AI startup Photon secures funding for agents designed to replace mobile apps
AI-focused Photon has raised $4.5 million in seed funding to develop smart agents operating via messaging services.
Believing that the era of mobile apps is coming to an end, the startup Photon has secured $4.5 million in seed funding to develop artificial intelligence agents operating through messaging apps. The company also drew attention with a symbolic funeral featuring app icons.
Symbolic funeral for mobile apps
To emphasize its belief that agents will replace mobile apps, AI startup Photon held a funeral for app icons at a church in San Francisco.
Attended by tens of thousands of developers, the event also served as a developer day, featuring panels hosted by prominent figures in the industry.
$4.5 million seed investment
Seeking to scale its developed products, the startup secured $4.5 million in seed funding in a round co-led by Gradient and A*.
The investment round also saw participation from Vercel, HSG, Z Fellows, Llama Ventures, Karman, and numerous angel investors.
Platform tools offered to developers
Photon allows developers to build agent experiences across iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, email, and voice channels.
The company's toolset includes a unified API, extensible channel infrastructure, command line interface, and observability tools.
Rapid growth and expanding user base
Having managed to increase its revenue tenfold within a relatively short period, the startup has grown into a platform with over 40,000 registered developers.
Founded by Daniel Tian and Ryan Zhu, the platform serves customers across multiple verticals, including fintech and consumer AI.