Mistlabs exits beta with $26 million for Ambi

Mistlabs is building toward agents that negotiate with each other, a capability due in the coming months. It would come into play when two people using the software sit in the same meeting, with each agent drawing on what it knows about its own user and working out where priorities overlap. Likely sticking points would surface as well, and the agents are meant to bargain toward a result both people can accept while the conversation is still going. Users set the permissions that govern what their agent can do.

The company's approach differs from most AI platforms, which are built to complete tasks. Chief Executive Peter Mo said Mistlabs wants to see what becomes possible once software can understand, reason and act in real time, with actions sometimes coming before the user even thinks to ask.

The $26 million raised ahead of the launch will pay for a standalone wearable that gives Ambi more context about its users and their surroundings. Mo said hardware will let the system extend to entirely new device types over time. Huaqin, based in Shanghai, designs and manufactures smart devices for other brands.