The Interaction Company of California, the artificial intelligence startup behind AI assistant platform Poke, has raised $15 million in seed funding to accelerate development of its consumer AI technology. The round was led by General Catalyst at a reported $100 million valuation, with participation from Earlybird Venture Capital, Village Global, Everyday Intelligence, and CDTM Venture Fund. The financing also included a group of angel investors from technology companies and the startup ecosystem, supporting the company’s efforts to build a new category of AI assistants that operate directly through messaging platforms.

Founded by Felix Schlegel and Marvin von Hagen, The Interaction Company of California is developing Poke, an AI-powered personal assistant designed to help users manage everyday digital tasks. The company’s product connects with services including email, calendars, and files, allowing users to complete tasks through conversational interactions rather than traditional software interfaces. Poke is designed to handle activities such as drafting replies, managing invoices, rescheduling meetings, and booking travel through messaging.

General Catalyst led the company’s $15 million seed financing. The global venture capital firm invests in technology companies across sectors and stages, including artificial intelligence, enterprise software, and consumer technology. General Catalyst’s investment reflects growing interest in AI assistants that can automate routine digital work and create more personalized computing experiences.

Earlybird Venture Capital participated in the round as part of the investor group supporting The Interaction Company of California. The European venture firm invests in technology startups and has backed companies across software, deep technology, healthcare, and digital platforms. Its participation adds support from an investor with experience in early-stage technology businesses.

Village Global also participated in the seed round. The venture firm operates a network-driven investment model focused on backing founders building technology companies. Village Global has invested in early-stage startups across artificial intelligence, software, and emerging technology markets.

Everyday Intelligence and CDTM Venture Fund joined the financing. Their participation highlights investor interest in AI applications focused on improving personal productivity and changing how people interact with digital tools. The company also received support from angel investors including technology executives and founders such as Scott Wu, Ken Howery, Fred Ehrsam, Cory Levy, Anton Levy, Daniel Sundheim, Brendan Foody, and Guillermo Rauch.

The Interaction Company of California is building Poke around the idea that artificial intelligence can become a more active layer between people and their digital lives. Instead of requiring users to open multiple applications and manually complete tasks, the company’s assistant aims to interpret requests and execute actions across connected services.

Poke is designed to live inside messaging environments, allowing users to interact with the assistant through familiar communication channels. The company believes that conversational interfaces can make AI tools easier to use by allowing people to describe what they need naturally rather than learning complex software systems.

The startup’s approach comes as artificial intelligence companies increasingly move beyond chatbots and toward AI agents capable of completing multi-step tasks. Businesses and consumers are exploring AI systems that can perform actions, manage workflows, and reduce the time spent on repetitive digital activities.

The Interaction Company of California has attracted early attention from users in the technology industry. The company reported that Poke had been used by thousands of beta testers, including employees from companies such as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.

The founders are focused on creating a new type of personal assistant that combines artificial intelligence with access to users’ existing digital tools. By integrating with email, calendars, and files, Poke aims to provide assistance across multiple areas of daily work and personal organization.

The company’s funding comes during a period of rapid investment in AI startups developing agent-based systems. Investors are increasingly backing companies that aim to move artificial intelligence from passive information tools into active systems capable of completing tasks on behalf of users.

The new capital will help The Interaction Company of California expand its engineering and product development efforts as it continues improving Poke’s capabilities. The company plans to invest in building its AI technology, expanding integrations, and growing its user base.

The Interaction Company of California is positioning itself in the emerging AI assistant market, where companies are competing to define the next generation of digital productivity tools. As consumers and businesses look for simpler ways to manage increasingly complex digital environments, AI assistants are becoming a major focus area for technology developers and investors.

With backing from General Catalyst, Earlybird Venture Capital, Village Global, Everyday Intelligence, CDTM Venture Fund, and a group of prominent technology angels, The Interaction Company of California is working to build an AI assistant platform designed to make digital tasks more automated, accessible, and personalized.

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