A new app called Poppy launched in May 2026 with the goal of reducing smartphone overload by pulling together a user’s calendar, email, messages, and other services into a single dashboard powered by artificial intelligence.
Poppy’s standout feature is its proactive suggestions. Rather than waiting for users to ask questions, the app monitors connected data sources and surfaces contextually relevant nudges — for example, flagging a gap in a user’s schedule near a park as an opportunity for a walk, or factoring in a friend’s food preferences from past messages when recommending brunch spots. Users can also message Poppy directly to track flights, receive medication reminders, or get restaurant suggestions.
At launch, Poppy supports Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, Gmail, Outlook, iCloud Mail, Apple Health, Reminders, Contacts, iMessage, WhatsApp, Uber, Instacart, and several other services. Access to iMessage is handled through a Mac app, which could present complications given Apple’s general restrictions on third-party access to its messaging platform.
The app was built by Sai Kambampati, a former software engineer at AI hardware startup Humane who holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science with a specialization in human-computer interaction. “I’ve always been interested in challenging what computers are able to do, especially the idea of ambient computing and computers that can proactively sense what you need and anticipate your needs,” Kambampati told TechCrunch.
On privacy, the company says user data is encrypted in storage and that it applies a zero-retention policy when using cloud-based large language models. Kambampati said he hopes to shift to on-device AI models within two to three years as hardware and model capabilities improve.
Poppy’s San Francisco-based four-person team has raised $1.25 million in pre-seed funding led by Kindred Ventures, with angel participation including DeepMind’s Logan Kilpatrick.
Source: TechCrunch