found absolutely nothing,” Donenfeld stated.

The Windows Hardware Program’s verification initiative has “now concluded” and developers who did not upload their documents had their accounts “suspended,” the page indicates, which means these accounts can no longer provide updates.

Donenfeld mentioned that he was directed to Microsoft’s executive support team, which manages customer service and account inquiries for high-profile clients, confirming that his appeal was acknowledged, but they may take up to 60 days for assessment.

By late Wednesday, there was a hint of optimism in Donenfeld’s scenario. He informed TechCrunch that he has finally made contact with Microsoft and is hopeful for a swift resolution.

Microsoft did not provide immediate comments when contacted by TechCrunch.

Donenfeld and Idrassi are not isolated in this situation, as the account lockout problems are impacting others too.

Windscribe, a developer of VPN and other consumer privacy solutions, announced in a post on X that it had also faced lockout from its Partner Center account. The company stated that it maintained a verified account for over eight years to sign its drivers.

“We’ve been attempting to resolve this for more than a month, with no progress. Support is nonexistent,” Windscribe expressed in its post. “Is there anyone who knows a competent person at Microsoft who can assist?”

The passing of a duck in the Mueller Lake area of Austin, Texas, has led neighbors to voice their worries regarding the presence of autonomous vehicles there.

Although it is common for humans to unintentionally harm animals with their vehicles, this incident has cast a shadow over the emerging technology. Local news began covering the duck incident after a community member shared in a Mueller neighborhood Facebook group that an Avride autonomous vehicle (with a human safety operator at the controls) struck and killed a duck without stopping. “It didn’t pause or hesitate whatsoever, just plowed through,” the post, highlighted by KXAN, states.

The residents’ bond with this particular duck, which was nesting in a flower pot outside a nearby Italian restaurant, has fueled the outrage and distrust toward autonomous vehicle technology. For those worried about the fate of the duck’s eggs, local residents have placed them in an incubator, as reported by Axios’ Austin.

An Avride representative confirmed to TechCrunch that the vehicle was operating in autonomous mode during the incident. Avride has not fully halted its public road testing. Nevertheless, the company has modified its operational area by omitting specific streets in the vicinity of the lake where the duck incident took place, according to spokesperson Yulia Shveyko.

The resident further alleged in their post that the vehicle did not stop at a stop sign. Avride informed TechCrunch that it found no evidence supporting this assertion. The vehicle made full and appropriate stops at all relevant stop signs.

Shveyko mentioned that the team has analyzed the vehicle’s data and behavior, including multiple simulations of the incident. Avride is currently assessing potential enhancements to the technology to help prevent similar occurrences in the future, she stated. Importantly, this involves conducting a series of controlled experiments in simulations to ensure that any modifications do not adversely affect the vehicle’s safety performance in other situations.

Avride is not the sole company testing or deploying autonomous vehicles commercially in the area. Zoox has also been conducting tests in the city. Additionally, Tesla and Waymo, in collaboration with Uber, provide a commercial robotaxi service in certain parts of Austin.

Is Poke an OpenClaw accessible to all of us? That’s the concept being introduced by a new startup that provides an AI agent available through iMessage, SMS, Telegram, and, in select regions, WhatsApp.

The AI agent Poke was publicly released in March, enabling users to engage with a personal assistant that can execute tasks on their behalf using a familiar interface. At present, Poke can assist with daily requirements such as planning your day, managing your calendar, monitoring your health and fitness, controlling your smart home, editing images, and much more, all through text messaging.

While you might still engage with a general-purpose AI chatbot like ChatGPT or Claude for inquiries or research, you would turn to Poke when you need to accomplish something swiftly, or wish to automate a task for efficiency.

For example, you could request Poke to notify you of specific emails (such as those from family or your supervisor), or remind you in the morning if you should carry an umbrella. It could assist you in monitoring your health and fitness objectives, or inform you about the latest game scores. Poke could send reminders for daily medications or catch you up on current events, and more, as users can create their own automations in simple text and share them with others.

Supported by Spark Capital, General Catalyst, and various angel investors, the 10-person startup has recently secured an additional $10 million, adding to last year’s $15 million seed funding. It is now valued at $300 million, after investment.

Starting today, personal superintelligence is just one tap away.

No download, no signup.

Text Poke for free now:https://t.co/VIWYU64dUI 🌴

—
0:00 – What’s Poke?
0:50 – Introducing Poke Recipes
1:25 –  Create a Recipe in 10 seconds
1:43 – Earn on Poke
2:44 – Build with npx… pic.twitter.com/LHLFRVgahk

— Poke (@interaction) March 19, 2026

This tool arrives amidst a surge in demand for agentic AI systems, prompting OpenAI to acquire OpenClaw’s developer, while Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang cautioned that every enterprise should develop its own OpenClaw strategy when unveiling Nvidia’s enterprise-grade alternative.

However, for those less tech-savvy, the idea of installing software via command line, handling dependencies, and resolving errors can seem overwhelming. Additionally, systems like OpenClaw pose security risks due to their extensive system access.

Consequently, many find that OpenClaw and similar agentic systems appear inaccessible. The team behind Poke aims to alter that perception.

Marvin von Hagen, co-founder of The Interaction Company of California, the Palo Alto-based startup behind the AI agent, informs TechCrunch that Poke originated from observing how beta testers interacted with the company’s previous product, an AI assistant designed for email, crafted around a year prior.

