Mycroft reveals newest open source AI product
September 29, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
Kansas City-based artificial intelligence startup Mycroft AI revealed Wednesday its newest product during Techcrunch Disrupt’s Product Showcase in San Francisco.
The firm opened a Silicon Valley office in 2016, yet its headquarters remains in Kansas City.
Mycroft is an open-source device, similar to Amazon Echo, using natural language processing technology to enable its everyday use in a consumer’s home. With an open-source, open-hardware approach, Mycroft allows users across the globe to develop software and hardware add-ons.
The firm’s Mark 1 device is already on the market for $179.99. CEO Joshua Montgomery revealed the first public display of Mark 2 to a Techcrunch reporter.
“The Mark 2 is being designed for consumers to put on a desk or in your kitchen,” Montgomery told Techcrunch. “It provides a very similar experience to what you’ve come to expect from Google Home. but, it does it in an open way so you can build your own skills.”
Mycroft Mark 2
The Mark 2 device is expected to cost $99, Montgomery said. In addition to the new device being smaller than the Mark 1, it also features a screen.
A screen with a face.
“One of the unique things about the technology is that it’s anthropomorphic,” Montgomery said. “We’re doing animations on the screen that show the voice assistant responding to the user.
It’s personal and has a personality. It’s something that, ideally, you could build almost a friendship with.”
The Mark 2 screen also shows visual displays of the weather, calendar, and shopping lists, as well as video and music, Montgomery added.
Since its launch in 2015, developers have attached Mycroft technology to robots, refrigerators and cars. In February, Mycroft established a partnership with Jaguar Land Rover, providing the firm with a $110,000 investment and full-time engineering support.
Montgomery is a graduate of the Kansas City-based Sprint Accelerator and is a LaunchKC grant recipient. The firm is also participating in the Silicon Valley-based incubator 500 Startups’ 2017 cohort.
Mycroft was also named a Startland Top Startup to Watch in 2017. To watch the full video interview with Techcrunch, see below.
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Ready to bet big? Kansas wants to help entrepreneurs win more federal innovation grants
Kansas innovators now have access to a new tool designed to help them compete for major federal funding. The Kansas Department of Commerce has opened applications for the state’s SBIR and STTR Matching Program, which provides financial support and hands-on guidance for entrepreneurs pursuing federal innovation grants. The matching initiative is part of ACCEL-KS, a…
New Maker of the Year: Why this mom’s side hustle for the girly girls couldn’t stay at home
A hobbyist venture that began with making shirts for her kids has earned Julie Swopes a spot on Made in KC’s shelves for her Chiefs- and Royals-inspired tees — along with one of the local-first retailer’s top honors: KC New Maker of the Year for 2025. “I’m just a stay-at-home mom that has turned her…
Don’t be a stranger: When this Crossroads refuge closes, another chapter begins for Afterword (and the space it leaves behind)
With two more Open Mic Nights and more than a month left on its lease at Afterword Tavern & Shelves — a cozy corner hotspot where patrons leisurely bond over drinks and good reads — the popular Crossroads third-space isn’t finished telling its story despite losing the space to its new landlord, said Kate Hall.…
Exporting KC to the world: Esports leader revs come-from-behind global takeover amid World Cup’s big draw
As the metro bundled up and showed out Friday, getting its latest taste of what the 2026 World Cup has in store, the Kansas City Pioneers dropped new heat — raising the thermostat on their commitment to seize the moment brought forth by the global gathering as a net for esports. “Now is the time for…