Upon further communication, Howie assisted in finalizing a suitable time for the call and even inquired about any specific materials or agenda items to include in the meeting description. What made this interaction intriguing was the fact that Howie is not a human assistant but rather an AI-powered tool designed to streamline the process of scheduling meetings.
Howie serves as a virtual executive assistant residing in your email inbox, aiming to become the preferred AI secretary for individuals with busy schedules. Recently, the Seattle-based startup behind Howie secured $6 million in seed funding, attracting over 1,000 paying customers in the process.
The funding round, led by True Ventures, saw the participation of prominent investors like Jason Calacanis, Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, and others. Howie’s software caters to professionals inundated with external calls, offering services such as coordinating meeting times, updating calendars, sending reminders, and identifying scheduling conflicts.
Among its clientele are startup founders, venture capitalists, journalists, consultants, and recruiters, all benefiting from Howie’s efficiency in managing their appointments. Since transitioning from its private beta phase, Howie has been orchestrating over 5,000 meetings weekly for its users, experiencing substantial growth in revenue and usage throughout 2025.
The startup distinguishes itself through a blend of customization and precision, allowing customers to specify preferences and workflows to tailor Howie’s assistance accordingly. Employing a combination of advanced language models and human oversight, Howie ensures reliability comparable to that of a human executive assistant.
For a monthly fee of $25, users can access Howie’s standard package, with a premium version available at $95 per month, offering additional features like the option to rename the AI assistant. Co-founders Austin Petersmith and Dave Newman, who have a history of collaboration dating back to their time at Assembly, are optimistic about the current market readiness for AI assistants like Howie.
Located in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, Howie comprises a team of nine, boasting five former founders and two Y Combinator alumni. Petersmith, previously the founder of Capiche, which was acquired by Vendr, leads the company with a vision to revolutionize scheduling practices in the professional realm.
Additional investors in Howie include Sophia Amoruso, Turner Novak, Gaby Goldberg, and various venture capital firms, collectively endorsing the startup’s innovative approach to meeting coordination and management. As Howie continues to evolve and expand its user base, it stands as a testament to the growing demand for AI-powered solutions in the modern workplace.
