Poke just became the first standalone AI agent approved to run on Apple’s Messages for Business platform, according to TechCrunch AI. The startup behind it, The Interaction Company of California, builds an AI assistant you control by text message, and Apple’s green light means iMessage is now in play. That’s a notable opening for a platform that, until now, was reserved for businesses talking to their own customers.
What stands out here is the timing and the precedent. TechCrunch AI reports the approval landed just days before Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where the company is expected to show off an AI-focused Siri and is rumored to open the App Store to AI agents. Poke isn’t that exact move, but it’s a real signal of where Apple is heading.
📱 What Poke actually does
Launched in March, Poke is built for everyday users who don’t want to touch command-line tools or wrestle with complex agentic systems. You text it, it responds. Right now it handles:
- Daily planning and calendar management
- Health and fitness tracking
- Smart home controls
- Photo editing
The company tells TechCrunch AI it has relayed roughly 100 million messages so far. It already runs over SMS, Telegram, and WhatsApp in some markets. iMessage is the new addition.
🔑 How the platform works
Apple’s Messages for Business isn’t a consumer app. It’s a way for people to reach a business directly through the iMessage interface, for things like support, scheduling, and information, without picking up the phone. Airlines, hotels, and retailers have used it for years. Poke fits into that same interface, except the business on the other end is an AI agent answering your questions and requests.
💰 The business model is the real story
For founders and investors, the pricing structure may matter more than the feature list. Marvin von Hagen, Poke’s co-founder, says the startup pays Apple on a per-user basis. He wouldn’t share exact numbers, but he notes it’s significantly lower than what Meta AI charges after the EU forced it to allow third-party agents on WhatsApp.
That per-user toll is worth watching. It’s a potential new revenue stream for Apple, and a new cost of distribution that any AI agent startup will have to budget for. “They charge us per user on the platform and actually make money with this, especially if it becomes really big,” von Hagen told TechCrunch AI. He expects Apple’s support for agents to expand over time.
✅ What it took to get approved
This wasn’t a quick listing. Poke had to prove a few things to Apple:
- It could provide live human support when needed
- Its AI agent was clearly labeled as AI
- It submitted testimonies from its messaging providers
- It rebuilt parts of its interface to match Apple’s style guide
That meant showing link previews instead of inline links and adopting Apple’s standards for buttons and interface elements. Von Hagen says the process took a couple of months, and he expects anyone following the same path to spend about as long.
There’s a trust angle too. Von Hagen says being first came down to alignment on values, contrasting Poke with consumer products that chase growth through “questionable tactics.” “We care about quality, we care to have a brand that signals trust,” he said.
📌 Availability and what’s next
Poke is rolling out invites to existing users, who can optionally move over to the iMessage experience if they prefer. It’s not clear whether Apple will say anything about AI agents on Messages for Business at WWDC, and von Hagen says he isn’t in the loop on Apple’s plans.
The company behind Poke is small, just 10 people, but well funded. Backed by Spark Capital, General Catalyst, and several angels, it recently added $10 million on top of last year’s $15 million seed round. It’s now valued at $300 million post-money. Apple was not immediately available for comment.
Why it matters: Poke didn’t just ship a feature. It set the template and the price of admission for every AI agent that wants a spot inside iMessage. If Apple leans further into this at WWDC, that couple-of-months approval grind could become a well-worn path. You can find the full details over at TechCrunch AI.