Rabbit Secures $10 Million Investment from Khosla Ventures
AI startup rabbit inc. has successfully secured $10 million in a Series A funding round, led by existing investor Khosla Ventures. This brings the total funding for the company to $30 million. The additional capital will be utilized to expand the team and accelerate the development of their inaugural standalone hardware, named r1. This cutting-edge device will run on rabbit OS, an operating system built upon the company’s proprietary Large Action Model (LAM). The official unveiling of the r1 device and rabbit OS is scheduled for January 9, 2024, during an online launch event coinciding with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2024) in Las Vegas.
Jesse Lyu, the Founder and CEO of rabbit, expressed the company’s vision, stating, “Throughout history, humans have always tried to create more intuitive tools.” Lyu highlighted the limitations of the current app-based operating systems, emphasizing the disjointed and cumbersome nature of navigating through multiple apps. According to Lyu, the Large Action Model (LAM) serves as the missing element that will revolutionize the way humans interact with technology, enabling faster and more efficient task completion.
Large Action Model (LAM), introduced in October, distinguishes itself by understanding and executing human intentions, going beyond the capabilities of Large Language Model-based programs like ChatGPT. Unlike traditional generative AI chatbots, LAM operates tasks without the need for specific integrations such as Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). The goal is to enable users to seamlessly complete tasks, such as booking tickets and ordering groceries, from start to finish.
To optimize LAM’s performance, rabbit has developed a groundbreaking mobile device, the r1, which incorporates the rabbit OS. This device allows users to employ intuitive input methods for tangible task completion, eliminating the need to navigate through multiple apps. The industrial design of r1 is a collaboration between rabbit and Swedish company Teenage Engineering, renowned for its award-winning synthesizers and audio equipment.
Additionally, rabbit OS streamlines tasks by negating the requirement for users to manually create new accounts or pay for additional subscriptions for app access within rabbit OS. This approach ensures a secure and responsible way for users to accomplish more tasks effortlessly.
Alexander Liao, CTO of rabbit and former Carnegie Mellon researcher in machine learning, explained the groundbreaking nature of LAM, stating, “LAM breaks the boundaries of existing app interfaces.” He highlighted the capability of LAM to intelligently analyze information and execute actions across multiple apps in response to natural language requests, a feat uncommon in current operating systems.
Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures, envisions a future with billions of agents operating on behalf of individuals, praising rabbit’s team for introducing powerful consumer experiences. The Los Angeles-based rabbit was founded by a group of accomplished Kaggle Grandmasters, ex-Google engineers, and experienced entrepreneurs, with CEO Jesse Lyu having previously founded Raven Tech, a startup acquired by Baidu that pioneered conversational AI operating systems.
