Violoop
Category: AI Agents
Shenzhen-based AI hardware startup building a plug-and-play desktop AI agent device (a "physical-level AI Operator") that reads the user's screen locally and automates cross-app work on any PC. Violoop was founded in 2025. The company is led by 何佳霖 (Jaylen He). Based in Shenzhen, China. Team size: 11-50. Total funding raised: $20.0M. Latest round: Pre-Series A. Key investors include 联想创投 (Lenovo Capital), 中金保时捷 (CICC Porsche), 蓝驰创投 (Lanchi Ventures), 元生资本 (Genesis Capital), 启赋资本 (Qifu Capital), 清科控股/Zero2IPO Ventures.
- Founded
- 2025
- Headquarters
- Shenzhen, China
- Team size
- 11-50
- Total funding
- $20.0M
Value proposition
A palm-sized desktop device (HDMI + USB) that turns any Windows/macOS/Linux PC into an AI-agent-ready machine. It reads the screen on-device (raw feed never leaves the desk), runs a full 8B model locally (Qwen 8B Q4) at 2.7x Mac mini M4 speed, and gates every action behind a hardware security chip + physical button for tamper-proof safety. Positions as a proactive "AI intern" / successor to OpenClaw.
Products and solutions
Violoop V4 desktop AI terminal (MSRP $699, launch $399): HDMI 2.0 4K capture, USB-HID control, 26 TOPS on-device AI accelerator, RK3576 octa-core, dual-chip isolation (AI chip + security chip), BYOK (Claude/OpenAI/Gemini/OpenRouter), three modes (Instant screen-aware suggestions, Long-running cross-app tasks, Away mode). Three-layer self-evolution architecture (local memory layer, agent harness, model-weight personalization). Plans to release self-trained computer-use models and expand to home/car/robot terminals.
Unique value
"Software-defined hardware" — a physical-level AI Operator that learns one user's real work over time (personal self-evolution), with hardware-gated security (dual-chip + physical button) that software-only agents can't match, and local-first privacy (screen never leaves the device).
Target customer
SME owners, tech enthusiasts/early adopters, and knowledge workers who work across many apps and want 24/7 AI automation with local privacy. Global-first (Day One Global) strategy with overseas crowdfunding launch.
Industries served
AI hardware / personal AI agents, productivity automation across general office, CRM, email, spreadsheets, and any screen-based software (200+ apps trained).
Technology advantage
Dual-chip hardware architecture (AI acceleration + independent security chip with physical-button gating); on-device 8B model running 2.7x faster than Mac mini M4; three vision models reading the screen trained/tested daily across 10,000+ real software screens; patent accumulation in large-scale video content compression and precise retrieval; three-layer self-evolution framework (memory → agent harness → model weights).
How they differentiate
Unlike software-only agents (OpenClaw) or cloud-based approaches, Violoop uses a dedicated hardware device with dual-chip isolation and a physical confirmation button for hardware-gated security, plus on-device local memory and personal self-evolution. Differentiates from Rabbit R1 by targeting desktop/PC automation (screen-aware, cross-app) rather than a standalone handheld, and by being local-first with BYOK.
Main competitors
OpenClaw (open-source "Linux of the AI era" agent framework), Rabbit R1 (AI hardware device), Hark (Figure AI founder Brett Adcock's on-device proactive AI hardware startup)
Key partnerships
Strategic partnership with Lenovo (manufacturing, distribution channels, global brand), Lenovo Capital is an investor. FA: 向阳资本 (Xiangyang Capital).
Notable customers
~12,000 global pre-order customers (paid deposits), 200 internal beta testers, previously served a Fortune 500 consumer goods company (pre-Violoop enterprise AI work).
Major milestones
Founded 2025, March 2026 announced seed + angel round (tens of millions RMB), Sept 2026 announced angel + Pre-A round (hundred-million RMB scale) with Lenovo Capital and others, ~12,000 global pre-orders, V4 hardware iteration (added compute card, runs 10B-parameter models at 2.5x Mac mini speed), product launch planned September 2026.
Growth metrics
~12,000 global pre-orders (paid deposits) ahead of September 2026 launch; 200 internal beta testers; team grew from ~12 (March) to ~30 (September); 5 funding rounds completed in half a year (2026).
Market positioning
Early mover in China's on-device/personal AI agent hardware space; first personal on-device agent hardware investment by Lenovo Capital. Positions as the "Windows/Mac" layer on top of the OpenClaw "Linux" of the AI era — a hardware+software integration play for personal AI.
Geographic focus
Global-first (Day One Global) with overseas crowdfunding (Kickstarter) launch; ~12,000 global pre-orders. Headquartered in Shenzhen, China.
Patents and IP
Patent accumulation in the vision domain: large-scale video content compression and precise retrieval (per 36kr).
About 何佳霖 (Jaylen He)
Ex-YC W19 founder; UC San Diego Computer Science degree. Serial entrepreneur who built a real estate transaction platform to $100M+ GMV; previously provided enterprise AI services (local model deployment, fine-tuning, knowledge base) to Fortune 500 clients.
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Official website: https://violoop.ai/
