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New startup offers an AI assistant that can handle tasks and automations without complex setup, apps, or technical know-how.
Apr. 9, 2026 at 2:05am
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Poke, a new startup backed by Spark Capital and General Catalyst, has launched an AI agent that allows consumers to access a personal assistant through familiar messaging platforms like iMessage, SMS, and Telegram. The AI agent can help with everyday needs like calendar management, health tracking, smart home control, and more, all via text message without the need for downloads or signups.
The launch of Poke comes as demand for agentic AI systems is spiking, with companies like OpenAI and Nvidia racing to provide enterprise-grade AI assistants. However, these more technical solutions can be daunting for less tech-savvy users. Poke aims to make AI agents accessible to the masses by offering a simple, text-based interface.
Poke was created by The Interaction Company of California, a Palo Alto-based startup. The team noticed that users of their earlier email AI assistant were trying to use the tool for a wide range of tasks beyond just email. This led them to pivot and focus on making Poke more useful, proactive, and personable. Unlike OpenClaw, which requires complex setup, Poke can be accessed simply by visiting the website and entering a phone number. Poke leverages a variety of AI models to power its capabilities, allowing it to work across different platforms and providers.
An AI agent that allows consumers to access a personal assistant through familiar messaging platforms like iMessage, SMS, and Telegram.
The Palo Alto-based startup that created Poke, co-founded by Marvin von Hagen and Felix Schlegel.
One of the institutional investors backing Poke.
Another institutional investor backing Poke.
An agentic AI system created by OpenAI, which Poke aims to make more accessible to everyday users.
“What we noticed there was that people wanted to use Poke for everything… Even though it was only meant for email, people started asking Poke to remind them to take their medication. They asked Poke about sports results — ‘Hey Poke, tell me every morning if I need a jacket or not.’”
— Marvin von Hagen, Co-founder, The Interaction Company of California
“I think this is also one of our main strengths in the long run: that almost all of our competitors are just big tech and labs that are bound to a specific provider. Like Meta AI will only ever be able to use Meta models, and ChatGPT will only ever be able to use OpenAI models.”
— Marvin von Hagen, Co-founder, The Interaction Company of California
“We really don’t want to make money, but we really want to grow. We want to build a product for a billion people and monetization is really secondary.”
— Marvin von Hagen, Co-founder, The Interaction Company of California
The company plans to add thousands more user-created recipes and automations to Poke’s directory in the near future, and will look to creators and influencers to showcase how they’re using the AI agent to drive further growth.
Poke’s text-based AI assistant brings the power of automation to the masses through a familiar messaging interface, making advanced AI capabilities accessible to everyday users without the need for complex setup or technical know-how.
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