Former Plaud exec raises $26M for always-on AI app
Original: Former Plaud exec raises $26M for AI app that listens to you in the background
Why This Matters
Always-on AI assistants are a fast-growing category testing how far users will trade privacy for convenience.
Ambi, founded by ex-Plaud executive Peter Mo, raised $26M across multiple rounds led by Luminous Ventures and ODM Huaqin to build an AI app that listens to users continuously, launching on iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.
Peter Mo, formerly at AI recorder company Plaud, has launched Ambi with $26 million in funding to build an AI assistant that listens to users all day. Luminous Ventures — known for backing Meituan and Unitree Robotics — led the rounds alongside original design manufacturer Huaqin.
Ambi launches Monday on iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch. Like meeting notetakers, it records conversations, but its pitch goes further: the AI agent aims to surface relevant suggestions and knowledge in real time during a meeting, drawing from the user's calendar, knowledge base, and web data. Users can hand off tasks between devices mid-session.
"The intelligence is trapped on the screen," Mo told TechCrunch, contrasting Ambi's approach with hardware recorders like Plaud that require cloud upload before any insights appear.
An upcoming desktop app will monitor user activity and store context in long-term memory for more personalized suggestions. Ambi is also planning proprietary hardware with a screen, speaker, camera, and microphones. The privacy picture is murky — the article notes the launch comes amid growing concerns about always-on AI devices that lack clear recording indicators.