Ambi Raises $26M for AI App That Listens to Users Throughout the Day
Ambi’s iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch apps listen throughout the day, using calendar and web data to surface meeting suggestions and sync tasks across devices. The startup raised $26M from Luminous Ventures and Huaqin, while its planned hardware raises privacy questions.
Ambi, an AI startup founded by former Plaud executive Peter Mo, announced in October 2026 that it has raised $26 million across multiple funding rounds to build an app that continuously listens to users and provides real-time suggestions and insights.
The funding was led by Luminous Ventures, which has previously backed companies including Meituan and Unitree Robotics, alongside Original Design Manufacturer Huaqin. Alongside the funding announcement, Ambi is releasing apps for iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.
The apps function similarly to meeting note-takers but go further by listening throughout the day to capture ongoing context. During meetings, Ambi’s AI agent can proactively surface relevant information and suggestions based on a user’s calendar, meetings, knowledge base, and web data. Users can also start a task on one device and pick it up on another.
Ambi also has plans to expand its reach. An upcoming desktop app will monitor users’ on-screen work and store relevant details to improve personalization. The company is additionally developing its own hardware device equipped with a screen, speaker, camera, and microphones.
The app raises significant privacy questions. It is not clear whether Ambi’s apps or its planned hardware device will provide sufficient indicators to alert third parties that their conversations are being recorded. Mo acknowledged the issue, stating the company instructs users to inform others when ambient capture is active, but cannot prevent users from concealing it. He described this as an industry-wide problem without a current solution.
Mo said ambient capture is off by default and can be disabled at any time. The company states it does not store audio recordings and encrypts user data, though it did not specify the type of encryption used.
Ambi currently employs more than 50 staff across offices in San Francisco, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, and is hiring for go-to-market roles and AI engineering positions focused on speech recognition.