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Poke Brings AI Agents to Everyday Users via Text Message
New startup offers an AI assistant that can handle tasks and automations without complex setup, apps, or technical know-how.
Apr. 8, 2026 at 9:05pm
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Poke's text-based AI assistant brings the power of automation to the masses through a familiar messaging interface.Palo Alto TodayPoke, 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.
Why it matters
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.
The details
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.
- Poke launched publicly in March 2026.
- The startup recently added $10 million in funding on top of its $15 million seed round, putting its valuation at $300 million post-money.
The players
Poke
An AI agent that allows consumers to access a personal assistant through familiar messaging platforms like iMessage, SMS, and Telegram.
The Interaction Company of California
The Palo Alto-based startup that created Poke, co-founded by Marvin von Hagen and Felix Schlegel.
Spark Capital
One of the institutional investors backing Poke.
General Catalyst
Another institutional investor backing Poke.
OpenClaw
An agentic AI system created by OpenAI, which Poke aims to make more accessible to everyday users.
What they’re saying
“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
What’s next
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.
The takeaway
Poke's simple, text-based interface and focus on making AI agents accessible to everyday users, rather than just enterprise customers, could help drive mainstream adoption of agentic AI systems beyond the technical early adopters.
