Photon
San Francisco-based startup that helps developers build AI agents that work over messaging apps such as iMessage and WhatsApp.
- Industry
- AI developer tools, agents for messaging apps
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
About
Photon helps developers build AI agents that work over messaging apps such as iMessage and WhatsApp. TechCrunch reports that the company signed up over 40,000 developers and grew revenue 10x in four months. Gradient says Daniel Tian and Ryan Zhu started the company.
Funding history
| Round | Date | Amount | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed 2026 | 2026-10-01 | $4.5M | Gradient Ventures, A* |
Investors
- Gradient Ventures lead
- A* lead
- Vercel participant
- HongShan participant
- Z Fellows participant
- Llama Ventures participant
- Karman participant
Sources
Last verified:
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/01/photon-held-a-funeral-for-mobile-apps-now-it-has-4-5m-to-help-replace-them-with-agents/
Type: reputable publication. Accessed 2026-10-06.
TechCrunch article dated 2026-10-01. Reports $4.5 million in seed funding and describes the product and the company's developer growth. - https://www.gradient.com/blog/posts/photon-codes/
Type: official investor website. Accessed 2026-10-06.
Gradient post dated 2026-10-01. Says Gradient co-led the $4.5 million seed round with A*, with participation from Vercel, HongShan and Z Fellows. - https://www.finsmes.com/2026/10/photon-raises-usd4-5m-in-seed-funding.html
Type: reputable publication. Accessed 2026-10-06.
FinSMEs article dated 2026-10-02. Source of the San Francisco, CA location. Also names Llama Ventures and Karman as participants.