Viral AI Agent Instinct Secures $1 Billion Series C at $10 Billion Valuation

Rapid Funding Reflects Investor Enthusiasm for Consumer AI Agents

The $1 billion Series C round was first reported by The Information earlier this month, and Instinct confirmed the deal in a press release on Monday. Led by Sequoia Capital, Benchmark Capital and Coatue, the investment lifts the company’s valuation to $10 billion, just one month after a $2.5 billion raise. The swift capital infusion is unusual for a startup that opened its invite‑only service in August 2026.

From Answering Questions to Managing Daily Tasks

Instinct belongs to a new generation of consumer AI agents that go beyond conversation. The platform can book travel, reserve restaurants, make purchases, pay bills, cancel subscriptions, conduct research, order groceries and more. To execute these actions, Instinct operates its own phone number and computer. Recent additions include a “concierge” feature that places phone calls for appointments where online booking is unavailable, and a “trusted person network” that lets one user’s agent coordinate plans with friends’ agents.

Privacy Questions Follow Feature Expansion

The ability to handle sensitive personal data has sparked user concern over how much information must be shared with the AI. Instinct’s original privacy policy was criticized for its breadth, but the company has since revised it to address the issues.

Meta’s Muse Raises the Competitive Bar

Instinct now faces stiff competition from Meta’s AI assistant, Muse, which mirrors many of Instinct’s capabilities while integrating deeply with Meta’s social ecosystem. Muse can monitor and summarize Instagram direct messages, Facebook Groups and Marketplace listings, among other tasks. The app has climbed to the top of U.S. app stores and has been downloaded millions of times. In contrast, Instinct relies on SMS and text messaging and does not yet offer a mobile app. The startup has not disclosed user numbers or growth metrics, though its investors clearly see promise.

Founder’s Vision and the Path Forward

Instinct declined interview requests with founder Noah Shinn but shared a statement in which he said, “We’re building Instinct to be the best personal agent that can handle the deeply personal nuances of everyday life. This funding helps us bring Instinct to more people and continue building the future of personal AI. It’s an exciting, creative time, and we’re just getting started.”