{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/ghost-launches-3-499-ai-agent-computer-with-11m-seed","json":"https://digestai.news/story/ghost-launches-3-499-ai-agent-computer-with-11m-seed.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/ghost-launches-3-499-ai-agent-computer-with-11m-seed.md","slug":"ghost-launches-3-499-ai-agent-computer-with-11m-seed","headline":"Ghost launches $3,499 AI agent computer with $11M seed","summary":"Ghost, a startup founded by 19-year-old Zain Javaid, has emerged from stealth to announce its first product, Core, a dedicated personal computer for running AI agents. The company simultaneously revealed an $11 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Abstract, Audacious Ventures, SV Angel, and Nova. Javaid, who previously worked as a quant, started the company after becoming interested in personal AI following the release of ChatGPT in 2022.\n\nCore is a screenless device priced at $3,499 that includes an Nvidia RTX Pro 4000 SFF Blackwell GPU. It is designed to centralize user data from desktops, apps, and smart home devices to run AI agents continuously without constant prompting. The device comes with three preinstalled models: Qwen-3.8-Next, Qwen-3.8-27B, and Gemma-4-31B, though users can also install other models from Hugging Face. Ghost emphasizes local processing, stating that all personal information is encrypted and stored on the device, ensuring no cloud provider or third party can access it. The company also plans to implement a firewall to monitor agent actions and prevent data exfiltration.\n\nPre-orders for the first batch of Core units opened on Monday, with shipping scheduled for the last week of October. Javaid distinguishes Core from general-purpose computers like the Mac Mini by highlighting its specific hardware and software optimization for AI agents, including over-the-air model updates. The founding team includes Nicholas Chua, Yifei Chen, and Gautam Sharda, and the units are currently built at Ghost's San Francisco facility.","keyPoints":["Ghost raised an $11 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz.","Core is a $3,499 computer with an Nvidia RTX Pro 4000 SFF Blackwell GPU.","The device runs AI agents locally with preinstalled Qwen and Gemma models."],"whyItMatters":"Ghost targets the emerging market for dedicated local AI hardware, offering a privacy-focused alternative to cloud-based assistants. Its approach of bundling specific GPUs and local models addresses the need for continuous, on-device agent processing.","category":{"slug":"hardware","name":"Hardware & Compute","url":"https://digestai.news/category/hardware"},"entities":{"companies":["Ghost","Andreessen Horowitz","Nvidia","Apple","Hugging Face"],"models":["Qwen-3.8-Next","Qwen-3.8-27B","Gemma-4-31B","RTX Pro 4000 SFF Blackwell"],"people":["Zain Javaid","Nicholas Chua","Yifei Chen","Gautam Sharda"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-05T18:20:01Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-05T18:20:01Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"techcrunch.com","title":"Ghost, which makes a $3,499 computer designed for AI agents and includes an RTX Pro 4000 SFF Blackwell GPU, emerges from stealth with an $11M seed led by a16z","url":"https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/05/at-19-ghost-founder-raises-11-million-to-build-a-3499-computer-for-your-personal-ai","publishedAt":"2026-10-05T18:20:01Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Ghost launches $3,499 AI agent computer with $11M seed\", 5 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/ghost-launches-3-499-ai-agent-computer-with-11m-seed","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Ghost launches $3,499 AI agent computer with $11M seed","datePublished":"2026-10-05T18:20:01Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/ghost-launches-3-499-ai-agent-computer-with-11m-seed"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}