Short answer: Zest: An AI restaurant concierge you text like a friend: it recommends places from where you and your friends actually eat, answers questions and sends menus, checks availability and books your table, and can join a group chat to blend everyone's tastes and run a vote. Poke: Proactive assistant on iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram with many integrations
Zest vs Poke
Sourced facts only. “Unknown” means not verified yet.
Key facts side by side
| Criterion | Zest | Poke |
|---|---|---|
| Type | personal agent | personal agent |
| Vendor | Zest (founded Nov 2024; CEO Mario Gomez-Hall, technical co-founder Alex Moller) | The Interaction Company of California |
| Channels / category | Text (212) 470-6067, one-to-one or added to a group chat; the Zest map app is on iPhone and Android | Apple Messages, WhatsApp, Telegram and more |
| Pricing / availability | Not published for the text concierge. Zest says booking and food ordering are its first revenue lines (TechCrunch, 30 Oct 2026) | Free USD 0; Pro USD 19/month; higher Ultra tier (per poke.com) |
| Launched | 2026-10-29 | 2025-09-08 |
| Funding (reported) | USD 1.8M pre-seed from Alexis Ohanian's 776 and Steve Jang at Kindred Ventures (TechCrunch) | USD 15M seed (2025) + USD 10M at USD 300M post-money (TechCrunch, Apr 2026); acquired by Cognition, Jul 2026 (PitchBook) |
| Channels confirmed | SMS/text | iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram |
| Verified facts | Zest introduced its AI restaurant concierge over text on Thursday 29 Oct 2026, after testing it since September; Text (212) 470-6067 for picks by cuisine, craving, occasion, dietary needs or neighbourhood; ask how busy a place is, whether it has Wi-Fi, or for the menu; Checks availability and books tables through connected services OpenTable, Resy and SevenRooms; Can be dropped into a group chat, where it blends everyone's tastes, settles indecision with an in-thread vote and books for the group; Learns your taste from real dining history: the Zest app links a card through Plaid with read-only access and keeps only food and drink visits; Zest's site lists 250K+ verified visits on the app; Recommendations also draw on more than 80 million reviews gathered from across the web; Founded Nov 2024 with USD 1.8M pre-seed from Alexis Ohanian at 776 and Steve Jang at Kindred Ventures; Food ordering is coming; expanding beyond restaurants to businesses and shopping is being considered | Proactive assistant on Apple Messages, WhatsApp, Telegram and more (its site); Plans: Free (USD 0) and Pro (USD 19/month) with frontier models and background automations; Added USD 10M on top of a USD 15M seed; valued at USD 300M post-money; Acquired by Cognition on 24 Jul 2026 (PitchBook profile) |
| Website | https://www.zestmaps.com/ | https://poke.com |
| Sources | [1] [2] [3] | [1] [2] [3] |
| Last checked | 2026-11-11 | 2026-11-11 |
Frequently asked questions
What is Zest?
An AI restaurant concierge you text like a friend: it recommends places from where you and your friends actually eat, answers questions and sends menus, checks availability and books your table, and can join a group chat to blend everyone's tastes and run a vote.
What is Poke?
Proactive assistant on iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram with many integrations
How much does Zest cost?
Not published for the text concierge. Zest says booking and food ordering are its first revenue lines (TechCrunch, 30 Oct 2026)
How much does Poke cost?
Free USD 0; Pro USD 19/month; higher Ultra tier (per poke.com)
Are Zest and Poke the same type of agent?
Zest is listed as a personal agent and Poke as a personal agent.
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