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Ghost, an AI hardware startup led by 19-year-old CEO Zain Javaid, has raised an $11 million seed round to build Core, a screenless computer designed to run personal AI agents. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, according to TechCrunch’s October 5, 2026 report. Core is listed at $3,499, but its shipping and first-batch status were described differently by Ghost and two contemporaneous news reports.
What Ghost announced
Ghost emerged from stealth after about a year of building and announced an $11 million seed round. TechCrunch reported that Andreessen Horowitz led the financing, with Abstract, Audacious Ventures, SV Angel and Nova also participating. The announcement and team details were reported by TechCrunch on October 5, 2026.
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TechCrunch identified Javaid, 19, as CEO and named Nicholas Chua, 19, Yifei Chen, 24, and Gautam Sharda, 23, as members of the founding team. The company’s first product is Core, a computer intended to run AI agents continuously and locally.
What Core is and what it costs
Core is a screenless personal computer controlled through a phone or web app. In TechCrunch’s report, Javaid described its software as including a browser and filing system, and said users could install other models from Hugging Face or load models they had trained themselves. Ghost presents the device as a system that can draw context from apps, files and devices and act proactively; these are company descriptions, not independently tested results.
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Ghost’s product page, checked October 7, 2026, lists Core at $3,499 and says “First batch open now.” That page does not establish that units have shipped or reached customers. TechCrunch reported on October 5 that shipping was scheduled for the last week of October. SiliconANGLE, also reporting on October 5, said the first batch had sold out and Ghost was collecting interest for another batch. Those reports conflict with one another and with the current product-page wording, so availability should be treated as unsettled. Ghost’s page is at ghost.ai; the contemporaneous batch report is from SiliconANGLE.
Published hardware and model details
Ghost’s current product page lists the following configuration. These are published specifications, not independent performance measurements.
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- [Screen]: 15.6" 144Hz FHD Thin Bezel IPS, enjoy smooth motion and sharp visuals on a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with a fast 144Hz refresh rate, delivering fluid gameplay, wide viewing angles, and vivid detail for work and entertainment.
- [Other]: 14.15 x 9.66 x 0.91 in, 4.29 lbs | Ports: 1 x USB Type-C, 2 x USB Type-A, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Audio Combo Jcak, 1 x RJ45, 1 x DC in, 1 x Kensington Lock | Wi-Fi 6E AX211(2*2 ax + Bluetooth 5.3 | 4 zone RGB keyboard with Anti-Ghost key (99 Key) | Bundle with Res Cooler.
| Component | Ghost’s listed specification |
|---|---|
| GPU | NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell SFF Edition, 24 GB GDDR7 ECC memory and 432 GB/s memory bandwidth |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 7600, six cores and 12 threads |
| Memory | 64 GB DDR5 |
| Storage | 1 TB NVMe SSD |
The model lists differ slightly by source. Ghost’s page names Qwen 3.8-Next, Qwen 3.8-27B, Gemma 4-31B and Muse-Glimmer-30B. TechCrunch’s launch report names Qwen-3.8-Next, Qwen-3.8-27B and Gemma-4-31B; it does not establish that list as exhaustive. Neither list proves that every model is a default selection or describes performance on Core.
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TechCrunch names Apple’s Mac mini as a configurable alternative, but the distinction in its report is about intended use, not demonstrated speed or value. Javaid characterized Core as hardware and software designed for AI agents, with models installed, while the Mac mini is a general-purpose computer that can be configured for AI.
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- [Processor]: high-end mobile CPU of Intel Core 7-240H Processor for laptops of the Raptor Lake-H series. It offers 6 performance cores (P-cores, Golden Cove architecture) and 4 of the 8 efficient cores possible (E-cores, Gracemont architecture). The P-cores support Hyper-Threading for 16 threads when combined with the E-cores. The clock rates range from 2.5 to 5.2 GHz (single-core boost) on the performance cluster and 1.8 to 4 GHz on the efficient cluster.
- [5070 Laptop]: 8GB GDDR7 VARM. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU unlocks the game changing realism of full ray tracing. Equipped with AI TOPS, the RTX 5070 enables new experiences and next-level graphics fidelity. Experience cinematic quality visuals at unprecedented speed.
- [Screen]: 15.6" 144Hz FHD Thin Bezel IPS, enjoy smooth motion and sharp visuals on a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with a fast 144Hz refresh rate, delivering fluid gameplay, wide viewing angles, and vivid detail for work and entertainment.
