At 19, founder raises $11 million for Ghost, maker of a $3,499 computer for personal AI

Ghost, a startup founded by 19-year-old Zain Javaid, announced on Monday that it has emerged from stealth with $11 million in seed funding. Andreessen Horowitz led the investment round, with support from Abstract, Audacious Ventures, SV Angel, and Nova. The founding team also includes Nicholas Chua, 19, Yifei Chen, 24, and Guatam Sharda, 23.

The company introduced its first product, a personal computer named Core, built specifically to run artificial intelligence agents that act on a user’s behalf. Core costs $3,499 and includes an Nvidia RTX Pro 4000 SFF Blackwell graphics processing unit. The system features its own software layer, browser, and filing system.

It comes with three preinstalled AI models and lets users install other options. Pre-orders open on Monday, and shipping begins during the final week of October. Built in San Francisco, Core operates without a screen and is managed through a phone app. The device stores personal data locally with encryption, runs models directly on the hardware, and includes a firewall to monitor network requests.