Instinct raises $1 billion Series C, valuing company at $10 billion
Instinct, an AI‑assistant startup that launched its invite‑only service in August 2026, announced a $1 billion Series C round on Monday. The round was led by Sequoia Capital, Benchmark Capital and Coatue, pushing the company’s valuation to $10 billion, just a month after a fundraise that valued it at $2.5 billion, according to a press release and earlier reporting by The Information.
Key points
- Instinct secured $1 billion Series C funding from Sequoia, Benchmark and Coatue, lifting valuation to $10 billion.
- The AI assistant can make phone calls, book appointments, and coordinate tasks via a “trusted person network.”
- Instinct faces competition from Meta’s Muse, which integrates with Instagram, Facebook and tops U.S. app store rankings.
The assistant can not only answer questions but also perform actions such as booking travel, making purchases, paying bills and calling businesses using its own phone number and computer. Recent feature rollouts include a “concierge” that makes phone calls for users and a “trusted person network” that lets one Instinct agent coordinate plans with friends’ agents. Some users have raised concerns about the amount of personal data required, prompting an update to the privacy policy.
Instinct now faces competition from Meta’s Muse, which offers similar capabilities and deep integration with Instagram, Facebook and Marketplace, propelling Muse to the top of U.S. app‑store charts. Instinct communicates via SMS and has no mobile app, and it has not disclosed user numbers. Founder Noah Shinn, quoted in the release, said the funding will help bring Instinct to more people and continue building the future of personal AI.
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2 episodes →- Instinct raises $1 billion Series C, valuing company at $10 billionthis story
Viral AI agent Instinct raises $1B Series C at a $10B valuation
TechCrunch AI · 28 September 2026
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