- [Other]: 14.15 x 9.66 x 0.91 in, 4.29 lbs | Ports: 1 x USB Type-C, 2 x USB Type-A, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Audio Combo Jcak, 1 x RJ45, 1 x DC in, 1 x Kensington Lock | Wi-Fi 6E AX211(2*2 ax + Bluetooth 5.3 | 4 zone RGB keyboard with Anti-Ghost key (99 Key) | Bundle with Res Cooler.
| Comparison point | Ghost Core | Apple Mac mini, as characterized in TechCrunch’s report |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Purpose-built for personal AI agents | General-purpose computer configurable for AI |
| Model setup | Ghost lists models on its product page; the company says users can also install models or load their own | AI model setup is configurable; a specific included model list is not stated in the report |
| Published hardware | Specifications are listed above on Ghost’s current product page | A Mac mini generation and configuration are not specified in the report |
| Price | $3,499 on Ghost’s product page checked October 7, 2026 | Not stated in the report |
| Interface | No built-in screen; accessed through a phone or web app, according to TechCrunch | Specific AI-agent workflow or interface comparison is not stated in the report |
The available reporting contains no benchmark or side-by-side test. It does not establish which computer is faster, more reliable, better value, or better at running agents.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Local processing, online services and privacy limits
Ghost’s pitch centers on keeping models, memory and personal context on the customer’s hardware. Its product page says models run on-device and uses the claim “No data ever leaves your home.” The company’s privacy policy, effective October 4, 2026, qualifies that broad wording: local conversational AI and memory do not use a remote AI fallback, but some online features send task information through Ghost-managed services to third-party providers. Those providers receive and process what is needed for the task, and their retention and use are governed by their own policies. Ghost says its gateway forwards request and response content without retaining it in databases, logs or backups. The policy is available at ghost.ai/privacy.
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The policy says Core can store connected-app information, files, browser credentials and memories locally; screen-history or camera information may also be stored when those features are enabled. Screen history is off until enabled, but private browsing does not pause capture while screen history is on. Paired devices may keep their own copies, backups can preserve copies, and deleting a source may not remove a derived memory. Information sent to an outside provider can remain subject to that provider’s own policies.
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- [Feature]: AI ready MSI Cyborg 15.6" 144Hz Gaming Laptop. Dominate Any Game with Top-Tier Performance: Unleash blazing-fast speeds with the latest Intel Core 7 240H processor (10-core, 16-threads, boosts up to 5.2GHz) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 8GB Laptop GPU. Whether you're battling for a win, live-streaming your squad, or running multiple apps, this powerhouse handles it all without breaking a sweat, keeping you at the top of the leaderboard. 【32GB DDR5 RAM | 1TB SSD】
- [Processor]: high-end mobile CPU of Intel Core 7-240H Processor for laptops of the Raptor Lake-H series. It offers 6 performance cores (P-cores, Golden Cove architecture) and 4 of the 8 efficient cores possible (E-cores, Gracemont architecture). The P-cores support Hyper-Threading for 16 threads when combined with the E-cores. The clock rates range from 2.5 to 5.2 GHz (single-core boost) on the performance cluster and 1.8 to 4 GHz on the efficient cluster.
- [5070 Laptop]: 8GB GDDR7 VARM. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU unlocks the game changing realism of full ray tracing. Equipped with AI TOPS, the RTX 5070 enables new experiences and next-level graphics fidelity. Experience cinematic quality visuals at unprecedented speed.
- [Screen]: 15.6" 144Hz FHD Thin Bezel IPS, enjoy smooth motion and sharp visuals on a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with a fast 144Hz refresh rate, delivering fluid gameplay, wide viewing angles, and vivid detail for work and entertainment.
- [Other]: 14.15 x 9.66 x 0.91 in, 4.29 lbs | Ports: 1 x USB Type-C, 2 x USB Type-A, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Audio Combo Jcak, 1 x RJ45, 1 x DC in, 1 x Kensington Lock | Wi-Fi 6E AX211(2*2 ax + Bluetooth 5.3 | 4 zone RGB keyboard with Anti-Ghost key (99 Key) | Bundle with Res Cooler.
Javaid said Ghost was building a firewall to monitor outgoing network requests and flag or reject suspected sanctioned or data-exfiltrating activity. This is a founder-reported development, not evidence of an independent security audit. Ghost’s privacy policy says it welcomes independent security firms to review its managed-service gateway and remote-access relay; that should not be read as an audit of the full device.
What remains unverified
The October 5 launch coverage and Ghost’s current product page establish the funding announcement, listed price, published hardware and company’s intended design. They do not establish Core’s shipped performance, reliability, customer experience, return rate or full-device security-audit results. The product price, model list, ordering status and shipping schedule are also subject to change.
For setup, Ghost provides an official guide last updated September 18, 2026: ghost.ai/setup.
Quick Recap
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