The Interaction Company of California —
Say hi to Poke.com! 🌴

We'll be honest: when we first heard about an AI assistant that texts you instead of waiting in an app, we were skeptical. But The Interaction Company of California has built something genuinely different with Poke, and after digging into their approach, we're impressed by how they've rethought the entire AI assistant experience.

The Smart Pivot That Changed Everything

Here's what caught our attention: Poke didn't start as a messaging assistant. The team originally built an AI email helper, but when they watched beta users interact with it, they realized something important. People didn't want another app to remember to open.

So co-founders Marvin von Hagen and Felix Schlegel made a bold decision in 2024. They scrapped the email focus and built Poke to live where conversations already happen: iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp, and Telegram.

Why This Approach Actually Works

The genius of Poke isn't just that it works in your existing messaging apps. It's that the AI can message you first. Think about it: your regular AI assistants sit there waiting for you to remember they exist, but Poke can follow up on plans, remind you about workouts, or check in about your goals.

We've seen AI assistants handle calendar management and smart home control before, but Poke's proactive nature makes it feel less like software and more like having a really organized friend who actually remembers things.

Impressive Traction for a Young Company

The numbers tell a compelling story. After launching in March 2026, Poke hit 100 million messages in just three months. That's not just adoption, that's engagement.

Even more interesting: they're the only AI agent approved to text natively on Apple Messages. Given Apple's typically strict approval process, that suggests Poke has solved some real technical and privacy challenges that others haven't.

The Funding Reality Check

With $25 million raised at a $100 million valuation, Poke has serious backing from General Catalyst and other notable investors. For a 7-person team in Palo Alto, that's substantial runway to refine their approach.

But here's what we like: they're not trying to be everything to everyone. While other AI companies chase enterprise deals or developer platforms, Poke is laser-focused on making AI assistance feel natural for regular consumers who just want help with daily tasks.