Continua, a consumer AI startup founded by former Google engineer David Petrou, has raised $8 million in a seed round led by GV, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners and angel investors.
Petrou, a founding member of Google Goggles and Google Glass, left Google in 2023 after 17 years to build an AI platform that integrates large language models (LLMs) directly into group chats on SMS, iMessage, and Discord.
From copy-paste to seamless integration
Petrou noticed users often consulted ChatGPT separately, then pasted responses into group conversations. Continua embeds the AI directly into chats to help with:
- Trip and event planning
- Launching polls and reminders
- Creating Google Docs with to-do lists
- Adding calendar invites automatically
Users can summon the AI when needed or tell it to “hang back” if it’s too active, and can also DM it privately for quick answers.
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Technical challenge: social intelligence for AI
Unlike traditional chatbots designed for one-on-one interactions, Continua’s LLMs are tuned for multi-person conversation dynamics, ensuring the AI only responds when relevant. Petrou describes the work as “breaking the LLM’s brain” to teach social awareness.
Market and monetization
Continua joins a competitive space that includes Meta and Hey Umai, but positions itself as the go-to AI for group contexts. GV’s Erik Nordlander said they invested before the concept fully formed, citing Petrou’s track record and early traction in event planning and trip booking — both potential revenue streams.
