Peter Mo's startup Ambi is introducing an AI assistant for iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch that can provide real-time meeting insights, automate tasks and capture contextual information.
Ambi, an artificial intelligence startup founded by former Plaud executive Peter Mo, has raised $26 million across multiple funding rounds to develop an AI assistant capable of listening to conversations and providing contextual information in real time.
The funding rounds were led by Luminous Ventures, an investor in companies including Meituan and Unitree Robotics, and original design manufacturer Huaqin.
The startup is introducing applications for iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch, positioning its technology as an AI assistant that can capture information from conversations, identify relevant context and support users during meetings and other activities.
Unlike conventional AI meeting assistants that primarily generate transcripts, summaries and action items after discussions conclude, Ambi aims to provide suggestions and initiate tasks while conversations are still taking place.
The platform draws on information from calendars, meeting records, knowledge bases and web sources to deliver relevant insights during ongoing interactions.
Users will also be able to begin tasks on one device and continue them on another, allowing the assistant to operate across different parts of their workflow.
Mo, who serves as Ambi's co-founder and CEO, said existing AI interactions are often restricted to screens or dependent on recorded information being processed after an event.
The company is developing its technology to make AI assistance available throughout daily activities rather than requiring users to initiate individual requests.
Ambi also plans to introduce a desktop application capable of observing work activity and retaining selected contextual information to improve future recommendations.
Beyond software, the startup is developing a dedicated hardware device equipped with a screen, speaker, camera and microphones. The proposed device is intended to capture contextual information and display AI-generated assistance.
However, the company's approach raises questions about privacy and consent, particularly when conversations involving other individuals are captured through background listening.
According to Ambi, ambient recording is disabled by default, and users can switch off the feature at any time.
The company also claims that it does not retain user recordings and that data is encrypted, although it has not disclosed the specific encryption methods being used.
Mo acknowledged that informing other participants about ambient recording remains an unresolved industry challenge, with users responsible for disclosing when the technology is active.
The company currently employs more than 50 people across San Francisco, Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Ambi is recruiting employees for go-to-market operations and AI engineering positions, including roles focused on speech recognition.
The funding comes as AI developers increasingly explore assistants that can operate continuously across devices and workflows, moving beyond applications that respond only to direct prompts.
For Ambi, the immediate focus is on extending meeting assistance into real-time task execution and contextual recommendations, while its planned hardware expansion introduces additional considerations around recording transparency and data protection.
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