Instinct founder says over half of platform transactions are travel-related

Noah Shinn, founder of the AI agent platform Instinct, said in a podcast interview with investor Patrick O'Shaughnessy that travel bookings — flights and hotels — account for more than half of all transactions made through the platform. He said the invite-only service is approaching a billion dollars in annual transaction volume, though he did not detail how that figure is calculated.

Shinn explained that people who don't use Instinct typically rely on travel agencies or booking sites, which unify hotel chains, airlines, and other services into a single interface. He argued that Instinct offers a better experience for urgent situations, such as needing to be in a specific city the same night.

Growth and restaurant reservations

According to Shinn, the platform is growing about 10% day over day, with transaction volume rising at a comparable pace. He also discussed plans around restaurant reservations, noting that most restaurants currently rely on a first-come-first-served system that fails to account for special occasions. He said an AI agent could check restaurant availability every five seconds to notify users of open slots.

Shinn suggested restaurants would prefer to prioritize guests with special occasions over regulars who occupy tables without marking any notable event. Critics have pushed back on this idea, warning that AI agents could fabricate anniversaries or special occasions to secure reservations, and noting that many restaurants value regular customers for the steady business they provide.

Instinct recently closed a $1 billion Series C funding round from Sequoia Capital, Benchmark Capital, and Coatue, valuing the company at $10 billion. The 14-person startup competes in the personal AI agent space with Meta's Muse and Khosla-backed Wajo.