Persona Raises $10M for AI Assistant and Wearable Band

Oct 9, 2026
Persona raised $10 million for an AI assistant that operates through iMessage and a $179 wearable band. Vine Ventures led the round.

Persona, an AI assistant startup founded by Zach Yadegari, raised $10 million, according to TechCrunch. Vine Ventures led the round, with Cory Levy and Collective Global also participating.

Yadegari, who is 19, previously cofounded calorie tracking app Cal AI. MyFitnessPal acquired that company in March 2026, and Yadegari left in June.

Persona currently offers its assistant as a free beta through iMessage. It can order food and rides, book travel, take notes, answer questions and handle emails. The startup says the beta has attracted a few thousand users.

Persona also plans to release a $179 wearable band in December. Users can activate the assistant by pressing a button or moving their wrist. The company says data is processed in its cloud, encrypted during transfer and storage, and can be deleted by users. Purchases require user approval and use external payment providers.

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