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These Yale and Berkeley dropouts just raised $2 million to build an AI assistant that could rival OpenAI


Y Combinator-backed startup Martin AI secures $2M seed funding to challenge Siri and Google with its innovative personal AI assistant, built by 19-year-old founders to revolutionize how consumers interact with AI through custom memory architecture and multi-channel accessibility.

Unlike traditional AI assistants that rely on voice commands, Martin employs what Chen calls a “custom memory architecture” that allows it to better understand user preferences and context over time. OpenAI recently announced an assistant called “ Operator ” while Google is developing “ Jarvis.” However, Chen believes Martin’s focus on user experience and rapid iteration gives them an advantage. The investment round also included participation from industry veterans like JJ Fliegelman and former Uber executive Manik Gupta, suggesting growing confidence in consumer AI applications despite an otherwise cooling venture capital environment.

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