Poke, an innovative startup aimed at making AI agents as user-friendly as text messaging, is the first to be approved by Apple for its Messages for Business platform. This move allows businesses to communicate with customers via iMessage using Poke's accessible tools.

Launched in March, Poke offers a range of services from daily planning to health and fitness tracking, all through simple text messages. It has already processed over 100 million messages, according to the company’s TechCrunch report.

The platform is now expanding its supported messaging platforms to include iMessage, alongside SMS and Telegram. Poke aims to provide a seamless interface for users, enabling them to ask questions or make requests via text, without the need for complex interactions.

For Apple, this approval opens up potential revenue streams through per-user fees on the platform. Co-founder Marvin von Hagen explained that the business model is scalable and aligns with Apple’s strategy of monetizing AI services.

The process to get approved by Apple required Poke to comply with strict guidelines, including showing link previews instead of inline links in iMessage. Despite these challenges, Poke successfully navigated the approval process, setting a precedent for other AI agents looking to join the platform.