AI Startup Instinct Raises $1 Billion to Reach $10 Billion Valuation
AI startup Instinct has raised $1 billion, reaching a $10 billion valuation for its personal AI agent platform. The company faces privacy scrutiny as it expands security measures.
Instinct Raises $1 Billion to Expand Personal AI Agent Platform
Artificial intelligence startup Instinct announced that it has raised $1 billion in its latest funding round, quadrupling its valuation to $10 billion. The funding round included venture capital firms Sequoia Capital, Benchmark, and Coatue.
Instinct develops a personal AI agent that allows users to interact via text message or phone call to execute tasks such as trip planning, ticket booking, grocery shopping, subscription cancellations, and contacting businesses. Founded in 2025 by Noah Shin, the company aims to transition AI from simple chatbots to active personal agents.
"This funding will help us bring Instinct to more people and continue building the future of personal artificial intelligence," said Shin.
Privacy and Security Challenges
Despite its rapid growth, Instinct faces scrutiny over privacy and security due to the broad access it requests to personal accounts. Reports from tech publications highlighted incidents where early versions accessed Gmail content after disconnection and displayed incorrect financial documents. Shin denied data leaks, attributing the errors to AI hallucination.
The company stated it is strengthening security mechanisms by operating the agent in isolated environments, granting temporary access permissions, and implementing error-detection systems to prevent incorrect actions.
