For its most recent Camp, VC and accelerator Betaworks was on the lookout for startups building native applications made possible by AI.
The program was first announced in May. To explain this focus, managing partner John Borthwick wrote at the time that while things like AI chatbots and writing assistants exist, “we aren’t yet living in the future we imagine.”
In other words, despite advances in AI technology, Borthwick said that “when end users like ourselves are faced with a task or project we are certain could be done faster, better, smarter, by harnessing the power of AI, the ready-made tools we have available to us in that moment are surprisingly limited.”
Naturally, Betaworks is hoping its Camp participants can change that. Its Camps are 12-week thematic programs, with each participating startup receiving $500,000 from a syndicate of investors. The most recent program is culminating with Demo Day on Wednesday.
Betaworks partner (and former TechCrunch deputy editor) Jordan Crook said the accepted companies ultimately fell into three broad categories: “agentic” B2B, personalized software, and hardware-enabled AI.
Here are the startups:
Unternet is working to break down the web’s “dumb rectangles,” where we have to open tab after tab while trying to accomplish tasks like comparison shopping. It’s building a new form of web application that can be understood and used by AI, as well as a web client that can turn user intent into action within these “web applets.”
Ursula is building artificially alive characters that it says have emotions, experience needs, form memories, and exhibit unique behavioral patterns. Its first creation is a kids’ companion also called Ursula.
ESAI helps students craft their personal narrative for college applications and more. The company says it does this in an ethical way by automating the process of helping students draw connections between their experiences and transform those experiences into a compelling narrative.
Autoplay is creating AI agents that help users navigate software in real time, so businesses can improve product adoption and reduce churn. It uses self-driving technology that learns the software and integrates with session replay databases to understand user intent.
Alice Camera offers an AI-native, mirrorless camera that attaches to a user’s phone, making it easier to capture professional-quality content. It automates aspects of the camera functionality and streamlines post-production.
Dessn has created a Chrome extension that overlays a live app, allowing product designers to make changes. The AI writes the code and pushes it straight to the codebase, with developers approving the code before it goes live.
Sarama builds a dog collar that analyzes dog vocalizations to give owners a better understanding of their pets’ emotional and physical needs. Its founders have both worked in animal communications research.
Tato simplifies complex IT projects by auto-documenting interactions like meetings, emails, documents, and project management apps, then providing insights about those interactions to the right people on the team.
Hopscotch Labs has built an app called BeeBot, which turns on when you put on AirPods or headphones, then provides information about nearby places, people, and events as you walk. Its founders include Foursquare’s Dennis Crowley.