Instinct is a San Francisco-based startup developing a personal AI agent. Released as an invite-only service in August 2026, its product is pitched as an agent that can text or call on a user's behalf to plan trips, buy groceries, book tickets, cancel subscriptions and handle concierge-style bookings with businesses. Instinct is one of the independent challengers in the 2026 personal AI agent market, competing with offerings from large labs such as Meta's Muse, OpenAI's Dots and xAI's Grok Bot.
Product
Instinct's agent communicates in natural language over phone and text. The company launched a Concierge service to manage high-touch phone communications and specialized bookings, alongside a peer-to-peer protocol that lets separate Instinct agents coordinate users' plans directly with one another.
Funding
Instinct's valuation rose steeply over 2026. After a reported $350 million round and a $250 million Series B at a $2.5 billion valuation in August, the company raised $1 billion in a Series C that valued it at $10 billion in late September 2026, roughly a fourfold markup in weeks. Sequoia Capital, Benchmark and Coatue participated in the round, which was among the largest for a consumer AI-agent startup.