Avi SchiffmannAvi Schiffmann
Friend
Founder of Friend · AI Companion NecklaceFounder of Friend · AI Companion Necklace
ai-devicewearable
Built a widely used COVID-19 tracker as a teenager, then founded Friend on a deliberately uncomfortable premise: not an assistant but a companion, a $99 always-listening necklace that texts you rather than helping you do anything. The 2025 launch drew real anger — a subway ad campaign that invited defacement, and a product many read as monetising loneliness. In July 2026 it returned rebuilt at $249 with a speaker and a spoken personality, so it talks instead of texting. Volumes stay small, a few thousand units, which is the point worth noting: this is a cultural argument being run as a hardware company.
Built a widely used COVID-19 tracker as a teenager, then founded Friend on a deliberately uncomfortable premise: not an assistant but a companion, a $99 always-listening necklace that texts you rather than helping you do anything. The 2025 launch drew real anger — a subway ad campaign that invited defacement, and a product many read as monetising loneliness. In July 2026 it returned rebuilt at $249 with a speaker and a spoken personality, so it talks instead of texting. Volumes stay small, a few thousand units, which is the point worth noting: this is a cultural argument being run as a hardware company.
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