Chai is a mobile app from Chai Research Corp., a Palo Alto company founded in January 2021, where users talk to AI characters that other users have created. The company rates the app 18 and over and reports, in its own unaudited figures as of October 1, 2026, more than one million daily users and a revenue run-rate of USD 120 million. Several of those claims come only from the company, so this article separates what Chai says from what independent sources show.
Key takeaways
- Chai Research Corp. says it was founded in January 2021 and is led by founder and CEO William Beauchamp.
- User, revenue, and funding figures on the company's own site are self-reported and labeled unaudited.
- Chai states that users under 18 are not permitted and that age checks use selfie estimation or government photo ID through a third-party provider.
- A 2023 Belgian case and an April 2025 letter from two U.S. senators put companion chatbots under public scrutiny.
- Safety systems described on the company's page have no published metrics or audits.
What the Chai app is
The Chai app is a social platform built around characters. Users can write a character's name, opening message, and personality, publish it, and chat with characters made by others. Chai describes its models as in-house large language models, run on its own GPU cluster, and the app is available on iOS and Android. A web version is listed on the company's site as coming soon.
The company's fact page says it has 15 to 20 employees and has raised USD 55 million, with named investors that include CoreWeave and AMD Ventures. It also reports that more than 10 million people logged in at least once in the 12 months to October 1, 2026. Chai defines its USD 120 million figure as a gross annualized run-rate, meaning current revenue extrapolated to a full year, and says that is not revenue earned over a completed year. The same page cites a Sensor Tower estimate of about USD 5.08 million in net app-store revenue for September 10 to October 9, 2026, which excludes advertising. Chai puts the mix at roughly 60 percent subscriptions and purchases and 40 percent advertising.
Claims that need a second source
The table lists the main figures and how far each one can be confirmed. "Self-reported" means the number appears on Chai's own pages and no independent audit was found.
| Claim | Where it comes from | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Founded January 2021, based in Palo Alto | Chai fact page | Self-reported |
| USD 55 million raised | Chai fact page | Self-reported |
| USD 120 million annualized run-rate | Chai fact page, as of October 1, 2026 | Self-reported, unaudited |
| More than one million daily users | Chai fact page | Self-reported |
| USD 5.08 million net store revenue in 30 days | Sensor Tower estimate quoted by Chai | Third-party estimate, excludes ads |
| Real-time scanning of every message for self-harm content | Chai safety page | Self-reported, no metrics published |
Age limits and safety design as described by the company
Chai's safety page says users under 18 are not permitted, that the app is rated 18 and over on the Apple App Store and Google Play, and that age is checked through Persona using a selfie estimate or a government ID. It says models and real-time systems are designed to refuse restricted material, naming sexually explicit content, self-harm content, and content that sexualizes minors. Users can turn on filters, hide explicit messages, and block characters, and any character or message can be reported without the creator being told.
On crisis response, the page says every user message is scanned for self-harm content and that flagged messages are refused or replaced. It also says users who express self-harm intent see a notice pointing to crisis services. No error rates, audit results, or moderation statistics accompany these statements, so their real-world performance cannot be judged from the page. The text is Chai's description of its own system.
Public scrutiny of companion chatbots
In March 2023, Belgian media reported the death of a man in his thirties after about six weeks of intensive exchanges with a chatbot called ELIZA, built on an open-source model. Brussels Times, citing the newspaper La Libre, quoted his widow's view that he would still be alive without the conversations. The country's digital minister, Mathieu Michel, said responsibilities needed to be defined clearly and set up a working group on the EU's draft AI Act. The Brussels Times article does not name Chai; other outlets linked the chatbot to the Chai app, and the underlying facts rest on a family's account and press reporting, not a court finding.
In early April 2025, Senators Alex Padilla and Peter Welch sent a letter to Character Technologies, Chai Research Corp., and Luka, Inc. asking about safety measures and model training for young users, according to news coverage republished on Welch's Senate site. The senators' own text could not be opened for this article.
Questions to ask about any companion app
- Does the operator say who may use the app, and how is age actually checked?
- Are conversation logs visible to character creators or used to train models?
- Are revenue and user figures independently reported, or only self-stated?
- Does the app show crisis resources, and are its safety claims backed by published results?
This article is general information and not medical, legal, or mental health advice. A person in distress can call or text 988 in the United States or 9-8-8 in Canada.
FAQ
Who owns Chai?
Chai Research Corp. operates the app, and its fact page names William Beauchamp as founder and CEO. Investors named by the company include CoreWeave and AMD Ventures.
Is Chai free?
The company's page indicates income from subscriptions, purchases, and advertising. Specific prices change by region and platform, so the current store listing is the reliable source.
Is Chai meant for teenagers?
No. Chai states that users under 18 are not permitted and that the app carries an 18 and over rating in both major app stores.
Are the company's user numbers verified?
Not independently. They appear on Chai's own page, which labels the figures unaudited, and only the app-store revenue estimate comes from an outside analytics firm.
Related reading
- Replika and the question of conversational AI
- Companies working on conversational AI
- Natural language generation in chat bots
- The ChatGPT chatbot explained
More in AI Tools and Industry.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- Company facts, Chai Research Corp., October 2026
- Safety, Chai Research Corp., 2026
- Belgian man dies by suicide following exchanges with chatbot, The Brussels Times, March 28, 2023
- Senators demand information from AI companion apps following kids' safety concerns, lawsuits, news report republished by the Office of Senator Peter Welch, April 2025
- 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline and 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, public information, 2023 to 2026