Text-Message AI Agents Boom as Instinct Hits $10B Valuation in a Month
emmanuelvivier · x · 2026-10-27
TechCrunch catalogs 25+ AI agents designed to be texted inside iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, or SMS instead of downloaded as apps. Instinct raised $1B at a $10B valuation in September, weeks after a $350M round at $2.5B; Tab emerged from stealth at $300M in October, handling grocery orders and gift ideas via iMessage/WhatsApp; Town closed a $55M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz for its professional "Townie" assistant. Texting is emerging as the newest front end for AI agents.
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