Poke, a startup that makes AI agents as easy to use as texting, has become the first standalone AI agent approved for Apple's Messages for Business, a platform previously limited to companies talking to their own customers over iMessage. The more telling detail for builders is the business model: co-founder Marvin von Hagen says Poke pays Apple a per-user fee to be there, which he describes as well below what Meta charges agents on WhatsApp, turning iMessage access into both a new revenue line for Apple and a new cost of distribution for agent startups. Approval took a couple of months and required live-support capability, clear labeling as an AI, and conforming to Apple's interface rules. Launched in March, Poke runs over SMS, Telegram, and some WhatsApp markets, has relayed about 100M messages, and recently added $10M at a $300M valuation
