In early 2023, David Petrou, a distinguished engineer and founding member of both
Google Goggles and Google Glass, made a surprising move. After more than 17 years at Google, he left to launch his own startup.
“I was seeing how fast technology was changing, and I felt there are certain ideas that are best explored in the context of a startup,” Petrou told TechCrunch.
His vision led to the creation of
Continua, a consumer-focused company that uses AI agents to enhance collaboration and interaction in group chats across SMS, iMessage, and Discord.
“The simple way to think about it is that we’re bringing the power of large language models (LLMs) to group chats,” Petrou explained.
On August 12, 2025, Continua announced it had raised an $8 million seed round led by GV, with participation from Bessemer Ventures Partners and angel investors.
Petrou observed that people often interact with ChatGPT or other LLMs separately and then copy-paste the information into group conversations. Continua aims to streamline this by embedding AI directly into group chats.
“If you and I are planning a trip, deciding what to have for dinner, or choosing a movie, all of these can be facilitated by an LLM participating in a group chat with us,” Petrou said.
Continua’s AI agents reduce group chat chaos by joining conversations and offering helpful information only when needed. They can automatically set reminders, launch polls, add calendar invitations, or generate Google documents with checklists and to-do lists as groups discuss projects or plans.
If a user forgets details like meeting times or locations, they can privately message Continua to retrieve the information.
While the concept may seem straightforward, Petrou emphasized the technical complexity of enabling LLMs to participate naturally in multi-person conversations. Most AI models are designed for one-on-one interactions, so Continua had to fine-tune its models to grasp group chat dynamics.
“You want the agent to have social intelligence,” Petrou said. “We had to ‘break the LLM’s brain’ to integrate the AI naturally into conversations.”
Users can summon Continua when needed or tell it to “hang back” if it’s responding too often. Getting started is simple: add Continua’s phone number to a group SMS or its username to a Discord chat.
Although companies like Meta and startups such as Hey Umai also offer AI agents for chats, Petrou believes Continua is uniquely suited for group interactions.
Erik Nordlander, general partner at GV, said his firm invested in Petrou even before Continua’s group chat AI concept was fully formed. “David is a really brilliant engineer, someone who’s been working with AI since before it was the hot thing.”
Nordlander noted Continua’s potential revenue paths, including charging for services like event planning and trip booking, which the AI agent already assists with.
Source: Originally published at TechCrunch on August 12, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Continua AI Agents
Q: What is Continua?
A: Continua is a consumer-focused company that uses AI agents to enhance collaboration and interaction within group chats across various platforms like SMS, iMessage, and Discord.
Q: How do Continua's AI agents work?
A: Continua's AI agents join group conversations and offer helpful information or perform actions when needed. They can set reminders, create polls, add calendar invitations, or generate documents, streamlining group activities and reducing chat chaos.
Q: What kind of tasks can Continua's AI agents perform?
A: Continua's AI agents can facilitate group planning, such as trip arrangements or dinner decisions. They can also manage practical tasks like setting reminders, launching polls, adding calendar events, and creating checklists or to-do lists for projects.
Q: Can I retrieve information from Continua if I miss it in the chat?
A: Yes, if you miss details like meeting times or locations, you can privately message Continua to retrieve the information.
Q: How do users interact with Continua's AI agents?
A: Users can summon Continua when they need assistance or instruct it to "hang back" if it's being too active. The setup involves adding Continua's phone number to an SMS group or its username to a Discord chat.
Q: What is the main challenge in developing Continua's AI agents?
A: The primary technical challenge is enabling LLMs to participate naturally and effectively in multi-person conversations, as most AI models are designed for one-on-one interactions. Continua had to fine-tune its models to understand group chat dynamics and social intelligence.
Funding and Business Model
Q: How much funding did Continua recently secure?
A: Continua announced an $8 million seed round led by GV, with participation from Bessemer Ventures Partners and angel investors.
Q: What are Continua's potential revenue streams?
A: Potential revenue paths include charging for services like event planning and trip booking, which the AI agent can already facilitate.
Market Landscape
Q: Are there other companies offering AI agents for chats?
A: Yes, companies like Meta and startups such as Hey Umai also offer AI agents for chats. However, Continua aims to be uniquely suited for group interactions.
Crypto Market AI's Take
The emergence of Continua and its focus on AI agents for group chat collaboration highlights a significant trend in how we interact digitally. As AI continues to integrate into our daily communication, it's reshaping how we manage tasks, plan events, and collaborate. This development aligns with our own mission at Crypto Market AI to leverage artificial intelligence for more efficient and intelligent financial solutions. Our platform provides advanced AI-driven tools for cryptocurrency trading and market intelligence, aiming to empower users with data-driven insights and automated strategies. This integration of AI into communication tools like Continua suggests a future where AI assistants will become indispensable partners in both personal and professional life, much like our own
AI trading bots are designed to be for cryptocurrency traders. The seamless integration of AI into everyday tools signifies a broader adoption and trust in AI's capabilities, a trend we are actively participating in and driving within the financial sector.
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