“What we observed was that people desired to utilize Poke for numerous tasks… Even though it was initially intended for email only, users began requesting Poke to remind them to take their medications. They inquired about sports scores — ‘Hey Poke, tell me every morning if I need a jacket or not,’” von Hagen clarifies. “At that moment, we lacked many of these features, but we recognized the need to evolve into a more versatile tool rapidly, as users appreciated the personality and relatability of it.”

The team then shifted its focus to enhancing Poke’s utility, proactivity, and personable qualities.

In contrast to OpenClaw, starting with Poke is straightforward. Simply head to Poke.com, click “Get Started,” and input your phone number. There’s no application to download since the assistant functions through text messages.

Internally, Poke selects the AI model that is best suited for the task, whether it is from one of the major AI providers or an open-source model.

“I believe this is one of our primary advantages moving forward: nearly all of our rivals are large tech firms and labs tied to specific providers. For instance, Meta AI will only utilize Meta’s models, and ChatGPT will solely use OpenAI’s models,” von Hagen emphasizes.

To function over messaging platforms like iMessage, Poke also utilizes Linq, a solution that facilitates AI assistants to operate within messaging applications. The app can also be accessed through SMS and Telegram, though WhatsApp support is limited at this time due to Meta prohibiting other general-purpose chatbots since last autumn.

However, this may change. Regulators from the EU, Italy, and Brazil have initiated antitrust investigations to counter this decision, which has prompted Poke’s return to Brazil. It is hoped this will enable Poke to function on WhatsApp in the EU once Meta reduces its fees. (Meta has faced criticism regarding the exorbitant fees it imposes — von Hagen describes it as a form of “malicious compliance” that he believes will be resolved soon.)

Upon launch, Poke provides several “recipes” — these are pre-configured tools that assist in automating different areas of your life or work. These recipes cover aspects such as health and wellness, productivity, finance, scheduling, travel, home, education, email, community, and for those with technical skills, developer tools. Installing them is as easy as clicking a button followed by a customary authorization process, if necessary.

These recipes are crafted to integrate seamlessly with familiar apps and services like Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Notion, Linear, Granola, among others. There are also health and fitness “recipes” compatible with Strava, Withings, Oura, Fitbit, etc., along with options for smart home devices from brands like Philips Hue and Sonos.

Developers using Poke can automate workflows using integrations with tools such as PostHog, Webflow, Supabase, Vercel, Devin, Sentry, GitHub, Cursor Cloud Agents, and others.

Poke’s security framework is multi-faceted, incorporating regular penetration testing, security audits, a variety of tools, and permission limitations for both agents and human operatives. By default, the team cannot access anything within the tokens unless the user voluntarily opts to grant access to a log file or analytics through settings to share this data. (TechCrunch has not conducted an independent security audit, for clarity.)

In recent weeks, Poke users have generated thousands of additional recipes and automations, which the company intends to incorporate into its recipes directory for easier discovery soon. They are also motivating creators to develop these shareable recipes by offering to compensate anywhere from 10 cents to a dollar (depending on location) for each user registering for Poke via the recipe.

Utilizing Poke is surprisingly economical: it’s free to begin, followed by flexible pricing. During the beta phase, users actually negotiated the monthly fee with the AI agent, which varied between $10-$30 — as Poke indicated in response to this inquiry.

Von Hagen mentions that, currently, pricing is contingent on how the AI agent is utilized. If you are requesting information that doesn’t necessitate real-time data, you could likely use Poke for free. Poke incurs costs from real-time inference, such as automations that trigger with every incoming email or during real-time flight check-ins. To establish pricing, the company has guided Poke on the costliness of various tasks, enabling it to provide tailored pricing.

While the company has successfully optimized Poke’s efficiency to minimize expenses, the primary focus at this time isn’t on profitability, notes von Hagen.

“Our primary goal is not to make profits, but to achieve growth. We aspire to create a product for one billion individuals, with monetization being a secondary concern,” he states. “In the upcoming weeks and months, our aim is to integrate Poke into daily life.” To accomplish this, they will rely on creators and influencers to demonstrate how they utilize Poke.

I built “tastebuds”, an MCP server on @interaction’s Poke Recipes to crowdsource opinions on food.

When you’re looking for a place to eat, Poke recommends food spots in your area that other Poke users have enjoyed before by storing their reviews, all running quietly in the…

— Dani (@daniticow) April 8, 2026

The company, co-founded by Felix Schlegel, has not disclosed the number of customers who have joined, only mentioning that the count has multiplied by 10 over the last few months. (However, Poke was noticed at the top of Vercel’s AI Gateway leaderboard, which is noteworthy.)

Alongside its main institutional backers, Spark Capital and General Catalyst, the startup has garnered attention from several angel investors, including John and Patrick Collison (founders of Stripe), Jake and Logan Paul, Logan Kilpatrick from DeepMind, Joanne Jang of OpenAI, and Scott Wu and Walden Yan (founders of Cognition).

Moreover, it has involved Vercel co-founder Guillermo Rauch, PayPal co-founder Ken Howery, Dropbox co-founder Arash Ferdowsi, Mercor co-founder Brendan Foody, Hugging Face co-founder Thomas Wolf, Flapping Airplanes co-founder Ben Spector, among others.