Plaid is a service that lets fintech apps connect to users' bank accounts and access financial data. Recent coverage includes Town, an AI assistant startup founded by former Plaid CTO Jean-Denis Greze, raising a $108M Series B; Tabby, a bookkeeping tool built by accountant Ahad Ali, using Plaid to import live account data for its 5,500 small-business users; and Anthropic testing a Claude Money feature on iOS that links bank accounts.
Zest launches AI restaurant concierge over textRestaurant-discovery app Zest launched an AI concierge that works over text messages, letting users combine friends' tastes, vote on options, and book a table. Founded in November 2024, Zest raised $1.8M pre-seed from 776 and Kindred Ventures and uses credit-card dining data via Plaid for personalized suggestions.
AI assistant startup Town raises $108M Series B at unicorn valuationSan Francisco-based AI assistant startup Town announced a $108M Series B co-led by Forerunner Ventures and Menlo Ventures, with Andreessen Horowitz, Serena Ventures and First Round Capital participating. Founded by former Plaid CTO Jean-Denis Greze, Town launched publicly four months ago and reached millions in annual recurring revenue within weeks, raising at least $160M to date. Its Townie assistants connect to tools like email and calendars, and a new shared workflow lets assistants sync business info automatically.
Former accountant builds Tabby AI to replace traditional bookkeeping softwareAccountant Ahad Ali founded Tabby, which uses Plaid to import live account data and AI to build real-time profit-and-loss dashboards, aiming to make bookkeeping software disappear. Fourteen months in, 5,500 small businesses use it, with roughly $100,000 in annual revenue.
Anthropic Tests Claude Money Banking FeatureAnthropic is testing a Claude app feature called “Claude Money” on iOS that would let users link bank accounts to ask about spending and finances. Details on supported banks, connection method, and geographic availability are not yet public; the feature resembles OpenAI’s Finances offering.
The A.I. Daily