Ghost raises $11M seed led by Andreessen Horowitz for on-device AI computer Core

Ghost Raises $11M Seed Round

Ghost, a San Francisco-based hardware startup founded in 2025, has raised $11 million in seed funding. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from SV Angel, Audacious Ventures, Abstract Ventures, and NOVA.

The company is led by CEO Zain Javaid.

What Ghost Builds

Ghost's flagship product is Core, a screenless personal AI computer priced at $3,499. Core is designed to run open-source large language models entirely on-device, keeping personal data local and encrypted rather than routing it through cloud infrastructure.

The machine centralizes a person's desktop files, apps, and smart-home data on a single always-on system that continuously runs proactive AI agents.

Hardware and Software Details

• Compute: An Nvidia RTX Pro 4000 Blackwell GPU
• Memory: 64 GB of DDR5
• Preinstalled models: Qwen and Gemma
• Updates: Over-the-air model updates
• Assembly: Built at the company's own San Francisco facility

Both the GPU and memory are bundled into the $3,499 sticker price.

Positioning

The pitch centers on locality and privacy: rather than sending personal context to third-party servers, Core is built to keep all personal data local and encrypted while still running proactive agents on an always-on basis. The screenless form factor and preinstalled open-source models point to a device-first approach to personal AI, with model updates delivered over the air to keep the on-device stack current.

The Round at a Glance

• Company: Ghost
• Product: Core
• Round type: Seed
• Amount: $11,000,000 USD
• Date: October 5, 2026
• Lead investor: Andreessen Horowitz
• Additional investors: SV Angel, Audacious Ventures, Abstract Ventures, NOVA
• Founded: 2025
• Headquarters: San Francisco
• CEO: Zain Javaid

What to Watch

Ghost is competing in the emerging category of on-device AI hardware, where the value proposition rests on running capable open-source models locally rather than depending on cloud inference. The company's decision to assemble Core at its own San Francisco facility, and to include a Blackwell-generation GPU and 64 GB of DDR5 in the base price, makes it a vertically integrated bet on local AI compute.

For a seed-stage company, that combination of custom hardware, on-device model deployment, and proactive agent software represents a broad build. The new capital, led by Andreessen Horowitz, gives Ghost room to scale production and continue shipping over-the-air model updates to Core owners.

As the on-device AI category develops, Ghost's progress on manufacturing, model performance, and the always-on agent experience will be the key indicators to track.