Ambi raises $26M and launches AI apps that listen across iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch

Ambi, an AI startup founded by former Plaud executive Peter Mo, said on Monday it has raised $26 million across multiple funding rounds led by Luminous Ventures and ODM manufacturer Huaqin. The company also launched apps for iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch that can continuously listen to users to provide real-time intelligence and suggestions.

Ambi's AI agent is designed to proactively offer suggestions or surface relevant knowledge during meetings, drawing on the user's calendar, meetings, knowledge base and web data. Users can also start a task on one device and continue it on another, the company said.

According to Mo, Ambi aims to make AI available anytime and anywhere, addressing limitations of existing hardware where audio must be transferred to a phone and processed in the cloud before users get results. The startup also plans to launch its own hardware device with a screen, speaker, camera and microphones to capture context and display information.

On privacy, Mo said ambient data capture is off by default and can be turned off at any time. The company said it does not store recordings of users and encrypts data, but did not specify the encryption method.