19-Year-Old Raises $11M to Launch Core, a $3,499 Screen-Less AI Computer Built to Run Continuously

A 19-year-old entrepreneur has raised $11 million as his startup, Ghost, launches Core, a $3,499 screenless computer designed to run AI agents continuously in the background and work with a user's data without constant prompting. Instead of a built-in display, Core is controlled through a phone or app while its AI agents continue working in the background.

Zain Javaid, founder and CEO of San Francisco-based startup Ghost, is pitching Core as a dedicated 'brain in a box' for personal AI rather than a conventional computer with AI software added to it. The seed round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, with Abstract, Audacious Ventures, SV Angel and Nova also participating.

Pre-orders opened Monday, 5 October, with the first batch scheduled to ship in the last week of October. Ghost has not announced a UK price in the information cited by TechCrunch.

A Computer Built for AI Agents That Never Stop

Core is designed to bring a user's files, applications and connected devices into one system where AI agents can process information, understand context and perform tasks on the user's behalf.

The computer includes an NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell SFF Edition GPU, which is included in the $3,499 price. Ghost's software layer, browser, and filing system are designed to allow AI agents to work across a user's files, applications, and connected devices.

The idea is that Core can continue working when the user is not actively interacting with it. Javaid gave TechCrunch an example in which Core could notify a user that they might be getting sick after detecting an elevated resting heart rate, late-night computer activity and seasonal context such as flu season in San Francisco. The example describes a proposed use case rather than an established medical diagnostic capability.

TechCrunch identified three pre-installed AI models in its report: Qwen 3.8-Next, Qwen 3.8-27B and Gemma 4-31B. Ghost's product page also lists Muse-Glimmer-30B among the models available with Core. Users can also install models from Hugging Face or load models they have trained themselves.

No Screen, But Access to Your Personal Data

Users interact with Core through the Core app on their phone, while the computer itself operates in the background.

Privacy is a key part of Ghost's pitch. The company says its models and personal memory run locally and that personal information is encrypted. Javaid also told TechCrunch that cloud providers, third parties and Ghost itself cannot meaningfully access the data.

The startup is also developing a firewall to monitor outgoing network requests made by its AI agents. Javaid said the planned system would reject requests it identifies as unauthorised or involving data exfiltration and flag them for user review.

Ghost Says Core Is Designed To Work Without Its Services

The company says Core is designed to remain functional even if Ghost eventually shuts down. Javaid told TechCrunch that the source code, logic and model weights are stored on the device rather than being dependent on Ghost's services.

Ghost also plans to distribute model improvements through over-the-air updates. Users can choose whether to adopt new model generations or enable automatic updates.

Javaid said the $3,499 price reflects Core's hardware and software, which were built specifically to run AI agents, distinguishing it from general-purpose computers that can be configured to run AI tools.