AI agent hardware startup Ghost, led by its 19-year-old-founder, raises $11M

Ghost AI, an AI hardware startup founded by a 19-year-old CEO named Zain Javaid, has successfully raised $11 million in funding. The company aims to create and market the first personal computer specifically designed for running personal AI agents, which are expected to become integral to users' daily lives. The funding round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Abstract, Audacious Ventures, Nova, and SV Angel.

The company's flagship product, called Core, is a powerful computer that doesn't require a monitor or any peripheral devices. This unique design is referred to as a "brain in a box," as it is intended solely to continuously run AI agents on behalf of its user. Javaid and his co-founders believe that existing AI agents that run in cloud-based servers controlled by large corporations lack the necessary trust and security needed to handle sensitive user data, especially since AI agents require extensive access to personal information.

The team at Ghost AI emphasizes that their system, Core, is a dedicated and locally-hosted machine that users can install at home. This allows AI agents to continuously learn about the user, reason on their private data, and perform tasks without sending any data to the cloud. Core boasts a high-powered Nvidia RTX Pro 4000 SFF Blackwell graphics processing unit, along with its own software layer, file system, and web browser.

The first version of Core comes with several open-source models, including Alibaba Group Holding’s Qwen-3.8, Qwen-3.8-2.7B, and Google LLC’s Gemma-4-31B, with additional models available from Hugging Face and other repositories.

To ensure security and privacy, all models run locally on the device, and user data remains encrypted with the user holding the encryption keys. The device also includes a firewall to monitor and prevent unauthorized data exfiltration or malicious actions. Despite its advanced features, Core remains a premium product, with the initial batch priced at $3,499.

Ghost AI is now inviting users to register for interest in its second batch, with the company's top priority being the production of additional units following the recent sale-out of the first batch.