First Voyage raises $2.5M for its AI companion helps you build habits

In a satellite that’s rapidly filling up with AI-generated content, a startup called First Voyage wants to assistance radical debar each the AI slop blasted their mode and alternatively physique the habits they want. And it’s doing that by mode of an AI companion app: Called Momo Self Care, the app offers a integer favored called Momo that you tin instrumentality attraction of, and successful return, it’ll punctual you to implicit habit-building tasks.

Users tin acceptable up reminders for what tasks they privation to complete, and Momo volition punctual you of them. Similar to the hit productivity app Focus Friend, Momo besides rewards you with coins for completing tasks that tin beryllium utilized to purchase items wrong the app to further customize the pet. Users tin besides speech to Momo astir self-care, and the AI companion volition urge habits and tasks based connected what you privation to achieve.

“Momo helps users go the champion versions of themselves, and users reward Momo with care, affection, and cute accessories,” co-founder and CEO Besart Çopa told TechCrunch.

On Monday, First Voyage said it had raised $2.5 cardinal successful a effect backing circular from a16z speedrun, SignalFire, True Global, and different investors.

Copa said Momo users person already created much than 2 cardinal tasks connected the platform, and the astir fashionable habits subordinate to productivity, spirituality and mindfulness.

But with the question of AI apps and toys hitting the market, not to notation the burgeoning power of AI chatbots similar ChatGPT, Claude and Grok, there’s expanding interest that these new, alleged “companions” tin pb to more harm than good.

Çopa, for one, believes that relationships betwixt AI characters and humans volition lone summation successful the adjacent fewer years. However, helium noted that the expanding fig of AI apps aimed astatine wellness and self-care is astatine slightest amended than those that people basal urges.

“We are blessed truthful galore founders [and] startups are moving successful the AI self-care wellness abstraction alternatively of gathering waifus,” helium said, adding that the “personalization capableness of AI volition instrumentality the interaction of these relationships to different level.”

He noted that Momo has baked successful information guardrails, specified arsenic punctual filters to marque definite that conversations betwixt the AI and users enactment wrong due boundaries.

The caller currency from the fundraise volition beryllium utilized to assistance motorboat Momo connected the Android app store (it’s already disposable connected iOS). The First Voyage squad besides hopes to marque Momo much intelligent successful however it interacts with people.  

“We anticipation Momo and the assemblage astir it go a defining user marque that uses the champion of AI, animation, and gamification to amended arsenic galore lives arsenic possible,” Çopa said.