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TechCrunch lists AI agents you can text, from Instinct to Poke

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TechCrunch lists AI agents you can text, from Instinct to Poke

TechCrunch has published a roundup of AI agents that people use by texting them like a contact, rather than by downloading another app. The pitch is that you send a message and the agent remembers context, connects to apps and services you already use, and completes tasks: scheduling an appointment, organizing a calendar, researching a trip, sending an email, making a reservation, shopping online, or reminding you about something days later.

The article's anchor is Instinct, described as one of the buzziest AI agents at present. It first made headlines by raising $350 million at a $2.5 billion valuation, and in September 2026 it raised $1 billion, valuing it at $10 billion. It takes actions rather than just answering questions, works by text or voice, and connects to email, calendar, Google Workspace and more. The company says early users have used it for planning trips, buying groceries, booking tickets and canceling subscriptions. In September it began giving users dedicated email addresses for their assistants so it can sign up for services and contact businesses without touching the user's personal inbox, and it has begun rolling out support for placing calls. The article notes that this level of autonomy has raised concerns about privacy and security. Instinct remains in private beta.

The rest of the list runs roughly alphabetically. General-purpose assistants: Caddy (iMessage for iPhone, RCS for Android; public beta since April 2026), Comma (handles tasks across browser, computer and files, reachable through Signal, Telegram and WeChat; free to start and open source), Folk (iMessage, WhatsApp and Telegram; runs on its own private cloud computer; beta launched May 2026; free, with a Pro plan at $8.33/month for unlimited background tasks), Iris (iMessage, powered by Hermes Agent), Martin (SMS, phone, WhatsApp, email, Slack and an iOS app; subscriptions from $21 per month), Pally (connects WhatsApp, Gmail, calendars and Google Drive; free plan with 15 minutes of calls per month, paid plans at $25 per month for 30 minutes and $100 per month for 60 minutes), Poke (reached through text messaging) and Rene (iMessage, Telegram and WhatsApp; it has a browser, writes code, shops, and makes slides and images).

Family assistants form the biggest cluster. Fambot sends a nightly summary of the next day and can be answered over SMS; it launched in beta in early September 2026, has raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding, is free during beta, and expects to eventually charge roughly the equivalent of a Netflix subscription. Ohai has a free basic option and subscriptions from $9.99 per month depending on family size. Ollie launched in June 2026 and offers a free tier, plans from $25 per month for 150 messages and a $100-per-month plan with up to 1,000 messages; TechCrunch calls it one of the first mainstream, family-focused AI assistants to achieve SOC 2 compliance. Orbits works through its app and text messaging and is backed by the a16z Speedrun fund, N49P and Garage Capital.

The remaining entries are more specialised. Miso applies the assistant idea to travel through iMessage, pairing AI trip planning with a dedicated travel team. Stanley is an AI content assistant for creators on iMessage, Telegram and the web: it can connect to Instagram, turn voice notes into scripts and captions, and schedule posts. Szn coordinates tasks and follow-ups in a single thread, including calls and emails; per the company's website it has served more than 7,500 businesses across 16 countries, completed over 10,000 jobs and handled 95 hours of calls. Skye, from Signull Labs, is an agentic homescreen for iPhone that surfaces contextual cards and daily briefings; the company raised about $3.6 million in seed funding in 2025, entered private testing and beta in April 2026, and has not announced a public release date. Tab handles requests like ordering groceries or finding birthday gifts through iMessage or WhatsApp, and emerged from stealth in early October with a valuation of $300 million, with SV Angel, Valar Ventures and American Spirit among its investors.

Poke has the most eventful backstory. It launched in March 2026 as a general-purpose assistant reachable by text, and in June 2026 Apple approved it as the first AI agent on the Apple Messages for Business platform. A month later, its parent company The Interaction Company of California was acquired by AI coding startup Cognition in a deal valued in the low nine figures.

Key facts

  • Instinct raised $1 billion in September 2026 at a $10 billion valuation, after an earlier $350 million raise at $2.5 billion; it remains in private beta.
  • Poke was approved by Apple in June 2026 as the first AI agent on Apple Messages for Business, and its parent company was then acquired by Cognition in a deal valued in the low nine figures.
  • Family-focused agents make up the largest group: Fambot, Ohai, Ollie and Orbits, with prices from $9.99 per month for Ohai and $25 per month for Ollie.
  • Tab emerged from stealth in early October with a $300 million valuation; Skye, from Signull Labs, has raised about $3.6 million in seed funding and has no public release date.
  • Prices in the list range from free tiers (Comma, Folk, Fambot in beta) to $21 per month for Martin and $100 per month for Ollie and Pally top plans.

Why it matters

The roundup describes a shift in how AI assistants are delivered: instead of a new app or inbox, the agent sits in the messaging thread you already use, whether iMessage, RCS, SMS, WhatsApp or Telegram. Money and platform access are following. Instinct's $1 billion raise at a $10 billion valuation makes it the headline name, Apple's June 2026 approval of Poke on Messages for Business opened that channel to AI agents, and Cognition's acquisition of Poke's parent in a deal valued in the low nine figures shows buyers are paying for this category.

Who it affects

The list is aimed at several different users. Families are the largest target, with Fambot, Ohai, Ollie and Orbits all built around school messages, calendars, chores and meals. Travelers get Miso, content creators get Stanley, and people managing work and daily admin get general assistants such as Caddy, Comma, Folk, Martin, Pally and Tab. Szn is pitched at coordinating tasks and follow-ups, with usage figures that refer to businesses.

How to use it

Most of these agents are reached by texting a number or contact: iMessage for Caddy, Iris, Miso and Tab; SMS for Martin and Fambot; WhatsApp or Telegram for Folk, Rene and others; Comma through Signal, Telegram and WeChat. Free options exist for Comma (also open source), Folk (Pro at $8.33/month), Fambot (free during beta), Ohai (paid from $9.99 per month), Ollie (paid from $25 per month for 150 messages) and Pally (free plan with 15 minutes of calls per month). Martin starts at $21 per month. Instinct is in private beta and Skye has no public release date, so neither is open to everyone yet.

How solid is it

This is a curated overview by TechCrunch, not a test or benchmark, and it covers the entries from Caddy to Tab; the last entry, Tomo, is not included here. Product descriptions are largely what the services say they do. Instinct's use cases come from the company, and Szn's usage totals come from the company's website with no period given. Ollie's SOC 2 claim is stated in TechCrunch's own voice. The funding and valuation figures are stated flatly by the article.

Risks and caveats

The article itself flags that Instinct's autonomy, including creating accounts through its own email address, has raised concerns about privacy and security; it does not say who raised them. Many entries are betas or private betas, so features and prices may change: Fambot expects to charge eventually, and Pally and Ollie cap calls or messages by plan. Pricing is not given for Caddy, Iris, Miso, Rene, Stanley, Szn, Tab or Orbits, so cost is unknown for those. Giving an agent access to email, calendars, files and purchases is the trade for convenience.

“Rather than downloading another app, a growing number of agents can simply be texted like an ordinary person.”

— TechCrunch