AI Agents Move Into Text Messages as Startups Compete for Personal Assistant Market

Instinct, one of the most prominent agents, raised $1 billion in September 2026 at a $10 billion valuation after earlier raising $350 million at a $2.5 billion valuation. The company remains in private beta. Its agent can take actions rather than only answer questions, and users can communicate with it by text or voice. It connects to email, calendar, Google Workspace and other services. Early users have used it for planning trips, buying groceries, booking tickets and cancelling subscriptions, according to the company. In September, Instinct began giving users dedicated email addresses for their assistants, allowing the agent to create and manage accounts without filling a user's personal inbox. It can use that address to sign up for services, contact businesses, follow up on requests and handle tasks that require an email account. It has also begun rolling out support for placing calls. TechCrunch AI noted that this level of autonomy has raised privacy and security concerns.

Caddy is an AI assistant that turns scattered phone information into actions. It lives in iMessage for iPhone users and RCS for Android users, so there is no separate app or inbox to check. It connects to calendars and conversations, identifies items that may require action, adds events to calendars, sets reminders, tracks follow-ups and conducts research. Caddy has been available in public beta since April 2026.

Fambot is an AI-powered chief of staff for families, bringing together school communications, sports activities, meal planning, calendars and other daily responsibilities. It works across an app and text messages, is available on iOS, Android and the web, and can be used directly over SMS. Every night, Fambot automatically sends a summary of the following day, including upcoming events, to-dos and details such as school uniform or packing requirements. Parents can reply to ask questions, check information or change the calendar. Fambot currently connects to Gmail and Google Calendar, with support planned for Outlook and Apple Calendar. The company launched in beta in early September 2026 and has raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding. The service is free during beta, but Fambot expects to eventually charge roughly the equivalent of a Netflix subscription.

Folk is an AI assistant available through iMessage, WhatsApp and Telegram. It can remember personal context, manage reminders, research topics, track flights, handle email and perform real-world tasks such as restaurant reservations. A distinguishing feature is that Folk runs on its own private cloud computer, and it can run code and execute multi-step tasks rather than only respond conversationally. Folk launched its beta in May 2026. It is available for free, with a Pro subscription at $8.33 per month for unlimited tasks running in the background.

Iris is powered by Hermes agent and is designed to let users delegate tasks to an AI assistant directly through iMessage. Users can connect the apps they use and hand over a task with a simple message. The agent then works through required steps while retaining relevant context from previous interactions. It is also designed to follow up with users proactively rather than waiting for another request.

Martin is a general-purpose personal assistant reachable through SMS as well as phone, WhatsApp, email, Slack and its own iOS app. It can help manage calendars, email, reminders, tasks, notes and communications. It can also act on behalf of users by sending messages.