Instinct leads $10B valuation among text-based AI agents
A new wave of AI agents is moving into text messaging, allowing users to delegate tasks like scheduling, shopping, and research without downloading separate apps. Instinct has emerged as a market leader, recently raising $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation. The company’s agent can act on behalf of users, including using dedicated email addresses to manage accounts and sign up for services,…
Key points
- Instinct raised $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation in September 2026.
- Instinct provides users with dedicated email addresses to manage accounts autonomously.
- Ollie is one of the first family-focused AI assistants to achieve SOC 2 compliance.
The article profiles several other notable players in this space. Ask Proxy offers a personal assistant that proactively suggests activities, charging $1 per day for personal use. Caddy integrates with iMessage and RCS to identify actionable items from scattered phone data. Fambot and Ollie focus on family logistics, organizing school communications and household chores, with Ollie highlighting SOC 2 compliance for security. Folk and Maverick offer general-purpose assistance, with Folk running on private cloud infrastructure and Maverick emphasizing user permission before actions.
Pricing varies widely, from free beta versions like Comma and Poke to subscriptions like Martin at $21 per month and Ollie at $25 per month for 150 messages. The trend reflects a shift toward ambient AI that lives within existing communication channels, aiming to reduce friction in daily task management.
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3 episodes →- Instinct leads $10B valuation among text-based AI agentsthis story
Here are the top AI agents that can live in your text messages
TechCrunch AI · 24 October 2026
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