Amid the rampant proliferation of AI-generated content and users being overwhelmed by vast amounts of "AI slop," a startup called First Voyage has chosen a completely different path: instead of creating more AI content, it uses AI to help people build genuine life habits. Its AI companion app, Momo Self Care, has attracted over 2 million user tasks created with its innovative "digital pet cultivation + habit formation" model, and has just completed a $2.5 million seed round of funding.

Momo is not another chatbot, but a virtual pet that you need to "care for." Users set daily goals—such as meditation, exercise, reading, or journaling—and Momo will gently remind them. After completing tasks, users earn virtual coins to buy clothes, accessories, or home items for Momo, achieving highly personalized customization. More uniquely, users can talk to Momo, sharing stress or goals, and the AI will recommend suitable self-care habits based on this, forming a positive cycle of "companionship - motivation - growth."

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"Momo helps users become the best version of themselves, and users in return care for, love, and provide cute accessories for Momo," said co-founder and CEO Besart Çopa, explaining to TechCrunch. He and CTO Egehan Ozsoy founded First Voyage with the aim of using AI's emotional connection capabilities to drive positive behavior change. Data shows that the most popular habits on the platform are concentrated in three areas: productivity, spiritual exploration, and mindfulness practices.

Facing the numerous AI applications similar to "virtual girlfriends" (waifu) in the market, Çopa clearly draws a line: "We are happy to see more entrepreneurs entering the AI mental health and self-care field rather than catering to base desires." He believes that the emotional connection between AI and humans will inevitably deepen, and the key is to guide it towards a constructive direction.

To ensure safety, Momo includes multiple layers of protection mechanisms, including a dialogue content filtering system that strictly limits topic boundaries to prevent inappropriate or harmful interactions. The team emphasizes that Momo's role is a "supporter," not a "replacement," and its design philosophy always revolves around empowering real life.

This round of funding was led by institutions such as a16z Speedrun, SignalFire, and True Global. The funds will be used primarily for the release of the Android version of Momo (currently only available for iOS) and further enhance the AI's interactive intelligence level—making Momo not only able to remind users of tasks but also understand their emotional states and dynamically adjust support strategies.