Pokea startup that makes using AI agents as simple as sending a text message has become the first AI agent approved to work in Apple’s Messages for Business platform. Previously, the platform was designed for businesses — airlines, retailers, hotel chains and others — to communicate with their customers via iMessage, offering a standardized interface that supports both automated chat and live agents. Until now, it was not open to autonomous third-party AI agents.
Released in March, Poke is one of the first AI agents designed to be accessible to everyday users who don’t have the technical skill set or inclination to work with command-line tools or more complex agent systems like OpenClaw. Today, Poke can help with common activities like daily planning, managing your calendar, tracking your health and fitness, controlling your smart home, and editing your photos, all via text message. To date, about 100 million messages have been relayed, the company tells TechCrunch.
The AI service works via SMS, Telegram and, in some markets, WhatsApp. Poke will now be able to add iMessage to its supported platforms.
News of Poke’s launch in Apple’s Messages for Business comes just days before Apple’s anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, where it is expected to unveil an AI-optimized version of Siri along with other AI tools and services for app developers. It is also it is rumored that Apple will open its App Store to AI agents.
That’s not exactly the case here with Poke. Apple’s Messages for Business platform is not about offering a consumer-facing mobile app, but rather a way for consumers to interact directly with a business through the iMessage interface. This allows consumers to reach out to businesses for information, support, scheduling appointments and more, without having to call them on the phone. Poke users ask the AI agent a question or make a request and it responds via text.
For founders and investors, the most interesting detail may be the business model it opens up. Marvin von Hagenits co-founder The Interaction Company of Californiathe Palo Alto-based startup behind Poke says its startup will pay Apple per user. While he can’t share exact pricing, he notes that it’s significantly lower than Meta AI, since it raised fees in response to EU regulation that required it to allow third-party AI agents on WhatsApp. This per-user toll structure, implemented at scale, represents a potentially significant new revenue stream for Apple but also a new distribution cost that AI startups will have to factor in.
“I think Apple is just noticing that this is the best way to deliver AI and… actually, good for them, because they’re charging us. They’re charging us per user on the platform, and they’re making money out of it, especially if it gets really big,” says von Hagen. He believes Apple’s support for AI agents will also grow over time.
Getting Apple’s approval required the company to verify that it could offer live support, if needed, and that the AI representative was clearly identified as such. Poke also submitted testimonials from its messaging providers and adapted its user interface to meet Apple’s guidelines.
For example, Poke in iMessage should show link previews instead of embedded links like before, and uses Apple’s style guide for things like buttons and interface elements.
“This took a couple of months to comply with all those standards, and it’s going to take anyone else who wants to build on top of it — it’s also going to take two months to get through that approval process,” von Hagen said. As for being first? This had a lot to do with trust.
“It was also important that we were very aligned on the company’s position,” he noted, explaining that many consumer products today are all about the numbers through questionable tactics. “We care about quality, we care about having a brand that signals trust,” von Hagen said.
It’s unclear whether Apple will announce any news about AI agents in its Message for Business platform at WWDC next week, and von Hagen has not been briefed on Apple’s plans. However, Poke is currently rolling out invites to existing users that will allow them to optionally switch to the iMessage experience if they prefer.
Backed by Spark Capital, General Catalyst and other angels, the 10-person startup recently added another $10 million to its funding, on top of last year’s $15 million seed round. It is now valued at $300 million, after money.
Apple was not immediately available for comment.
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