Startup Poke brings agentic AI to SMS and messaging apps

The Palo Alto-based startup The Interaction Company of California has publicly launched Poke, an agentic AI system accessible via text messaging platforms including iMessage, SMS, and Telegram. Agentic AI refers to AI systems capable of taking actions on behalf of users. Unlike traditional chatbots, Poke is designed to execute tasks like managing calendars, tracking health metrics, and setting reminders directly through standard messaging interfaces. Following its public launch in March, the startup has reached a post-money valuation of $300 million.

Poke aims to make these automated capabilities accessible to non-technical users who might otherwise be deterred by complex setups. While developer-focused alternatives like OpenClaw require users to install software through a terminal and manage dependencies, Poke operates entirely over text. Furthermore, systems like OpenClaw raise security concerns due to its deep system access. Poke bypasses these local installation hurdles by running its integrations in the cloud, allowing users to activate pre-made automation tools, which the company calls “recipes,” with a single click. The company also plans to add user-created recipes to its directory in the near future.

While Poke is widely available on SMS and Telegram, its integration with WhatsApp remains limited. Meta barred other general-purpose chatbots on WhatsApp last fall, prompting regulators in the EU, Italy, and Brazil to open antitrust probes into the decision. Marvin von Hagen, co-founder of The Interaction Company of California, characterized Meta’s high WhatsApp fees as a form of “malicious compliance.” Poke hopes to work on WhatsApp in the EU when Meta lowers these costs.

The 10-person startup is prioritizing expansion over immediate revenue. “We really don’t want to make money, but we really want to grow. We want to build a product for a billion people and monetization is really secondary,” said von Hagen. To drive adoption, the company plans to pay creators between 10 cents and a dollar per signup for sharing their custom recipes. While basic usage of Poke is free, the company charges for tasks that require real-time inference—the computational process of running AI models in real-time—such as continuous email monitoring.

The startup’s financial details include:

• Recent funding: $10 million added to its coffers.
• Seed funding: $15 million raised in a seed round last year.
• Valuation: $300 million post-money.
• Beta pricing: Users negotiated monthly rates between $10-$30 during testing.

Why it matters

Poke lowers the barrier to entry for agentic AI by removing the need for terminal-based software, allowing non-technical users to automate tasks via familiar messaging interfaces. By shifting the interface to SMS and chat apps, the startup could expand the practical use of AI automation beyond developer communities.