Instinct in talks to raise $1B at $10B valuation, quadrupling in under a month

A startup that barely existed two years ago is now valued at $10 billion. Instinct, the San Francisco-based personal AI assistant, has closed a $1 billion funding round at that figure, according to reporting by NYT DealBook. The number that deserves a second look is not the $10 billion. It is the speed. Instinct was valued at $2.5 billion in late August 2026. This new round closed less than a month later at four times that price. What Instinct actually does The product is deceptively simple on the surface: a personal AI assistant you reach by text or phone call. You ask it to book a restaurant, respond to a message on your behalf, or negotiate a lower cable bill. It handles the task by accessing your apps and devices. Founder Noah Shinn built Instinct around the premise that the best interface for AI is the one people already use constantly: their phone. Shinn was 23 years old when he founded the company in 2025, having previously worked as a researcher at Sierra. The service is currently invite-only and completely free. There is no disclosed revenue model, which at a $10 billion valuation is either a bold vote of confidence from investors or a question that will eventually need an...