Acti launches an AI keyboard for iOS and Android

In short: Acti has launched a new smartphone keyboard that adds built-in AI help across many apps, and it also announced $5.3 million in seed funding.

What happened

Acti, a startup based in Singapore, released an “agentic keyboard” for iOS and Android. In simple terms, it is a replacement keyboard that you type on, but it also has AI features built into it.

Instead of switching to a separate AI app, the keyboard can help you while you are already in other apps like email, messaging, and social media. Think of it like having a small helper that follows you from app to app, because you are using the same keyboard in all of them.

Acti says users can create “Skills,” which are custom shortcuts that run a few steps for you. For example, a Skill can translate a message, or drop a meeting link into a chat. Acti says you do not need to code, you can describe what you want in normal language and the app builds the shortcut.

Under the hood, Acti uses Google’s Gemini models, which are large AI models (very big pattern-finding systems trained on lots of text). The company also says it is “local-first,” meaning your personal context stays on your phone by default, and it does not access or store private messages unless you use a feature that needs outside processing.

Acti also told TechCrunch it closed $5.3 million in seed funding led by BITKRAFT Ventures.

Why it matters

Many people try AI tools but stop because it is annoying to copy and paste text between apps. A keyboard is one of the few tools you use almost everywhere on your phone, so adding AI there could make these features easier to use. It also raises practical questions users will care about, like what data the keyboard can see and when it leaves the device.

Source: TechCrunch AI