Wabi Valued at $1.25 Billion Following New Funding Round

Wabi, an artificial intelligence startup created by Replika founder Eugenia Kuyda, secured $55 million in fresh financing.

NationPulse Desk

Oct 29, 2026 · 7:35 PM 2 min read

Key takeaways

Wabi raised $55 million in a financing round announced on Thursday.

The startup now holds a valuation of $1.25 billion.

Eugenia Kuyda, founder of the artificial intelligence companion startup Replika, created Wabi.

IVP general partner Alex Lim led the latest funding round.

Other participants included Andreessen Horowitz, Forerunner, Amazon Alexa Fund, and several prominent executives and angel investors.

Investors are placing their bets as the competition to create a successful artificial intelligence assistant continues. On Thursday, Wabi announced that it secured $55 million, bringing its valuation to $1.25 billion while rebranding its platform as a personal agent.

Eugenia Kuyda, who previously established the artificial intelligence companion startup Replika, launched Wabi to let users create applications through text prompts. The company revealed a shift last month to operate as an artificial intelligence messenger.

The updated version, known as Wabi 2.0, aims to generate custom interfaces for users as part of its function as an individual assistant.

According to the company, users can use Wabi to construct small applications for activities like meal planning, finding local eateries, organizing date nights, building workout routines, and designing specific trivia games.

This fresh capital suggests financial backers support the updated agent strategy, arriving during a strong market for artificial intelligence agents that recently saw competitor Instinct secure $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation in September.

Additionally, Tolan, a creator of muppet-style artificial intelligence companions designed to assist people through daily life, recently secured $30 million.

Alex Lim, general partner at IVP, which spearheaded the latest financing round, shared his perspective in a statement. "Eugenia has a unique sense for where AI is headed and a track record of great taste in building it," said Alex Lim, general partner at IVP, which led the new round, in a statement. "She has a clear vision for how people will interact with AI, one that goes far beyond the text box or command line. Wabi is the expression of that vision, and we're thrilled to support her."

Additional contributors to the financing included Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Forerunner, Amazon Alexa Fund, alongside individual investors such as Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, former Yahoo! head Marissa Mayer, former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, and Alex Pall from The Chainsmokers.

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