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Pocket Raises $11M as Demand Surges for Its Personal AI Assistant Device

Pocket, a startup developing a personal AI assistant device, has raised $11 million in funding from Accel and others, citing surging demand for its wearable AI companion that aims to offer an alternative to smartphone-based assistants.

Background

Pocket is a startup building a dedicated hardware device with AI software meant to act as a personal assistant, competing with smartphones for tasks like scheduling and reminders. It just raised $11M led by Accel, a top venture firm known for early bets on Facebook and Slack. This is part of a wave of "AI hardware" startups (Humane, Rabbit) arguing smartphones are too distracting. Most have struggled so far with technical issues and poor sales. Recent advances in large language models (like ChatGPT's tech) have made conversational AI much more capable, reigniting interest in dedicated devices. Accel's backing signals serious confidence in this controversial bet.

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