A Startup Raised $700 Million to Build What I Already Have
A startup called Hark just raised $700 million to build a personal AI assistant. They have 70 employees, a $6 billion valuation, and no product yet.
I’ve had mine running on a $20/month server for over six months.
Hark’s director of design told TechCrunch he “hasn’t seen anything that really helps the normal person.” He’s right — most AI tools are built for coders. What he’s describing already exists as open-source software.
OpenClaw is a self-hosted AI assistant that connects to your business tools — email, messaging, websites, ad platforms, social media — runs on your own server, and learns your business over time.
Mine manages my email platform, publishes blog posts, runs Amazon ad campaigns, and puts a morning briefing on my phone every day. Last month it spoke at a live business meeting with 20 people.
The gap between what venture capital is funding and what one person can set up on a cheap server has never been wider.
I teach a class on setting up and getting the most from OpenClaw — details at themeperks.com/openclaw-course/.
